The key to building muscle is about stimulating the body to grow
How do we do this? We challenge it. The body has an amazing ability to adapt to our environment. We move time zones; our body adapts to new sleeping habits. We enter a cold climate; our body shivers to warm up. We need to escape danger; our heart and lungs work harder to fuel our muscles with more oxygen etc. If we need to lift heavier things and more regularly, including our own bodyweight, it will adapt to it.
Starting right
So, whether you’re a male looking to build muscle or female looking to slim, tone and develop lean muscle mass, bodyweight resistance training is a perfect place to start. Ladies, TRM style workouts will maximise your fat burning whilst helping you build long, lean muscles as you are working through a full range of motion, as well as challenging your balance and stabilisers – much like pilates and yoga, so you can forget about the fear of bulking up.
Reps and expectations
The first mistake people make with bodyweight training is doing exercises in excess of 10-20 reps, with an expectation of building lean muscle. Yes, you’ll feel a burn, however this will more so challenge the endurance of the muscle, rather than build on it. Ideally, you need to be maxing out around the 6-12 rep mark. Arnold Schwarzenegger once said, ‘It’s the last 3 to 4 reps that make the muscles grow.’ It comes down to that last rep you didn’t think you had, that will make all the difference.
With a focus on using your bodyweight as a form of resistance our TRM rings and program allow you to change the intensity of an exercise by simply adjusting the position of your body to increase the relative ‘weight’ and force required to challenge you. These small alterations are what lead to natural progression and stronger muscles. The TRM rings mimic most machines in the gym, target every muscle group and for those often on the move, they fit perfectly into your carry on.
In a nutshell
To see results from bodyweight training, adapt your exercises so you are maxing out in that 6-12 rep range, then…do one more!
3 of my top muscle building TRM ring exercises:
CHEST FLY (follow from left to right)
Active muscles: Chest, Shoulders, Biceps
HEADBANGERS (follow from left to right)
Active muscles: Biceps, forearms
PLANK CURL KNEES IN (follow from left to right)
Active muscles: Core, Abs, Obliques
