Model Andrew Tracey
Having bulging biceps and a chest as wide as a wardrobe might look good, but if your muscles hinder rather than help your day-today activities, then there’s not much point in having them. Fortunately, it’s possible to build a bigger and stronger body that’s also incredibly efficient moving around in the real world, rather than simply moving metal in the gym. And one of the best ways to build a more muscular and functionally-fit body is through suspension training. The beauty of kit like the KO8 (ko8.co.uk) is that not only can it be used almost any time and anywhere, but it also makes using your own bodyweight as resistance a real challenge.
HOW IT WORKS
“Suspension training is great because it allows you to expand your bodyweight training exercise repertoire tenfold, with kit that takes up less room in your car or travel bag than a loaf of bread,” says MF’s regular outdoor training expert Andrew Tracey (wayofthenomad.co.uk). “And in terms of increasing muscle mass and improving strength and co-ordination, there’s nothing better than getting to grips with moving and controlling your own bodyweight. It simply makes you better at moving through life.”
Find a tree branch, a set of goalposts or any secure overhead bar to hook your kit on, then try Tracey’s upper-body metabolic circuit below. The 30-minute circuit is split into two parts containing three moves each: the first half targets your “pushing” muscles – chest, front delts, triceps – and the second half your “pulling” muscles – back, rear delts and biceps. In each circuit the moves get easier but the reps increase to capitalise on accumulated fatigue to keep your muscles pumped and your heart rate high.
“This technique keeps rest to a minimum, maximum calories are burned, and compounding fatigue causes a cascade of beneficial fat-burning, muscle-building hormones to be released,” says Tracey. Go down this route to find your way to a bigger, stronger and more mobile upper body.
DIRECTIONS
This is a 30-minute every minute on the minute (EMOM) workout. After a quick warm-up, start the clock. In the first minute do five dips, then resting for the remainder of the minute (use the time to adjust the straps). In minute two do ten decline press-ups with your feet in the straps and hands on the ground, then rest for the remainder. In minute three do ten incline press-ups with your hands in the straps and feet on the ground. Repeat this for five total rounds, which lasts 15 minutes.
In the first minute of the second part of the workout do five pull-ups, then again use the rest of the minute to adjust the straps. In minute two do ten inverted rows with your feet on the ground, then rest for the remainder. In minute three do ten kneeling straight-arm roll-outs. Repeat this five times as well.