GET STARTED GUIDE

A Message from Massy...

A Brief History and Humble Beginning

Massy Arias arrived in the United States at the age of 13, where she was determined to work hard and pursue a fulfilling life.

Years later, she found herself in the depths of true depression, and fitness became somewhat of a therapy for her.

Over the years, she has learned through trial and error that a healthy relationship with both food and movement are key to her mental health and physical well-being.

It was from this place of overcoming that Massy began to desire sharing what she learned with others, and, thus, her online training programs emerged as a way to give back to the world. 

TRU Training is now the place where she builds her community and shares her knowledge.

Welcome to this amazing journey!

I'M SO HAPPY YOU'RE HERE

Welcome to Your Fitness Journey with TRU Training

Our getting started guide was created to give you a brief introduction of our company founder, Massy Arias, and her MA Fitness programs hosted on TRU Training along with detailed information about her programs, methodologies, values, along with tips on which programs to follow. 

If you want to learn how to move, eat, create sustainable healthy habits then you are in the right place! We’re going to do this together!

Start with section 1 below and let’s get it!

Section 1: Make the Most Out of the Community

Click on your profile and update your profile photo and your cover photo. You can also fill out all your information to share with the community. This information will help other learn more about you and your health goals.

Click here to visit the groups page and join any groups you’re interested in. This will affect what you see in your news feed. The news feed is unique for all members. It will display your connections, members you followed, groups you joined, forum discussions you subscribed to, and posts you’re are mentioned in.

If you have a question or want to share something with the community feel free to make a post to share. This post will appear in the feeds of people you’re connected to. Please note that the whole community will not see what you post unless they visit your profile feed. Only people you start to follow and connect with will see your activity.

By default, you’ll receive emails or browser notifications with updates in the community. For example, if someone replies to one of your posts, or if there is a new information about the challenge, or if someone tags you in a post. You can decide to turn these on or off for email, browser, and the app (coming soon). You will find the notification preferences link in the main navigation.

It’s more fun to train with your friends and it keeps you accountable. In the left menu there is a ‘Email Invites’ Link. Click there to invite your friends to join the community. Or if you’re interested in making a commission from inviting friends visit the affiliate area and share your affiliate link with them. If one of your friends clicks that link and joins, you’ll earn 20% commission. You will be paid out via PayPal.

Section 2: TRU Training Methodology

The Foundation: Creating a Healthy Relationship with Food and Movement

The foundation of TRU Training is, and will always be, inspiring others to create a healthy relationship with food and movement in a sustainable way.

Crash diets and extreme measures often only give temporary results, but require great sacrifice. 

The TRU Training programs are much more valuable, providing education in food and movement.

We focus on eating clean, whole foods where it’s not about deprivation, but rather fueling the body properly to build muscle, burn fat, and feel your best mentally and physically.

The workouts are designed in such a way to make one a better mover overall, and each workout typically includes a focus on core integration as well because the core is the foundation of all of your movement.

Our TRU Training programs will give you results, but also gives you the knowledge to sustain them for the rest of your life.

In the TRU Training programs by Massy Arias, we incorporate primarily resistance training with various amounts of cardio, depending on the program and one’s goals.

Resistance training is about more than just improving your body composition.

Did you know that inactive adults can lose anywhere from 3% to 8% of muscle mass per decade?

Add to that a decreased metabolism and fat accumulation and you can see why a sedentary lifestyle can set one up for health issues down the road.⁠ ⁠

So, what does resistance training do? Resistance training increases movement control, boosts metabolism, and increases cognitive abilities.

It may also increase cardiovascular health by reducing resting blood pressure and balancing cholesterol levels. Does diabetes run in your family?

You will be glad to learn that resistance training may also help here by reducing visceral fat and improving insulin sensitivity! ⁠ ⁠

Some studies also show that resistance training can increase bone density, decrease side effects of arthritis, and lead to more functional independence, factors that become increasingly important as one ages.⁠ ⁠

So, regardless of your age, resistance training is a great way to increase your overall health and set you on a path to avoid or have a positive impact on many of the common health issues prevalent in our culture.

Of course, it is only one of the puzzle pieces, but through a healthy relationship with movement and food, you are increasing your odds for optimal health.

In the TRU Training programs, you will notice a lot of functional core training integrated into the workouts. Why is that?

Having a strong core is foundational to becoming an efficient mover and avoiding injury.

Here are a few points to consider:⁠ ⁠

– Many people these days suffer from lower back pain due to a weak core and sedentary lifestyles. By strengthening the core, this oftentimes alleviates this issue. ⁠ ⁠

– A strong core helps provide stability to your entire frame, lessening the likelihood of injury during lifts, athletic activities, or simply just during everyday movements.

Your deepest core muscles, the transverse abdominis, stabilizes your spine and pelvis. Think about how many times you use your core every day for simple things such as picking up groceries, leaning over to grab something, or even just getting up from a lying down position.

If you have ever been pregnant and have felt the weakening of your core muscles, you likely developed a great appreciation for your core! ⁠ ⁠

– Your entire core consists of not only your abdominal muscles, but also your diaphragm, some back muscles, and your pelvic floor muscles.

Ensuring that all of these are functioning properly together helps ensure that you can perform at your very best without pain. ⁠ ⁠

– The pelvic floor portion of your core acts as a “hammock” for certain organs. If this area is not functioning correctly, pelvic organ prolapse can occur, which is the drooping of any of the pelvic floor organs like the bladder, urethra, rectum, etc. ⁠ ⁠

Thus, the core is about so much more than getting a “six-pack” (in fact, “abs” are achieved through lowering your body fat percentage via a solid nutritional and workout program anyway).

Rather, it is foundational to helping you live pain-free and perform at your very best!⁠

Our bodies adapt to the stress that they are or are not put under.

Depending on our lifestyle, we can develop weaknesses over time, such as weak hamstrings or a weak core. Sometimes this is due to a sedentary lifestyle.

Sometimes it’s simply unawareness of proper posture or how to hold your core. These weaknesses can lead to improper movement patterns, and when this happens, the body compensates by recruiting other muscles to get the job done.

In essence, the wrong muscles are carrying a load they weren’t designed to carry. When this occurs too often or under too much resistance, it can lead to injury!⁠ ⁠

Thus, in the TRU Training programs, we focus a lot on form. Depending on how deep-rooted the improper movement patterns are will depend on how long it will take for the body to adapt, but by continually focusing on the verbal cues given when it comes to form, your extremely smart and capable body and brain works together to begin to create new, proper movement patterns.

When you learn the correct movement patterns, you can handle more weight safely. Many warriors can attest to how strong they feel when they are able to do a movement the way it was intended, such as a proper push-up! It’s a great feeling!⁠ ⁠

The takeaway here is that progress is less about how much weight you are carrying and more about how able your body is to carry weight with great form.

Be patient with yourself and invest the time to focus on form first, and your body will follow over time.⁠

Meal prepping is key in every TRU Training program because it sets one up for a consistent day, which turns into a consistent week, month, and year.

By meal prepping, you are taking the guesswork out of your nutrition. Also, by eating the same foods for a week, you will learn what foods make your body feel the best.

That is hard to do when you are eating different foods each day.

That said, as you become more accustomed to healthy eating and learn these things, down the road you may have the knowledge it takes to eat consistently all week without necessarily meal prepping.

That takes time to get to that point, though, and going through the learning process will be worth it.

We suggest a twice weekly meal prep so that your meals are fresh.

However, a once weekly meal prep will also work. Be patient with yourself.

You will get faster as you continue to practice, and before you know it, your meal prep routine will become second nature!

One of the best parts of joining TRU Training is the MA Warrior Community.

This community is made up of thousands of “Warriors,” from some who have done the programs for years to others who are brand new.

The MA Warrior Community is a great resource, whether you are needing motivation, have questions about your program, tips for meal prepping, or just a friend.

Many have found lifelong friendships in the MA Warrior Community! What’s more, this is a global community made up of all colors, shapes, sizes, and backgrounds.

Pursuing a healthy lifestyle within community increases the chance that you will stick with it for the long term.

The MA Warrior Community is the backbone of most of the success stories you will read about here!

Section 3: Which Program is Right for Me?

Is your main goal to burn fat? Build muscle? Improve mobility?

Take a moment to decide what is of primary importance to you before moving on.

Any TRU Training program may be started as a beginner.

You will just need to keep the following in mind:

– Don’t be afraid to modify. In fact, as a beginner, EXPECT that you will have to make some modifications.

One value in the TRU Training programs is that they can be used for multiple rounds and still give results.

For example, you may need to drop your knees on push ups or planks or do some exercises bodyweight instead of using resistance.

This is completely fine.

You want to train your body to perform the movement with the proper form first before adding resistance.

If you are using resistance and find that you cannot maintain it for the entire time, drop the weights at the point you begin to lose form and keep going. Don’t be discouraged if you cannot perform a move as shown.

I have seen many warriors who could not even do one push up at the beginning of their journey and only months later were able to do a full set of reps!

If you need further suggestions on modifications, this is a great opportunity to utilize the MA Warrior Community for feedback.

Another great use of the MA Warrior Community is for form feedback by uploading your videos in the community forum.

Once you determine your goals, use the descriptions below to help decide which program you should begin with.

*MA60* = 8 week program for GYM based challenging workouts for all levels (can be completed at home with dumbbells, kettlebells, resistance bands, yoga block, physio ball, and an optional pull up bar).

Has 4 sample menus for nutrition.

Video tutorials for each workout are included.

This program focuses on building your strength, incorporating many ISO holds and tempo movements.

*MA45* = 6 week HOME workout program with workouts using resistance bands and bodyweight movements.

Has 6 sample menu’s for nutrition. Video tutorials for each move are included.

This program incorporates intermittent fasting and is a great option for leaning out before summer through HIIT workouts.

*MA Elevate* = 8 weeks of HOME based workouts requiring your bodyweight and resistance bands. You will have 3 days of full body resistance training and 3 days of yoga mobility flows.

The menu includes both plant based and carnivore options in one, and the videos are follow along. The program also includes a mindfulness journal to enhance your mental health along the way!

Perfect for beginners, but easily adapted for the more advanced, this program will get you both strong and flexible and prepare you for more advanced work.

*MA Booty Guide * 8 weeks of HOME or GYM workouts requiring resistance bands and some dumbbells or a kettlebell.

Focus is on the lower body and core.

Nutrition guide allows you to make many swaps based on your goals and is tailored towards your weight range.

Videos are follow along.

For more details on all the programs visit this page.

Section 4: Tru Values

Every TRU Training program by Massy Arias implements six values that, when followed, have helped thousands of warriors reach their health and fitness goals.

These are good principles to follow not only in your fitness journey, but life in general!

Oftentimes, we get so desperate to see results that it’s tempting to take extreme measures to get FAST results.

This doesn’t really work over the long run. You may see those quick results, but since you haven’t taken the time to create the habits to back those results up, you can easily lose that progress as quickly as you gained it.

My programs never promise a “quick-fix” and I’m not selling a dream, but rather I am transparent and tell you that it will take some time, dedication, and consistency, but if you trust my process and commit fully to it, you are going to see change.

The best part is that because you didn’t take shortcuts, you will have created amazing habits through the process and can truly sustain your results. ⁠ ⁠

Anything that’s not sustainable isn’t worth your time. Don’t buy into the “quick-fix” lies.

It’s like someone with terrible spending habits coming into a lot of money – that person will likely blow through it irresponsibly and end up in a similar position to where they started.

The simple, consistent decisions made day in and day out are gold when it comes to truly making a lifestyle change.

When it comes to progress, we are the least patient. We are putting in the hard work and start looking for results after our first day of clean eating and working out.

Who is guilty of that? ⁠ ⁠

Progress takes time.

It took you how ever many days, weeks, months and years to get to where you are today.

Give yourself the same amount of time to achieve your goals when starting your fitness journey and to stay motivated, focus on the progress you HAVE MADE, not what you are lacking.

We magnify what we focus on which means, the positive energy that you will get from applauding yourself for the small changes you have made, will help you stay consistent.⁠ ⁠

I always say fall in love with progress and I mean any and every progress you have made. If you feel stronger, if you struggle on the first week and crush the second, if you notice your body composition change or being able to fight the cravings that used to control your life.

All of these things are progress.

Your progress will be unique to you. We are all different and on different fitness levels, therefore we have to understand that we do not compete with one another, but with the old version of ourselves and ANY progress towards the new version of you is worth every second of effort you put into this journey.

Hold yourself to your own standard and cancel out the noise from the outside that can be distracting. Every round of each program you do will get you closer to where you want to be and that is what matters most.

Love the process, show up every day, do YOUR best and the physical changes will follow.

One of the most dangerous tools in your fitness journey can be the scale.

More often than not it is the one thing that will instantly discourage you, frustrate you and most likely bring you off your path.

But why? ⁠ ⁠

The numbers on the scale can be impacted by a lot of things and the scale does not tell you “Hey, it is that time of the month, subtract 2 lbs” or “Don’t worry, it’s muscle mass”.

Sometimes the number might not move at all but you can see physical changes.

What I see happen more often than not is that regardless of all the progress you have already made, seeing a number on the scale that you do not like to see will discourage you. ⁠ ⁠

The weight you see on the scale does not distinguish between fat, lean muscle mass and water. You can be 150lbs with a fat percentage of 16% or you can be 150lbs with a fat percentage of 30%. This is crucial to understand early on as it can be the main reason for you to fall off your path and never get back on out of frustration. ⁠ ⁠

I would recommend to everyone to put the scale away for at least 4 months and focus on how your body feels. How do your clothes fit?

Are the exercises getting easier?

Do you feel more energized?

The scale alone cannot possibly measure all the progress you have made and if you really want to step on one, it should be an In-Body scale or one similar (a DEXA scale is another more accurate option) as it will also measure your visceral fat, muscle mass and water weight.

Trust the process and have fun with it. Enjoy the journey, put in the work and allow yourself to get in sync with your body, learn what it needs and how it reacts to food. ⁠

When it comes to fitness, we like to get distracted by the physical appearance and make it our main focus on why we want to workout.

There are a lot of reasons why you should include fitness in your lifestyle, and the body changes are just a small part.

Once you realize that you can have fun with your workouts, learn to enjoy them, and feel more energized as you complete them that is when the true change happens.

Nobody can promise you that in 30 days or 60 days you will look like a different person.

We already touched on the progress topic on a previous post, but since your fitness journey should be something that you can sustain, it is not encouraged to go for the quick results. You want to be excited to workout.

It should be something that is fun to you and that makes you happy To feel like you kill yourself during every workout and starve half of the day will not get you there.

Even if you get the results you want, it is likely that you will fall off and not be able to maintain them.

Did you ever hear of the saying “Form follows function”?

It can definitely be applied here because once you teach your body how to function, your shape will change to match that. Focusing on the quality of movements and the consistency in your weekly workouts will help you feel more confident in your body and how it moves.

Often we feel discouraged if we are not able to complete a movement as prescribed, but there is a reason we offer regressions to a lot of the exercises.

It is perfectly fine to use regressions to allow your body to complete the exercise with good form for the repetitions that are on your plan.

Every workout you finish, pushing yourself to a new level, improving form and increasing resistance every week, will get you where you want to be.

Have fun with it!

There are a lot of quick fix or “fad” fitness programs out there, but the sad part is, as mentioned earlier, these programs often don’t help you build the habits that you need to sustain your results.

Anything that you cannot sustain as a lifestyle will likely end up frustrating you because after achieving results, once you return to your normal habits, you will likely lose those results.

The TRU Training method is different.

These programs are designed to help you build healthy habits, see results, and KEEP those results for the rest of your life.

You may not see the progress as fast as you would like, but thousands of warriors can testify that as they stayed consistent, they saw results.

It’s the day to day choices, made again and again, that make the difference.

Let’s face it. In order for your fitness goals to be sustainable, meaning being able to keep that body and health that you’ve worked so hard for, then it has to be able to fit into your lifestyle and that includes holidays and events.

There will always be some party or some reason to indulge, so I’m not suggesting indulging at every event you’re invited to, but every once in a while enjoying a guilt-free meal with loved ones is not going to ruin your progress. ⁠ ⁠

The more you keep healthy eating habits, however, the more you will notice the difference between processed, unhealthy foods and clean, whole foods that are good for your body.

It becomes less enjoyable to eat junk food, but rather easier on the body to find healthier options that are still a treat. ⁠ ⁠

The point is to not be overly restrictive. If you have an off day, whether you planned for it or just gave into temptation, you will want to get right back on track the very next day.

Don’t be surprised at bloating and think that all of your progress has been lost. Stay hydrated, don’t overcompensate by doing extra cardio, and stick to your workouts and meals.

In a few days, you should see the bloating decrease and feel like it never happened. ⁠ ⁠

This is how you can hypothetically “have your cake and eat it too”!

Section 5: Let's Go!

Congratulations!

You are almost ready to begin your journey with the MA Warrior Community!

The next few short lessons will focus on the final notes before getting started to help you have the most successful journey.

First, once you decide your program, make a list of any items you will need. Some programs require very little equipment, such as the MA45, which mostly uses bodyweight and resistance bands. Others may require a little more, so if you are working out at home, you will want to make sure that you have these.

Next, prepare your grocery list!

Some items you will likely only buy once in the beginning because they will last for a while, like herbs and spices.

Finally, make sure you have some meal prep containers (glass is best).

When you begin any program, take progress photos to track your progress.

If you don’t feel comfortable sharing these, that is completely fine (though we love to see them!).

However, the small changes made each day truly do add up, and sometimes it’s hard to see that progress until you compare where you started.

I would suggest taking progress photos at the start of your program, every two weeks throughout, and then at the end.

If you want to do measurements, that is fine as well.

You will need to trust the process.

Getting anxious and making changes too early isn’t always productive.

Consistency is key.

I would suggest following the program as written for ONE month.

If, after a month, you are not seeing changes, then you may wish to make some adjustments to your meal plan, but always start gradual (100-200 calories at a time).

Follow that for a week or two, note your progress, and then adjust as needed.

One major value of the TRU Training programs is that they can be repeated to help you continue seeing results!

There are several ways to continue making progress while repeating a TRU Training program.

First, you will want to evaluate any week areas in the prior round and pay special attention to those in the next round.

Was meal prepping a challenge for you?

Did you find yourself sneaking in too many cheats?

Make these a priority to excel in for the next round.

When it comes to the workouts, you can progress by increasing the resistance used or the amount of reps performed (or BOTH!), but make sure that you never compromise form when you do this!

You can also decrease the amount of rest time that you take in between sets, making the workout more challenging overall.

Stay connected within the community!

I cannot stress enough how much this can help you along your journey.

Check in often, see what others are up to, and share your progress. Sometimes just watching someone else crush it day in and day out is motivating enough to help you stay consistent.

Section 6: Next Steps

It truly is up to you whether you want to repeat your program once finished or try another program.

If you want to repeat the program and go for better form and higher resistance, go for it!

If you feel like you need more variety, go for it!

Either way, if you are pushing yourself and staying consistent, you will make progress regardless of which program you are doing.

That’s it!

You’ve now seen what being an MA Warrior is all about.

I know that once you commit to becoming the best version of yourself, you are going to do great.

Let go of any limits or presuppositions you have placed on yourself. The sky truly is the limit, and you never know how far you will progress unless you try!

Can you imagine the healthiest, most fit version of yourself?

I want to tell you that it is possible to reach your goals if you are willing to be patient and put in the work.

Join me in a process that has proven time and time again to be effective. 

NEW PROGRAM DROP!

Train Like Me: Phase 2 is LIVE!

For those of you doing the Train Like Me: Phase 1 Challenge, get ready for Phase 2! This program is now live on TRU Training and is available through our All Access Membership (or get permanent access to the program by purchasing it separately)!

We will start Phase 2 on Monday, 2/19

For those who have not yet tried the Train Like Me program, we invite you to start with Phase 1 on Monday via our All Access Membership!

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to our support team at:  support@tru.training

Más Vida is Moving!

We are excited to announce that Más Vida has partnered with TRU Supplements to bring you TRU Training!

Through TRU Training, we are bringing you even more fresh programming and education to help you continue becoming the best version of yourself!

To all of our members and subscribers, you may now login to your account on the new website to view your content. 

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to our support team at:  support@tru.training