Welcome to Brew and Boost!
Today, hosts Luna and Mimyo are helping you “think outside the gym”.Based on a recent issue of Morning Brew, we are exploring a fitness trend for 2026 that doesn’t require a membership, but might require a heavy vest. It’s called Rucking, and it’s all about “in-vesting” in your health.Whether you want to build muscle or just take a walk, this lesson will give your English vocabulary a serious workout.
🎧 The Dialogue
Here is the conversation between Maya and Alex. Alex is trying out a new workout trend during his morning walk.
Maya: Alex, you look like you’re off to a SWAT team raid! What’s with the heavy vest?Alex: Haha, no raid today. I’m just trying to get swole without hitting the gym. It’s called rucking.Maya: Oh, I’ve seen that online! Everyone seems to be hopping on the bandwagon lately.Alex: Yeah, influencers are loving it. It turns my daily constitutional into a serious workout.Maya: But isn’t it bad for your back? It looks intense.Alex: Not if you start low and slow. It helps with bone density too.Maya: Hmm, maybe I should try it. I need to put some extra oomph into my morning walks.Alex: Totally! You’ll break a sweat in no time, trust me.
📝 Expression Spotlight
Here are the 5 key expressions from the dialogue, featuring Luna’s Tips on how to use them naturally.
- Hop on the bandwagon 🎺
- Meaning: To join a popular trend or activity just because everyone else is doing it; following the crowd.
- Luna’s Tip: This idiom comes from American politics in the 1800s. Politicians would ride on a wagon with a live music band during parades. People would literally “jump on the wagon” to show their support.
- Examples:
- “When that new bubble tea shop opened, my whole office hopped on the bandwagon and ordered it every day.”
- “I recently hopped on the bandwagon of watching those short drama clips on TikTok.”
- Daily constitutional 🎩
- Meaning: A walk taken specifically for one’s health.
- Luna’s Tip: This is an old-fashioned term (think of a gentleman in a top hat). Today, natives use it humorously to make a simple walk sound sophisticated or important.
- Examples:
- “I need a daily constitutional to digest this food” (after eating a huge meal).
- “I usually take a daily constitutional with my dog, but he prefers to run, not walk.”
- Low and slow 🐢
- Meaning: To proceed cautiously, taking your time and not rushing the intensity.
- Luna’s Tip: You often hear this in BBQ cooking (cooking meat at a low temperature for a long time). It rhymes, which makes the advice “sticky” and easy to remember.
- Examples:
- “Don’t spend all your money at once. Start low and slow to learn how the market works first.”
- “Definitely start low and slow in the parking lot before you go on the highway!”
- Get swole 💪
- Meaning: To become very muscular or build significant muscle mass.
- Luna’s Tip: This is slang derived from the word “swollen.” It is casual language used among friends or at the gym—probably not best for a formal business meeting!
- Examples:
- “My brother is always at the gym. He drinks those protein shakes because he wants to get swole.”
- “Wow, are you trying to get swole for the beach season?”
- Put some extra oomph 💥
- Meaning: To add extra energy, power, vigor, or spirit to an action.
- Luna’s Tip: “Oomph” is a word that mimics the sound you might make when pushing something very heavy. It represents physical or mental exertion.
- Examples:
- “Come on, put some extra oomph into it! Sing louder!” (Karaoke advice)
- “You need to put some extra oomph into your scrubbing.” (Cleaning a stain)
- 🧠 Pop Quiz
Did you catch the answer to Luna’s quiz from the intro?
Question: What is the military-inspired exercise involving a weighted backpack or vest?
Answer: Rucking!
The term comes from “rucksack,” which is a German-origin word for a backpack. It involves strapping weight to your body to break a sweat.
Thanks for reading! See you in the next Brew and Boost lesson. 👋
