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Taking your workout on the road
PETE GLADDEN
Pete’s World
Published: January 13, 2020
Ever run into the dilemma where you’re on the road for work or pleasure, and you’re staying at a place that just doesn’t have anything in the way of workout equipment?
And to make matters worse, you’ve been working your butt off to stay in shape, you’ve been dialed into a great routine, and you’ve been on a major fitness roll for quite some time. That can make for a bittersweet situation.
Yup, travel can loose some of its luster when it puts a serious dent in your workout/training regime. And it’s a situation I’ve gotten to know quite well over the years.
Well, if you really need to get in those workouts let me tell you what I’ve done, and what I’ve had many of my clients do…and it’s an easy, tidy little solution that will fit seamlessly into your trip.
I like to call it the weight-less workout solution, body-weight resistance/cardio circuits that can be manipulated such that there’s virtually an endless selection of circuits from which to choose.
And it really doesn’t matter whether you’re training, whether you’re trying to get leaner and stronger, or whether you’re simply attempting to loose some weight, these body-weight workout circuits will definitely get you through your “gymless” sabbatical. There’s just one caveat: You must do these circuits with intensity, concentration, and determination. Not working out with weights means your body-weight resistance work has to pack a punch.
Now some of these exercises, like the push-up, squat, lunge, sit-up, and tricep dip, don’t require any equipment, but others, like the pull-up, hanging leg lift, windshield wiper and the like, do require something to hang from.
But that hanging conundrum is limited only by your imagination. You can be inventive and come up with any number of inside and outside devices from which to do those pulling exercises. I’ve used kiddie jungle gyms, I-beams, strong tree limbs, horizontal rails, and the tops of door wells.
Okay, my final caveat here concerns the execution of the exercises. When you attempt to do any of these body-weight resistance exercises, begin with variations of the exercise which you can do PROPERLY. For example, if you cannot do plank from a push-up position, then do plank resting on your forearms.
Can’t do a good old-fashioned push-up? Again, revise it and perform it on your knees. Proper form is really important, so bone up on that component prior to taking these exercises on the road.
Now, to put together a circuit, simply choose from a selection of body-weight and cardio exercises. And to make this ridiculously easy I’ve included a fantastic online chart that will provide you with a vast array of exercises - https://darebee.com/muscle-map.html
Not only that, but the Darrebe website also provides numerous workout circuits that go from general fitness to specific muscle groups to sports specific. It’s an awesome resource. And let me tell you, some of these circuits will leave you completely smoked.
If you’re one of those creative folks who likes to assume more control over the content of your workouts, then mix and match some of the Darrebe routines to create your own personalized circuit(s). The choices are endless.
My final recommendation is suited for those endurance athletes who need to do more than jumping jacks and running in place to take care of their cardiorespiratory adrenaline fix. For these individuals I suggest they combine a body-weight resistance circuit with an outdoor interval workout.
Say you’ve created a circuit consisting of 10-20 push-ups, followed by 10 pull-ups, followed by three minutes of jumping jacks and two minutes of sit-ups. Fuse that circuit with a fast mile at the end. Do this circuit some three to five times and you have the makings of a pretty solid session.
So whether you’re a serious athlete, a workout warrior, or just someone who’s doing their best to stay in shape, you don’t have to let traveling be your workout enemy. You have plenty of resources available with which to do fast-paced, body-weight/cardio circuits that can fit in with your hectic travel schedule.