Who says you have to have a gym to get a good sweat and a great workout in? In this article we are going to give you some creative ways to stay active and on your game plan while traveling. Many traveling business men and women often find challenges that others don’t, especially when it comes to getting workouts in. Let’s not let the excuse of having no gym deter us from staying on track with being our best!
For many, simply aiming for a complete full body workout routine that will support muscle, aid in fat loss efforts, and also exercise your heart is the best approach. These types of workouts burn more calories overall versus simple rhythmic cardio on a bike or treadmill too (boo to boring cardio!).
The goal is to move from one exercise set to the next with less than 30 seconds of rest in between and complete all 4 exercises for a full round. Look to complete as many rounds as possible in 15 minutes.
Look to hit 4 types of exercises:
- • Legs – working both the front and back of your legs
- • Push – chest, shoulders, triceps
- • Pull – back, biceps, forearms
- • Core – abs and lower back
This means that you can work out almost every muscle in your body with just 4 exercises, keeps it simple and effective!
To Start, Always Warm Up
This incorporates alternating between jumping jacks, side to side “skaters” (pretend like you’re a speed skater), shoulder rolls, 10 light push-ups off edge of bed and 12 body weight squats. This warm up should be 3-5 minutes to get your muscles warmed up and blood flowing a bit.
***You can do any combination or variation of this example; the goal is simply to start moving lightly to elevate your body temperature and get your body ready to move.
Let’s Get into the Workout…
Set your watch or phone clock alarm for 15 minutes and then do as many full circuits as possible in that time frame, using perfect form for each repetition. Do each exercise, one after another, without stopping if possible. If you need to stop between exercises, this is ok but keep it under 30 seconds if you can.
Just remember you’re trying to complete as many circuits as possible within the 15 minutes without compromising your form.
Hotel Exercise #1: Suitcase Squat into Overhead Press
The sole purpose of your suitcase isn’t just for lugging around clothes, pick it up because it is now your alternate barbell here to work your legs and shoulders! With each of your hands on the side of it, pick it up and place it at chin level with your elbows directly underneath your hands.
In a standing position with feet slightly wider than shoulder width, simply drop your butt down into a squat (while controlling your tempo) and as you come back up, follow through with an overhead press of the suitcase above your head.
With controlled tempo, lower it back down and into a squat again and repeat for 15 “ish” repetitions or, however many you can get in 30 seconds. Of course, you can always adjust the weight of the suitcase or slightly increase or decrease the amount of your repetitions here.
Hotel Exercise #2: One Arm Suitcase Rows
The goal here is to over emphasize the squeeze going into the top of this movement assuming that you may have a lack of challenging weight in your suitcase. Simply grabbing the suitcase handle with one hand and posting the other on a chair while keeping your back neutral (no rounding) and close to parallel with the floor, start driving your elbow up and towards the ceiling for 15 “ish” repetitions each side or, as many as you can get in 30 seconds for each side.
Hotel Exercise #3: Push-Ups
Whether it is from our hands and feet, knees and hands or off the edge of the bed or a chair, we have all done these before and they are great for working our chest and a little bit of triceps too. Strive to keep your core muscles engaged and your elbows at chest (not your head) level on the sides.
Shoot for 10-15 repetitions here, or however many you can get in 30 seconds. If your approach is too easy or too hard, change it up to make it suitable but challenging!
Hotel Exercise #4: Bridge – Crunch combo
All we need here is our body and the floor. Laying on the floor facing up with your feet under your knees, come into a crunch, return back down to the floor and immediately into a bridge which incorporates squeezing your erectors (lower back muscles) to arc your lower back lifting it along with your butt and hamstrings off the floor as high as you can.
Repeat this 1-2 combo for 10-15 repetitions or how ever many you can in 60 seconds. There should not be any jolting or jerking here but rather smooth and controlled movements while engaging the targeted abdominal and lower back erector spinae muscles.
Cool Down and Stretch
After your workout you should be sweating like crazy with a pounding heart if you did things right! Given that you kept your rest periods to a minimum here, your metabolic rate should be very elevated for hours to come as well!
Don’t forget to walk or pace around for a minute or two and stretch after. There are many more ways just like this to stay active when traveling often and limited for time. As the old saying goes: “if there is a will, there is a way” and given you have the will (which we know you do), we will continue to show you ways to be your best ever!
Stay tuned with us here at Youth-Rx for more insightful tips to stay fit and healthy. Also, don't neglect proper nutrition and and be sure that your hormones are optimized to support your efforts to be your sharpest!
If there is anything the team here at Youth-Rx does that you suspect can aid in your journey to look & feel your best, please let us know by filling out a medical history form and one of our experienced consultants can then set a time to talk with you.
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Let’s stay fit,
Roger & the YOUTH-RX team
