Working out while Traveling

[kali1]

Hi Cathe -

Do you have suggestions when it concerns working out while traveling? I travel 5 days a week, every week for my job. The gym at the hotel stinks so I'll need to bring DVD and some equipment along.

Do you have suggestions for travel friendly/hotel friendly workouts/equipment? My goals are weight loss, muscle definition.

Thanks!!

 

[Lynn M.]

Hi Kali-

While I know you still want to hear from Cathe, I thought I'd post a reply until you hear from her.

I travel for my job as well, although not as much as you do. Do you end up staying in the same city/hotel every week for awhile or is it different cities each week for just a couple of days?

If you will be staying at one hotel for the majority of the week, ask the hotel if they will hook you up w/ some free passes at a local gym. I do that quite often and most of the time I've been able to work out for free. If the hotel doesn't do anything and there is a gym close by ask them if you can buy/get some passes for the week while you are there. Usually Marriott hotels will have some deal set up w/ a local gym for free passes if they don't have a decent fitness center on site.

Also, if I have the ability, I will pick hotels based on their fitness facilities and/or if there are running/walking trails close by. If I can't get any weight work in, then at least I know I can get some cardio in on the days I'm away. I've even done the fire exit stairs for cardio at some points if nothing else.

Lastly, if none of those options are realistic...you can also pack bands and those dumbbells that you can fill up w/ water for weight as well as DVDs to play on either your computer or a portable DVD player.

Its hard to try and stay fit on the road.... not only for trying to exercise but for eating healthy.. I find I pack most of my food if I can and/or make stops at grocery stores when I get into the new city.

Take care, Lynn M.

 

[kathryn]

Lastly, if none of those options are realistic...you can also pack bands and those dumbbells that you can fill up w/ water for weight as well as DVDs to play on either your computer or a portable DVD player.

Bodylastics bands are wonderful, and a great way to workout on the road (I just got my set a few days ago, but I've been playing with them, and planning travel workouts). www.bodylastics.com

 

[looking good]

I am another one of those ladies that travel for my job and as I type this I am sitting in the hotel .

Lynn, tks for the suggestion on asking for free passes that never occurred to me....so funny that you say you pick hotels based on the workout rooms and possible trails close by because I do the same thing.

Being in sales taking clients out is not always good on the waist line so I always bring a cooler with fruit and good things so that I am not eating bad things. I also try to find a local Wegmans if I can and getting something good to eat for dinner.

I am very excited about Cathe's travel video because I know I will get a good workout! Sometime I take kickbox or butts and guts on the road with me and modify in the hotel room just so I don't have to run yet another night on a treadmill.

Therese

 

[Shadowpup]

I'm on the road on average 2-3 weeks out of the month, 4-6 days. It's a challenge! Not Cathe, and really hoping she'll tell us some of her secrets - here are the strategies I use.


* My GoWearFit pedometer/metabolism monitor for daily accountability. This lets me see if I'm really as active as I think I am on travel, and tells me when I need to ramp it up a notch. My HRM is good too, and useful when biking (GWF doesn't do well with stationary bikes).

* My TRX suspension trainer. FINALLY, a way to do strength training in addition to the bodyweight and band styles. I was getting a little tired of those ... but I'm finding I can even do a sort of GymStyles workout on this. Pricey, but worth it.

* CardioCoach mp3s have utterly transformed my travel cardio workouts. Seriously, this single-handedly turned me from one of those read-on-the-equipment hotel exercisers into a serious interval training fan. I highly, highly recommend.

* You can do many of Cathe's kickbox style workouts on the road. I especially like 4DS! Just a little modifying if your room is small.

* You can do quite a bit of ButtsGuts and DrillMax too, if you are willing to be creative. I will admit to using a light couch pillow instead of a stability ball for the tossing

* If you are driving, toss in a kettlebell. That's a nice variation. I don't bring those along in the plane ...

* ipod filled with podcasts on fitness, nutrition and audio books on the same subject. This helps you keep your mind engaged, and is a nice reminder of what to eat/not to eat.

* and I regularly walk through the concourses with heavy bags. I've thought about getting a walking mp3, but haven't done it yet.

Also: I've discovered many ways to manage my at-home workouts so that they compliment the time on the road. It is a little easier for me than it will be for you, because I usually have three days in a row to work with. But, I've found that if I plan around a *nine day* rather than a seven day period, it works out better. Nine days lets you do this:

* weekend day 1 - Lower body strength
* weekend day 2 - Upper body strength
* day 3 - flying out day; walk through the concourses including stairs (ie, hiking with weights)
* day 4 - usually worn out from a timezone change, so it's my rest day. If not - 4ds kickbox!
* day 5 - cardio coach intense intervals! Getting to HIIT! Usually elliptical.
* day 6 - cardio coach - use the longer intervals, use a different kind of equipment if possible. Usually bike. Alternately, 4DS kickbox
* day 7 - flying home day; walk through the concourses carrying bags, including stairs
* weekend/day 8 - Lower body strength (note, my arms are tired and sometimes a little strained from lifting too-heavy objects into overhead compartments, which is why I put lower body first on the weekend)
* weekend/day 9 - Upper body strength

You can repeat the above as long as you like. I have many variations, depending on the length of the trip and how wearing it is. GymStyles is particularly good for strength if you have three days at home, or Pyramids if you only have the weekend. And, I managed STS with the above - starting Meso 3 after I finish break week

With TRX, I'm able to add strength training in the middle - that gives me the option of splitting up my weekends. Lately I've been in STS, though, so I'm not doing this right now.

Part of what makes this work is treating the airport concourses as a purposeful workout. I usually have 45 minutes or an hour in the airport when I change flights, and I'm racewalking along with 40-60 pounds of luggage (computer, backpack, etc). I check my splits in a familiar area, use the stairs to add challenge, and so on. It also keeps me from munching.


Good luck! Looking forward to learning how others survive the road.

 

[kali1]

Great suggestions!!! I like that rotation ShadowPup. I'll have to try that.

Please keep the suggestions/rotations coming!!

 

[lioness]

I got this list off my local Crossfit website.

Also, I have run the stairs at hotels. You can stop at each landing and do squats, push ups, lunges, etc.


Traveling and can’t find an affiliate to drop into? Try out some of these WODs that are designed to be tackled without a gym. Now there’s no excuse!
Run 1/2 mile, 50 air squats – 3 rounds.
10 push-ups, 10 sit ups, 10 squats – 10 rounds.
200 air squats for time.
“Susan” Run 200m 10 squats 10 push ups 5 rounds.
Sprint 200m and do 25 push ups, 3 rounds.
10 Handstand push ups and a 200m run 3 rounds.
Tabata squats and tabata pushups.*
5 push ups 5 squats 5 sit ups, 20 rounds.
Walk 100 meters on your hands, even if it is 2 meters at a time.
10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 sets of sit-ups and a 100 meter sprint between each set.
Invisible Fran…21-15-9 of air squats and push ups for time.
Spend a total of 5 minutes in a handstand, or headstand. If you are using the headstand do not stay over a minute at a time.
Run 1 mile for time.
10 push ups 10 air squats and 10 sit ups, 6 rounds for time.
Do one air squat and take one breath, ( you can breath all you want while you do the squat or squats) do 2 and take 2 breaths etc…up to 10, and then come back down to one.
3 vertical jumps 3 squats 3 long jumps – 5 rounds.
Handstand 30 seconds and 10 squats, 8 rounds.
10 push-ups 100M dash 10x.
5x 400M sprints.
10 X 100 m dash.
25 pressing snatch balances each arm. No weight.
Run 1 mile, lunging 30 steps every 1 minute.
handstand 30 seconds and 20 air squats, 5 rounds.
10 handstand jackknife to vertical jump, 10 handstand jackknife to tuck jump, 10 handstand jackknife to straddle jump.
100 air squats. For time.
4x 25 jumping squats
10 vertical jumps, 10 push ups, 10 sit ups, 4 rounds…for time.
10 air squats every 1 minute of your 1 mile run.
100 burpies for time.
10 push-ups 10 squats 10 sit ups 10 rounds.
10 vertical jumps, run 400 meters, 5 rounds.
spend a total of 3 minutes in a handstand.
100 air squats for time.
Handstand 1 minute, hold bottom of the squat for 1 minute, 5 rounds.
Sprint 100 meters, Walk 100 meters, 10 rounds.
100 push ups for time.
Run 1 mile for time.
10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 Burpies and Sit ups.
50 sit-ups, 400 meter run or sprint or walk. 3 rounds.
10 walking lunges, 10 push-ups, 10 rounds.
Tabata Squats.
50 split jumps for time.
Workout…Handstand for 30 seconds or 5 handstand push ups…400 meter run. 4 rounds.
10 burpies, 100meter sprint 10x for time.
“L” sit off the floor. 10 rounds of 10 seconds…if you can’t do it sit with your legs straight out and try to lift your heels of the ground for 10 seconds instead!
run 400 meters, 50 air squats. 4 rounds.
handstand 30 seconds, to squat hold 30 seconds. 10 rounds.
Ten vertical jumps ( jump as high as you can, land and do it again), 10 push-ups 5 rounds.
10 push-ups, 10 squats, 10 rounds.
Tabata Squats: 20 seconds on 10 seconds rest, 8 rounds. Count your lowest score.
Handstand to Jack-Knife to vertical jump. 30 Reps.
Run 1 mile with 100 air squats at midpoint, for time.
7 squats, 7 burpies, seven rounds, for time.
10x 30 second handstand to 30 second bottom of the squat hold.
Burpee to the push up position, do 10 push ups, burpie out. 5 rounds.
Run 1 mile, plus 50 squats-for time.
100 burpies for time.
5 squats, 5 push-ups, 5 sit ups, 20 rounds.
Plebs plank, bottom of squat, hollow rock hold, 30 seconds each for 10 rounds. Use the transition times as your rest periods…they should be as brief as possible.
5 push ups with a 30 second plebs plank(a hold at the top of the push up, arms extended and body tight like a plank!) at the end of each 5 reps, 10 rounds. Then 3x 100m dash @ 80%.
Handstand practice, 25 tries at free handstands, then a 1 mile run at 80%.
Handstand 10 seconds jack-knife to vertical jump. 25 reps…
Mime 4x 25 sumo deadlift high pulls, make them perfect. Be sure the hips extend before the arms bend!
50 air squats x 5. Rest equal amounts as it took to do each 50.
Run 1 mile and do 10 push-ups every 1 minute.
sprint 100m 30 squats…8 rounds.
30 push ups, 30 second handstand or Plebs Plank..3 rounds.
10 sit ups and 10 burpies…10 rounds-for time.
handstand hold, 30 seconds, squat hold 30 seconds…10 rounds.
250 jumping jacks…for time.
100 jumping jacks, 75 air squats, 50 push ups, 25 burpies. For time.
Tabata Push-ups.
30 second handstand against a wall, followed by a 30 second static hold at the bottom of the squat. 5 rounds.
with eyes closed do 10 air squats, open eyes..do 10 push ups eyes closed, 5 rounds for time.
Run 1 minute, squat 1 minute 5 rounds.
10 air squats, 10 push ups, 10 sit ups – 3 rounds for time
10 push-ups, 10 hollow rocks, run 200 meters….5 rounds.
Do Tabata Squats with eyes closed.
bottom to bottom ( rest at the bottom of the squat instead of standing….without support on your hands or butt and make the bottom good, straight back, butt back)…..tabata squats.
20 sit ups with support under the lumbar spine, 20 push ups, run 400m, 4 rounds.
Handstands, 30 second hold, 30 second static squat, 30 second rest, 8 rounds.
sprint 50 meters, 10 push ups. 10 rounds.
50 air squats, 4 rounds. rest for 2 minutes between rounds.
3x 20 tuck jumps. 3x 30 second handstands.
400m run/sprint 30 air squats, 3rounds for time.
20 jumping jacks, 20 burpies, 20 air squats…3 rounds
Warm up. Run 100 meters and do 20 air squats. 10 rounds.
Handstand 5x 30 seconds. Run: 2x 800 meters for time. Do the handstands first. Rest and recover and do the runs with a rest in between that is as long as it took you to run your first 800.
100 air squats 3 min. rest, 100 air squats.
Run with high knees for 15 seconds and drop into a pushup, get back up and run with high knees again for 15 seconds…….repeat 5x. Each pushup counts as 1 rep. Rest. Do 3 more rounds.
10x 50 meter sprint.
Test yourself on a max set of push ups…tight body chest to the floor…full extension! If you cannot do “mens style” do your pushups from the knees. After that do 100 air squats for time.
Tabata…20 seconds on 10 second rest 8 rounds of…tuck jumps and then sit ups
run 400m air squat 30 hand stand 30 seconds 3 rounds for time
5 handstand to jacknife to high jump, 5 handstand to jacknife to tuck jump, 5 handstand to jacknife to split jump, 3 rounds…for form
5 pushups, 5 squats, 5 sit-ups – 20 rounds
Run 1 mile, stopping every minute to do 20 air squats.
30 second handstand, 60 second squat hold ( at the bottom of the squat) – 5 rounds
run 200 meters, 50 squats, 3 rounds
Air squatsx20, Burpiesx20, Push-Upsx20 – 3 rounds…for time


*Tabata is 20 seconds of work/10 seconds of rest for 8 rounds.

 

[nclncl]

I don't travel a lot, but do like to stay fit when I do....I've done the gym thing on the road (haven't gotten it for free, but a reduced rate).

Kick Punch and Crunch and Kickmax and any other Cathe's that require no equipment
Cardio coach and itrains for mp3 for mostly cardio, but there is at least one iTrain sculpting workout with Mimi that is all bodyweight exercises (they list this in the descriptions, so you can look before you buy)
I have also travelled with p90x as all the workouts have someone using the bands and all you need is an over the door attachment and the bands for killer strength work
Any cardio vids that use no equipment
I'm anxiously awaiting Cathe's travel workout
Also, Jillian Michaels Burn fat Boost metabolism uses no weights