Travel often disrupts our usual routines, but one healthy habit that should not be left behind is resistance exercise. This form of training is crucial for maintaining and enhancing physical health, appearance, and strength. Research even shows that resistance training can lower the risk of death from various causes. Additionally, it is becoming recognized as a potential way to support mental health.
For the sake of our body, longevity, and mental well-being, it is essential to continue resistance training while traveling. However, finding ways to exercise with weights on the road can be challenging. Here are three workouts you can do during your next journey.
World-Class Travel Workouts
Bodyweight-Only Traveler’s Workout
If you are staying in a hotel or rental without a fitness center, bodyweight training is a great option to target all major muscle groups.
No Weights, All the Gains
This quick and effective bodyweight workout can be done in your hotel room or rental. It includes classic exercises like push-ups along with challenging moves to work different muscle groups using only your body weight. The workout suggests a range of repetitions to suit your strength level and body weight. Aim for a challenging set based on the recommended repetitions.
Push-Up
- How to Do it: Start by lying on the floor with your palms under or slightly outside your shoulders and toes pressing into the floor. Keep your body in a straight line and push through your palms until your arms are straight. Lower back down with control.
- Sets and Reps: 3 sets of 5-20 reps
- Rest time: Rest for 60 seconds between sets.
Pike Push-Up
- How to Do it: Begin in a high plank position with your hands shoulder-width apart and your body forming a straight line. Push back into a pike position by moving your hips back and keeping your back straight, lowering your head towards the floor. Perform a push-up by lowering your head down and then pushing back up to the pike position.
- Sets and Reps: 3 sets of 5-15 reps
- Rest time: Rest for 60 seconds between sets.
Rear Foot Elevated Split Squat
- How to Do it: Sit on the edge of the bed with one leg straight in front of you and the other foot elevated behind you on the bed. Lower your body towards the floor, then return to standing position. Keep most of your weight on the front foot.
- Sets and Reps: 3 sets of 10-20 reps per leg
- Rest time: No rest between legs, rest for 60 seconds between sets.
Elevated Single-Leg Bridge
- How to Do it: Lie on your back with one heel on the bed and the other leg unsupported. Lift your hips by pushing through the heel on the bed. Lower back down with control.
- Sets and Reps: 3 sets of 5-15 reps per leg
- Rest time: No rest between legs, rest for 60 seconds between sets.
Side Plank
- How to Do it: Lie on your side with your lower arm directly under your shoulder. Lift your hips off the ground, creating a straight line from head to heels. Hold for the recommended time before switching sides.
- Sets and Hold Duration: 3 sets of 20-30 seconds per side
- Rest time: No rest between sides, rest for 60 seconds between sets.
Travel Workout with a Resistance Band
In addition to essentials like toiletries and clothing, a resistance band should be a must-pack item for travel. This simple tool allows you to add resistance to exercises that might otherwise be difficult without access to a gym. The band is lightweight, easy to carry, and cost-effective.
Have Band, Will Travel (and Train)
This workout can be done with a single loop-style resistance band of moderate thickness. Choose a band that suits your strength level.
Band Pull-Apart
- How to Do it: Stand with the band looped around your torso. Hold a short length of band in front of your shoulders with arms outstretched. Pull the band apart by squeezing your shoulder blades together, then return to the starting position.
- Sets and Reps: 3 sets of 10-20 reps
- Rest time: Rest for 90-120 seconds between sets.
Band Push-Up
- How to Do it: Place the band around your mid-back and perform push-ups from the top position.
- Sets and Reps: 3 sets of 5-12 reps
- Rest time: Rest for 90-120 seconds between sets.
Band Split Squat
- How to Do it: Loop the band around your neck or upper back and secure one end under your foot. Take a step back with the other foot and perform split squats.
- Sets and Reps: 3 sets of 10-20 reps per leg
- Rest time: No rest between legs, rest for 90-120 seconds between sets.
Band Row
- How to Do it: Step on the band with one foot and perform a row by pulling the band towards your body.
- Sets and Reps: 3 sets of 10-20 reps
- Rest time: Rest for 90-120 seconds between sets.
Band Half-Kneeling Single-Arm Overhead Press
- How to Do it: Hold the band with one hand above shoulder height and press it overhead while kneeling on one knee.
- Sets and Reps: 3 sets of 10-20 reps per arm
- Rest time: No rest between arms, rest for 90-120 seconds between sets.
Band Good Morning
- How to Do it: Loop the band around your neck and under your feet. Perform a good morning by hinging at the hips.
- Sets and Reps: 3 sets of 10-20 reps
- Rest time: Rest for 90-120 seconds between sets.
Band Hammer Curl
- How to Do it: Stand on the band and curl it with your palms facing inward.
- Sets and Reps: 3 sets of 10-20 reps
- Rest time: Rest for 90-120 seconds between sets.
Workout for the Hotel Gym
Hotel gyms may be basic, but they can still provide the tools for a quality full-body resistance training session. This workout focuses on muscle building and uses a range of exercises to achieve this goal.
Get Your Money’s Worth
This workout emphasizes muscle growth with a traditional range of 8 to 12 repetitions. To challenge yourself in a hotel gym with limited weights, advanced exercise variations and intensification techniques are utilized to ensure a productive workout.
Heels-Elevated Dumbbell Front Squat
- How to Do it: Elevate your heels and hold dumbbells on your shoulders. Squat deeply with your knees forward to target the quadriceps.
- Sets and Reps: 4 sets of 8-12 reps
- Rest time: Rest for 90-120 seconds between sets.
Bench-Supported Dumbbell Row with Alternating Isometric
- How to Do it: Lie face down on a bench and row dumbbells while alternating an isometric hold on each side.
- Sets and Reps: 4 sets of 8-12 reps per arm
- Rest time: Rest for 90-120 seconds between sets.