All bent out of shape because you are on the road for vacation or
business and the "workout facilities" available where
you will be staying consist of a couple of multifunction machines
and the latest aerobic exercisers? Relax! Productive strength and
conditioning are best not left to chance; and with a little foresight
on your part, time away from home need not mean substandard training.
Get Packing
What will I need? Kettlebells are my top choice for basic equipment,
but let's face it; they are not practical for airline and other
long distance travel. At the very least you will need your own
bodyweight; if you add in a couple of resistance bands (I am demonstrating
the drills with Flex Bands® from Jumpstretch.com)
your options are greatly increased. A couple of Flex Bands®
take up little more room in your luggage than two pairs of socks
and might weigh a pound, so the " I don't have room"
excuse will not work.
The Drills
I began each session with a few mobility drills from Pavel's
Superjoints and Scott Sonnon's Maximology.
Strength Session:
A1) Door Pull-ups: The first night
we stayed in a hotel with the heavy institutional type doors on
the bathroom. This was great for pull-ups. Just open the door,
grab on, and pull your self up. Having only bodyweight available,
I utilized the ladder method for this exercise.
Or
The other days we were in a condominium with standard household
doors that would not support someone hanging from them: enter
the Flex Bands®.
Cable Overhead Pull-Downs: grasp
the ends of the band with either a palms facing or palms facing
outward grip. Raise the arms overhead and pull down with the lats
while maintaining locked elbows. The cable pull-down is also the
obvious choice if you cannot yet achieve a pull-up.
A2) Cable Military Press: place
a band around the instep of each foot. To increase the resistance
of the band, wrap it multiple times around the foot as shown in
the photograph. The resistance of a given band may be increased
by multiple wraps around the hand or foot, utilizing only a portion
of the band, putting twists in the band, or any combination of
these methods. Begin with the elbows tight to the body and press
the arms overhead to full extension.
B1) Cable Front Pull: grasp the
ends of the band with either a palms facing or palms facing outward
grip. Raise the arms to chest level and pull the cable back across
the chest.
B2) Close Grip Pushup: Use a narrow
grip and keep the elbows tight to the body. Add resistance by
stretching a Flex Band® across your back. As with all cable
exercises, be sure to pass the cable over the middle of the palm
as to avoid undue pressure on the thumb.
C1) Cable Lateral Raise: Begin with
the arms at the sides and raise your locked arms laterally.
C2) Cable Hammer Curls: Not much
explanation needed other than the photograph. Increase the resistance
with a wrap or by widening the distance between the feet.
D1) Pistols: Balance on one leg
with the other leg held straight in front of you. Pull yourself
down with the hip flexors. Drive through the heel to return to
the standing position. I utilized ladders for this one; alternating
legs. If you have not yet achieved a full range Pistol, you could
utilize a Flex Band® anchored around a solid railing or similar
object to assist you in the movement.
Or
Wall squats: If you have not yet
achieved a full range Pistol, you may want to give wall squats
a go. These utilize a muscular recruitment pattern similar to
that of the Pistol, and I feel that they are a good tool to use
in your quest for a full range unassisted Pistol. Face a wall
and pull yourself down into a squat with the hip flexors. Drive
through the heel to return to the starting position. To increase
the difficulty of the movement, move your feet closer to the wall.
Once you can perform the movement with your toes touching the
wall, increase the difficulty further by raising your arms overhead.
You will learn to utilize your hip flexors quickly in this exercise
or you will end up on your butt!
D2) Cable Stiff Legged Deadlift:
Tight arch in the back, fold at the hips and flex the hamstrings
and glutes to return to the starting position. While still grasping
the bands go immediately to…
D3) Cable Shrug: Hey, you are already
in position for this one…waste not, want not. Pull the shoulders
straight up in line with your ears. Return under control.
E1) Jandas: anchor the Flex Band®
around a solid object as shown. Pull the heels towards your butt
against the resistance of the band. Curl up while keeping the
feet flat on the ground. Increase the difficulty by moving the
hands from low alongside the hips, to the chest, and ultimately
to overhead as shown.
E2) Cable Rows: No sense in just
sitting there on your duff between sets. If the anchor you have
chosen will accommodate it, crank out a few rows.
Particulars on Strength session:
· The exercises of each group were supersetted: i.e. A1,
A2, A1, A2, A1, A2 then B1, B2, B1, B2, B1, B2… and so on.
· I completed three cycles of each group
· Reps varied with available resistance. The ladder method
was used to intensify the exercises where the available resistance
was low for that movement.
· I performed the Anaerobic and Strength sessions on alternate
days.
· Note: This is also a good circuit to perform at work
for all my fellow desk jockeys out there. Perform one set of each
exercise for just a few reps, in one large circuit. The purpose
of this, when performed at work, is to get your body moving and
the blood flowing. It is not meant to be a full blown training
session, so take it easy. I keep a light band in my desk drawer
and complete some type of circuit once or twice a day.
Anaerobic Session:
Flex Band® stretches. Sprints utilizing the Tabata protocol:
Jog to beach. Sprint 20 seconds, jog 10 seconds. Repeat the cycle
8 times. If this is not enough, intersperse some more sprints
with pushups or pull-ups (use whatever is available in your surroundings).
In my case, I found a sand hill with a log at the bottom. I put
my feet up on the log and did some incline pushups, then sprinted
up the incline and jogged back down. This cycle was repeated a
few times and then I walked back to the condo.
No beach? Find a park to run in, or pick some challenging, full
body calisthenics like mountain climbers and perform them following
the Tabata protocol.
(Side note: The condos where we stayed for most of our trip
had an exercise facility like the one I mentioned in the first
paragraph. Upon returning to the condo on the mornings when I
performed the anaerobic session, I did see one or two people riding
a stationary bike and running on the treadmill. While I have to
give them credit for doing something, I wanted to ask them why
on earth they would want to be trapped inside on a machine when
there is a beautiful beach in front of them and bike trails behind
them. There is no TV on the beach I guess.)
There you have it. Does this work? Most people come off of a
vacation a few pounds heavier around the middle…I came back
leaner.
David Finley is a martial artist, Certified Russian
Kettlebell instructor and a Certified Flex Band® instructor,
residing in Canton, Ohio. He is available for group and private
instruction. rkcinstructor@neo.rr.com
