The Need For A Hotel Room Workout That WORKS
Having done a reasonable amount of travel lately as well as receiving a number of emails from readers asking for an alternative to the Bodyweight Barrage as they simply don't have any space for a few of the exercises I decided it was time to share my alternative 'on the go' workouts. Regardless of whether you're lacking time, space or a familiar location these workouts are suitable.
"If it's important to you you'll find a way, if not you'll find an excuse"
The principles of the hotel workout plan:
Efficient
These workouts are designed to maintain your physique while you're on the go - you will not get insane muscle growth or extreme fat loss by following these basic routines. They're quick, don't require any equipment and can be perform in a bedroom, a jail cell or anywhere in-between.
Compound Oriented
Each exercise in these hotel room workouts utilize multiple muscle groups - working your back, chest and legs is far more important in my eyes than attempting to pump up your biceps (and not to mention that your biceps are the secondary muscle group that come into play when performing back exercises anyway).
Intense
Unlike when we're performing heavy sets of 4 - 6 reps on the bench press in the gym maximizing our rest time between sets is not the aim of the game here - in fact it's almost the complete opposite.
With the style of hotel room workouts the aim is to get through the regime while allowing minimal recovery time for the body - instead of overloading the body with weight like normal we will be overloading the body with volume and by allowing minimal recovery.
Scalable
Each of the bodyweight oriented exercises found in hotel room workouts are completely scalable.
Can't do a regular push-up? no problems.
Don't find regular push-ups challenging? we can fix that too.
Hotel Room Workout Routines
Warm up:
10 jumping jacks
10 bodyweight squats
10 push-ups
10 lunges (5 per leg)
10 sit-ups
This warm up is just that, a warm up - no need to perform static stretches. Take your time.
Go through this warm up once before proceeding with your workout, stretch your muscles throughout each movement (e.g. flex and feel your chest to loosen it up as you slowly perform your push-ups).
Trigger points on the go:
Found a sore spot?
Considering you're in a hotel room I doubt you have access to a foam roller.
My solution? Always carry a tennis ball around in my suitcase. Place the tennis ball again a wall or on the floor depending on the muscle group you're trying to relieve pressure from. Roll around on the tennis ball as you would with a foam roller.
Beginner Hotel Room Workout:
3 rounds of...
- 15 incline push-ups
- 15 one arm rows
- 15 bodyweight squats
- 15 reverse crunches
Intermediate Hotel Room Workout:
3 rounds of...
- 15 regular push-ups
- 15 one arm rows
- 15 inverted rows
- 20 overhead squats
- 15 leg raises on the floor
Advanced Hotel Room Workout:
3 rounds of...
- 25 clapping push-ups
- 25 decline push-ups
- 25 one arm rows
- 25 inverted rows
- 25 jumping squats
- 25 leg raises
- 25 reverse crunches
Fat Burning Oriented Hotel Room Workout:
2 rounds of...
- 1 burpee
- 2 jumping jacks
- 10 high knees
- 2 burpees
- 4 jumping jacks
- 20 high knees
- 4 burpees
- 8 jumping jacks
- 40 high knees
Just Do Something, Anything
I find when I take a prolonged break from training upon my return to the gym the DOMs (delayed onset muscle soreness) is far worse than before, normally leaving me crippled for a few days.
Looking back as well it seems the few lifting related injuries I have encountered (being my lower back and left rotator cuff) occurred shortly after returning from what I would consider a lengthy break.
The key is to keep moving and that's exactly what these workouts will help you do.
Do you workout while you're travelling? What's your go-to routine? Let me know in the comments below!
