This article is dedicated to those readers who enjoy staying in shape but have to travel for extended periods of time. Since consistency is so important in achieving improvement, having to frequently travel can throw a frustrating wrench in your training routine. This is true especially if your chosen physical activity is a sport as complex and demanding as muay Thai.
This article is dedicated to those readers who enjoy staying in shape but have to travel for extended periods of time. Since consistency is so important in achieving improvement, having to frequently travel can throw a frustrating wrench in your training routine. This is true especially if your chosen physical activity is a sport as complex and demanding as muay Thai.
Sometimes when you travel it will be to places that have every amenity a gym rat like myself could desire – gyms loaded with kettlebells, barbells, rings, heavy bags, huge mats, and great instructors. Other times it will be to places that don’t have a single thing and don’t even know what a gym is. My recent traveling experience was to the latter.
During my last out-of-state adventure, I found myself in the town of Stonington, Maine. Stonington is a small fishing town with a population of 1,043, and it is located on the edge of the known universe on the southernmost portion of Deer Isle. Its natural beauty is absolutely astounding and beyond compare.
The forests surrounding the town are lush and old, and the ocean is clear as crystal. For my first couple of days in this beautiful place I was more than content to just relax and enjoy the serenity of my vacation. Then I started to get “the itch” and I wanted to train. Every athlete reading this knows exactly what I am talking about.
Athletes define themselves though physical movement, so when we stop moving we start to get a little antsy. I felt my conditioning start to slip and I became restless. The one thing I have always hated about traveling is coming back to the gym, sucking wind, and feeling as if I never trained in the first place.
In Stonington there was no gym, no muay Thai, no training partners, and not even a pull up bar or a jump rope. Just me and a ton of nature. I decided to make the most of it and use whatever I could to get in some decent workouts. Below are five simple calisthenic workouts I used to keep my conditioning sharp and prevent myself from losing my mind.
Monday
- Single arm push up x 3,2,1
- Pistol squat x 3,2,1
- Handstand with 5-second hold x 3,2,1
Perform in a circuit with an emphasis on form and max tension
- Follow with a 30-minute trail run
Tuesday
- Shadow boxing 10×3 min rounds
- Mobility work x 15 minutes
Wednesday
- Shadow boxing 3×3 min rounds
Then:
- Jump squat x 10
- Sprint x 40yds
- Strict push up x 10
Rest for 2 min then repeat for 8 sets
Thursday
- Mobility work x 15 minutes
- Follow with a 3-hour hike
Friday
- Single arm push up x 3,2,1
- Pistol squat x 3,2,1
Perform in a superset focusing on form and max tension
- Follow with a 60-min trail run, and every five minutes alternate performing 10 jump squats or 10 jump lunges
Stonington photo by Captain Albert E. Theberge, NOAA Corps (ret.). (NOAA Photo Library: line2890) [CC-BY-2.0 or Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons.
