Everyone travels, whether it’s for a family vacation, for business, of even for competitions. Whether it’s a two-week getaway or six months travelling across Southeast Asia, get the best of both worlds by maintaining your strength and conditioning training while enjoying your holiday.

Whether you’ve already booked your trip, or are looking for advice on how to travel and maintain your hard-won physique, here’s some advice on tweaking your training for your holiday, and avoiding the fear of losing the progress you’ve already made.

Generally speaking, two weeks of vacation shouldn’t make any difference to your fitness gains, especially if you perform bits of training here and there. Taking this approach will also shake off the stigma that vacations make you gain weight due to all that eating and drinking, as well as lack of exercise. If you plan ahead and get a little creative, you can find the right balance of enjoying a well-deserved rest from your day-to-day life with continuing your training. If you do it right, you can jump right back into your normal routine once you return.

Sprints on the Beach

If your trip takes you to the beach, you already have a great opportunity for high intensity training. The sand will add some extra resistance to your sprints and enhance the difficulty, compared to the gym surface you’re used to.

Start off with your usual warm up, and get in a mile or two of easy running, then focus on intervals for your sprint training. To raise the difficulty even further, you could do your sprints up and down a sand hill, as it’s one of the best ways to build conditioning.

Get Back to Bodyweight

At your home gym, you most likely use specialized equipment to perform many of your exercises. On holiday, you’ll have to get a bit more creative. Bodyweight training can provide ample opportunity for some solid training, but you might want some ways to up the ante. If you need to add some resistance to standard push ups, for instance, try adding some weight to your back, such as a book or two. You could also try decline push ups, handstand push ups, and clap push ups for more advanced training.

Pull ups can be a bit more challenging to perform on the road, but if you’re constantly on the lookout for a climbing frame in a local park or a sturdy tree branch, chances are you’ll find what you need. You might not be able to schedule your pull ups in your workouts as well as your other exercises, but your body doesn’t care when you get them in, just that you do it.

Depending on where you go on your vacation, you could also take a portable pull up bar that you can hook on the door frame. There’s also the option of booking a hotel with its own gym, although that may limit your options on where you can stay.

Burpee intervals are one of the best drills for conditioning, as they will engage your whole body and help to develop strength, power, and overall endurance. The best part is, all you need is a big enough space, and the motivation to get moving.

Your own bodyweight will provide plenty of options to get moving while you’re away. You may even find some progress from training in ways you normally don’t.

You’re Allowed to Not Work Out

Recovery time is a crucial element to any type of training. Incorporating regular recovery time into your program will only aid your progress in the long run. The time you spend relaxing by the pool is definitely recovery time, so make the most of your vacation and take a day of rest between each training session.

Last, don’t fall into the trap of thinking every workout has to look like a workout. You can keep your mind and body plenty active by booking yourself an adventurous holiday, like a trip to go kayaking, skiing, hiking, cycling, or rock climbing. You’ll come back rejuvenated from the break, and probably every bit as fit as when you left.

The post Taking Your Strength & Conditioning Training on the Road appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Why not get back to that? I suggest that you use this summer to break your routine, embrace your environment, and reconnect with that competitive spirit of play that once directed your life.

Remember when you’d play pickup basketball, then tennis, and then head to the pool all in one day? We didn’t have to be “a football player” to get together with friends for a lively game of two-hand touch. We’d head from there to our friend’s house, and weren’t afraid to learn how to play ping-pong, even if our friends were way better, at the moment. Each day, we exposed ourselves to a tapestry of new stimuli and embraced the challenges.

What happened? When did we stop exploring the world? When did we become afraid to do anything that we initially sucked at? When did we decide that the only path to health, fitness, and happiness was within the confines of a gym? With those questions in your mind, here are some thoughts to consider as you look forward to the summer.

On Vacation

I have a fairly methodical daily physical practice. I typically program workouts for myself, and include some sort of movement each day. I’m headed to Hawaii this summer, and have had no shortage of people mockingly mention that I won’t get to work out for over a week.

First, regardless of your level of obsession to your fitness, please allow yourself to enjoy vacations and not feel a compulsion to find a gym to continue your current regimen. Second, are you kidding? I’m going to hike, swim, run the hills, and jump into Hawaii with my body and soul. I’ll chase frisbees on the beach and play pool volleyball any chance I get. If there is an opportunity for this pale, freckled, Midwestern-raised kid to learn to surf, I’m taking it! Your relationship with health and fitness improves exponentially when you remember that you love to move and embrace new things.

In Your Community

You can’t help but notice that the world around you has a different energy during the summer. Lean into that energy. Does the local high school offer camps that you can help out with? Maybe playing dodgeball with some middle-schoolers is the shot of life you need. Are you a former athlete missing those summer workouts and that deep morning sweat? Immerse yourself in it! Make it a weekly ritual to run bleachers in the morning, and add a couple each week. If a local team does this, maybe you can reach out and join. They’ll be flattered and motivated by the competitive geezer pushing them.

Perhaps there is a community sand volleyball leagues. I haven’t played soccer since fifth grade, but am pumped to be playing in a weekly men’s league. I’m terrible, but who cares? Maybe you are one of those crazy Americans who reside north of the 33rd parallel. If so, I implore you, get outside! You only have like two more months of good weather! Run, bike, hit up a lake and learn to stand-up paddle board. Just go.

Invest Your Time, Don’t Just Spend It

Is there anything you always sucked at and just accepted? For me it’s swimming. I can swim well enough but tend to drink the pool when I go for a breath. Not anymore. I’ve made a plan, and my wife has made it clear to me that she’s snorkeling in Hawaii with or without me. Challenge accepted.

To really find fun in your training, add some physical skills and challenges. Learn to do a handstand or a cartwheel. Both are great challenges with huge physical benefits. The Turkish get up is considered by many to be the king of exercises, and it takes some practice. Make it a goal this summer to learn it, if you haven’t before. Maybe you want to start small. I learned to hula hoop between sets last week and now have begun the challenge of juggling.

Sure, you’ll burn calories practicing, but what’s more, you’ll add to your athleticism by creating greater physical literacy. All this will help you maintain and grow your ability to move freely and move better. This is the difference between spending your time and investing it. When you build mental and physical skills, you are investing in yourself and will get to utilize all those new skills in your future. Skills compound upon themselves and allow a world of new opportunities.

Trying these new tasks will get you out of your comfort zone even more in the future. Most importantly, whether you’re a coach or just a thoughtful person, it will enhance your sense of empathy for newbies, as you are reminded of the awkwardness of trying new things. So whether you’re just dusting off those New Year’s resolutions, or exploring a completely new set of possibilities, take a second to appreciate all the opportunity summer has to offer.

The post Invest Your Summer in Play and Skill Building appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Prioritize First, Then Plan

Some workouts are more important than others. When it comes to planning how you will get your workouts done on the road, this becomes even more true. Knowing what is most important ahead of time and prioritizing accordingly can save you a lot of hassle and streamline your planning. Logistics and convenience play a vital role while traveling. With that in mind, prioritize disciplines as follows:

1. Running and Strength
2. Swimming
3. Cycling

Running and strength are the easiest pieces to plan, logistically speaking. Running is simple: put on your shoes and get out the door. Running is also a great way to maintain your cycling fitness while you’re on the go. Specific demands create specific adaptations, so cycling will always be a better choice if you need the work there, but running can go a long way in a pinch.

Strength is convenient since you can often find a gym at your hotel or do your own workout in your room. Pack a set of resistance bands just in case your lodging doesn’t provide worthwhile exercise equipment. Strength workouts are high on the list because of their power as a short-term substitute. A good strength routine can help you increase power, improve your VO2 Max, and better your muscular endurance, to name a few. Pair it with running and you can get a heck of a lot done without having to sweat too many details.

Running and strength lend themselves well to one of the most important factors of your training: consistency. If you are going to choose anything, choose a workout that you know you can get in consistently while you’re traveling.

Swimming isn’t as convenient to train as running, but doing it consistently is just as important. [Photo courtesy Pixabay]

Swimming is second on the list only because it is less convenient and harder to plan for. It is the most technique driven of the three disciplines, so it requires the most consistency and practice. Making time for it while you’re away is worthwhile. The hardest thing is finding places to swim. Swimmer’s Guide is a great resource to find a lap swimming pool near your destination.

Cycling is last because it is by far the most difficult logistically – lots of equipment and transporting your bike. If you are someone who is a weaker cyclist and needs to work on it while you are out exploring, then make it happen. A bike rack (with locks) is a worthwhile investment if you’re driving, and most airlines allow you to check a bike for an extra fee. If those two options sound daunting, you can also track down a gym with spin bikes as a substitute, just try to get the bike setup as close to your own bike fit as possible.

Find a Club

Now that you have an idea of how to think about structuring your training on the road, one truth still remains: training alone is no fun. There are hundreds of great clubs across the globe and most would be more than happy to have you drop in to train. Here are some resources to find a club in your travel destination:

• TriFind Club Finder 
• USA Triathlon Clubs 
• USA Cycling Clubs 
• Master’s Swimming Clubs

Budget Your Time, Balance With Intensity

Once you know how you will train and who you will do it with, it’s time to tackle the last hurdle: budgeting your time wisely. Taking a bit of time out of your day to block out your schedule goes a long way towards reducing travel stresses and ensuring a great trip.

If you know you will be tight on time, remember that volume and intensity work together to create your overall training stress. Shortening the duration and increasing the intensity will get the most bang for your buck without killing a ton of time.

Here are two examples of how you can get a quick, great workout in while you’re traveling:

Example Bike or Run Workout – 60-60s: 

• Warm-up for 10-15 minutes
• 15 x 1:00 at your best sustainable effort (BSE)
• Recover easily for one minute between intervals

Example Pool Workout – Quick and Dirty:

• 10 x (100 hard, 50 easy). Hard should be about a perceived effort of 7-8 on a scale of 10
• Add in drills for a warm-up or cool down if you have time

Plan to Train for a Successful Summer

There you have it. If you can prioritize well, make some friends, and be as consistent as possible it will go a long way towards helping you successfully mix quality training with your travel schedule. This is by no means an exhaustive list. What are your go-to tricks for getting the most out of your training schedule while you are out and about?

Need some ideas for that hotel-room workout? We’ve got you covered:

3 Amazing Full-Body Workouts for Summer Vacation

The post Triathlon Training on the Road appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

So this is how a fitness vacation plays out. You’re lounging poolside at the resort sipping a fresh green coconut as a warm breeze blows through the palm trees. Your biggest concern is whether you should read your book or call for a massage later this afternoon. Sounds like bliss, right? But as you head into the café and look out onto the street a fit young man runs past, struggling for breath as he hauls a truck tire along the street with his buddy egging him on. Perhaps a little less blissful, but it’s a timely reminder that your second training session of the day will start in an hour or so. It’s all part of your vacation plans.

Once upon a time, it was only serious fighters who’d come to practice muay Thai or MMA in training camps in Thailand. Some would stay for a couple of weeks to prepare for a fight, others for a few months to get serious about training and hopefully get a fight or two in. Accommodation was basic, usually dorm style, and training was best characterized as “old school,” consisting of long runs, pad work, sparring, and having your stomach pummeled with a medicine ball.

Nowadays there are still the hardcore fighters, they’re the ones out running in the midday sun with their sweat suits on, and there are still the old-school training regimens, but there’s also a new crowd – the fitness vacations crowd. Some are here to lose a few extra pounds, some are here to try out a new sport, and others are here to enjoy in a tropical paradise and stay fit and active as they do it. And it’s not just martial arts on offer now, there’s CrossFit, yoga, weightlifting, spin classes, circuit training, and more, which means there’s something for pretty much everyone.

One recent addition to fit street is Unit 27, the first total conditioning facility on the street. Unit 27 is operated by father-son team Dayle and Robert Hallam, and officially opened last December. When I spoke to Dayle, who is a strength and conditioning sports coach and structural kinesiologist from England, about how he came to be in a tropical paradise doing what he loves, his answer was simple. He’d been making regular trips here as a muay Thai fighter for training, and simply realized there was a need for a strength and conditioning facility with structured and modern approach to getting people fit.

Commenting on his clientele he said, “We see all types, from people who are out of shape and want to kick start on their fitness journey, to top rugby players looking for a vacation that will actually help rather than hinder them in the pre-season.” The facility is built to train anyone from an elite athlete to an out-of-shape middle-aged vacationer. MMA fighters such as Mohammad Fakhreddine and Australian NRL rugby player Sandor Earl spent time training at Unit 27, but the people that trainers and clients alike are most excited to talk about are the success stories.

In just a few months there are already a handful of impressive stories of people who have turned their health around, gotten crazy fit, or lost body fat training at Unit 27. It’s these stories that everyone seems most motivated by. And while there are some crazy-fit people training at Unit 27, there’s no elitism. Everyone trains in the same space and encourages one another to be their very best. There’s a healthy dose of competition to keep things interesting, but overriding it all is a real sense of community.

And this is a big part of why people get results here. Everyone is here with a health focus, and many of the distractions and temptations of everyday life have been taken away, giving people a chance to focus on training, fueling, and resting. The street is lined with juice bars full of protein shakes and going to restaurants with your newfound friends will always be full of healthy food options. Of course if you are carb loading for a run up the big Buddha (a 3.5km uphill run/walk that is the fit street equivalent to a CrossFitter’s “Fran” time), it’s also not hard to find a delicious pad thai for dinner and banana protein pancakes for dessert.

Here, there are no staff meetings with endless supplies of pastries. There are no traffic jams that prevent you from making it to training on time. In fact, training is just a few hundred meters down the street. All the obstacles are removed and the tools are provided for you. It’s just up to you to show up and do the work. If you want to make it even more foolproof, you can ask the team at Unit 27 to book your accommodation and a personally designed meal-plan as well as your training, before you even leave home.

And then after a tough day of training and chilling out by the pool there’s plenty of fun stuff to do too – a quick trip to the beach or to jungles with waterfalls, weekend night markets, and plenty more of the infamous Thai nightlife to balance out all that healthy stuff. But being surrounded by people who are here to be healthy means the simple life of train, eat, sleep, repeat is an easy and enjoyable routine. Particularly when you add in a bit of lounging by the pool into the mix.

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