Training on Tour – What if you can’t find a gym?
How can I stay fit on tour? This is a pretty common question, well the obvious answer is train at the nearest gym and stick to your program. However, sometimes this just isn’t possible. You could be travelling in a third world country, your hotel does not have a gym, or maybe you are strapped for time unable to afford the luxury of finding somewhere nearby.
This topic is especially fitting right now because a many of my friends and some of my athletes are currently on tour with events like the European Nitro Circus tour and Night of the Jumps.
Because of this, I have written a short workout routine that will keep things rolling while you can’t hit the gym. This protocol won’t turn you into Schwarzenegger or carry you to win you a gold medal at the Olympics, but it will maintain your strength and conditioning at least until you can find a gym, and the best part is you won’t even have to leave the hotel room!
To get this program under way you will need to understand some training fundamentals. So I don’t have to write a 10 page blog and bore the hell out of every one the best thing to do is download my FREE E-Book “Top 5 Strength Training Secrets The Pro’s Use”.
Beyond that understanding the specifics of tempo and set order is key.
Tempo is the rate at which the exercise is performed, each exercise has 4 parts. The eccentric (down phase), the pause at the bottom of the range, the concentric (the up phase) and the pause at the top. So – down, stop, up, stop then repeat.
Example: 3111 is 3 seconds down, 1 second pause, 1 second up, and 1 second pause. That is one rep completed
Exercises are performed in groups which are ordered by letter, eg A1 & A2, B1 & B2 etc.
All A exercises are performed together until prescribed number of sets are completed.
Example: A1, A2, A3 are performed for 3 sets.
A1 rest A2 rest A3 rest A1 rest A2 rest A3 rest A1 rest A2 rest A3 rest then proceed to exercise category B and so forth
Remember to set your shoulders back and down for each exercise BEFORE beginning the movement.
So here we go, this should take between 30 and 40 min depending on if you do 3 or 4 sets and though it might look easy at a glance completing it is a different story.
| Order | Exercise | Reps | Sets | Tempo | Rest | Notes |
| A1 | Slow body weight squats – pause at bottom | 10-12 | 3 – 4 | 4111 | 10 | Feet shoulder width apart, hands forward |
| A2 | Push up – close hands, pause at bottom | 10-12 | 3 – 4 | 3111 | 10 | Hands shoulder width at chest level |
| A3 | 1 arm bent over row using luggage | 10-12 (per side) | 3 – 4 | 3110 | 60 | Split stance, support on bench or bed |
| B1 | Squat to bed jump | 10-12 | 3 – 4 | 3010 | 10 | Squat on ground and jump to bed. |
| B2 | Seated over head luggage press | 10-12 | 3 – 4 | 3011 | 10 | Sit on bed, press over head |
| B3 | Standing luggage upright row | 10-12 | 3 – 4 | 3110 | 60 | With both hands lift luggage to chest height |
So there you have it, an awesome work out to help keep you strong and motivated when on tour. You can download the PDF to print out HERE. If you are unsure of how to do any of the exercises feel free to get in contact with me if enough people are interested I’ll put together an instructional sheet.
As I said earlier, this is a great fill in to help maintain fitness when you can’t make it to the gym. With my athletes, we work a lot more specifically so that training programs are tailored specifically for the individual. To find out more about how you can get the most from your training and be a part of the Actionsport Performance team head over to my contact page and shoot me a message, I’d love you hear from you.
Train hard and be safe.
Your strength coach,
Cam
