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http://www.fitstep.com/ unless otherwise credited.

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Road Warrior Training - Keep in Shape While Traveling! Spend a lot of time away from homebase but still want to burn fat and build muscle? It can be done! Discover some of the best ways to keep your training in gear.

If you've traveled for any length of time, you know how tough it can be to fit in a workout, eat right and continue to make progress (or even maintain what you've got!) when you're in and out of hotels and motels.

It seems the "fitness center" found in many hotels is a stationary bike without a seat and (if you're lucky) a battered multistation weight stack machine. Quite often, hotels have deals with local gyms to offer discounts or free passes but, if you're busy with other things, you may not have time to take advantage of these offers. You may even be staying in a place that has nothing at all for equipment!

So what DO you do when you're on the road and want to workout and eat right? This article will give you some practical advice on just how you can keep yourself in shape on the road. It covers training programs, nutritional advice and some sample exercises that require no specialized equipment except for what you can easily find in and around typical motel rooms or homes.

TRAINING PROGRAMS FOR THE ROAD WARRIOR:

Quite honestly, it's tough to follow a set program when you're in unpredictable circumstances, as often happens when you don't know what equipment you'll have access to or even if you'll have a chance to train on any particular day.

The more planned-out-in-advance your travel schedule is, of course, the better you'll be able to follow a more set program. Here are some tips on how to schedule your training while traveling.

1. Every time you get a chance to do a workout, do a total-body workout. That way, if you don't get a chance again for a couple of days, at least you'll still have worked everything. And, even if you do get a chance and do end up working the whole body for several days in a row, you'll get great benefits from this training by giving your body a completely different stimulus than it's used to!

Here is a sample total body workout arrangement - take short rest periods to keep the training intense (e.g. 30 seconds to a minute between sets). The number of reps you get will depend on the exercise you use (some exercises and body positions will be tougher than others) but shoot for around 10 to 15 reps per set.

5 Sets Chest
5 Sets Back
5 Sets Thighs
3 Sets Shoulders
2 Sets Biceps
2 Sets Triceps
2 Sets Calves
3 Sets Abdominals

2. If you feel up to it, on days when you've been traveling for long periods, do some stretching to help loosen up. Your body is basically motionless for long periods when traveling and resistance training may not be all that productive after a long day on the road. Stretching is easily done, requires no equipment and will help relax you.

http://www.fitstep.com/Library/Info/Stretching1.htm

3. If you know you have a longer trip coming up, ramp your current training up to that date. What this means is that you want to start building up and working your body with increased sets and start using intensity techniques to move towards overtraining.

By doing this, by the time your trip comes along, your body will NEED the break and moving to infrequent bodyweight training will actually help your body recover and improve.

This strategy can also be applied if you travel very frequently for business. Before you leave on your trip, do a couple of extremely tough workouts in a row. While you're on the trip, do a couple of bodyweight workouts or focus on stretching, especially on shorter trips.

The concept of controlled overtraining is more fully explained in this article (includes a sample training program):

Training on the Edge - Learn How Overtraining on Purpose Can Get You Maximum Results FAST!
http://www.fitstep.com/Misc/Newsletter-archives/issue22.htm

4. If your goal is to lose fat, try Fat-Loss Circuit Training while on the road. This training technique is basically doing cardio training in between resistance training sets instead of taking a typical non-active rest period. It's extremely powerful and gives your body a strong metabolic response - perfect for packing as much punch into your workouts as possible.

Here's a sample of what looks like in action:

1 set chest
30 seconds cardio
1 set chest
30 seconds cardio
1 set back
30 seconds cardio
1 set back
30 seconds cardio
etc.

For more detailed information on how to do it, have a look at the following article:

Fat Loss Circuit Training
http://www.fitstep.com/Misc/Newsletter-archives/issue32.htm

In your motel room, you can choose from a number of cardio options: pack a skipping rope, use stairs or a low bench or even just step-ups onto a stable chair in the room (no rolling chairs!).

5. If your goal is to build muscle, I would still recommend using the total-body workout format but try to use more challenging exercise variations that only allow for 8 to 12 reps per set. Doing 50 push-ups isn't going to build muscle!

When it comes right down to it, it doesn't matter where you're training. As long as you're giving your body a strong training stimulus, you're going to be able to build muscle.

NUTRITIONAL ADVICE FOR THE ROAD WARRIOR:

Eating while traveling can often be unpredictable. Depending on activities or schedules, you may not know when or where or what kind of foods you're going to be eating on any given day. Here are some tips to help keep your eating on track.

Most of these tips are just common sense, but it can be difficult to watch what you eat on the road and especially when you're out in a group. The key is to just do the best you can and don't stress yourself out worrying if you eat something that you didn't plan on. The stress of constantly worrying about it is worse than the effect of actually doing it!

1. Naturally, the more control you have over food choices, the better off you'll be. When you can choose, opt for healthier fare without fancy sauces and fatty toppings. Stick to less processed selections and do your best to stay away from fast food as much as possible.

2. If your room has a fridge, you can buy food from grocery stores and stock your fridge. If your room doesn't have a fridge, do the best you can with nonperishable items. Try to stick to foods that are non-processed like fruits, veggies, whole grains, etc.

3. Bring a protein supplement. This could be in the form of protein powders, Ready-To-Drink formulas or protein bars. While traveling, you'll probably find that it's tough to get protein without getting a lot of fat along with it (meat is often fatty cuts or swimming in sauce). Protein supplements help immensely - you have complete control over how much protein you get and what is in it this way.

4. Take your vitamins. At the very least, you should be taking a multivitamin and plenty of extra Vitamin C (to help keep your immune system strong, which is especially important when you're packed on a plane with others who may be ill).

5. If you know you'll have a meal where you won't have much choice as to what you must eat (it happens), try to schedule a workout immediately before it. This will minimize the impact of any not-so-healthy foods you eat and you won't feel like you have to say "no" to everything.

6. Make sure to eat breakfast - your best choice is something healthy that you bought at a grocery store--before you even leave your room. Quite a few of the restaurant breakfast choices consist of fried, greasy, sugary and enriched flour foods. Starting with a good breakfast will keep you alert and energized throughout the day.

7. If you're on a road trip and stopping for something to eat, try stopping at the grocery store instead of the McDonalds. It's a lot easier to grab something healthy there. If you must eat fast foods, try to stick to grilled items. Many places offer low-carb selections or salads. Low-carb wraps are healthier than white-flour buns.

8. Order food without sauce or dressing or ask for it on the side so that you can control what goes on your food.

9. If you're at a gathering and they serve snack foods, try to stick with nuts, fruits and veggies as much as possible (avoid the dips). As tasty as the cocktail weenies are, they have no nutritional value and are fatty.

EXERCISES FOR THE ROAD WARRIOR:

In this section, I'm going to over exercises you can do for every major bodypart. At the end of this section, I'll give you a link where you can find pictures of many of these exercises in action.

CHEST

1. Push-up Variations:

- Regular Push-Ups (the normal push-up)
- Close Grip Push-Ups (hands shoulder-width apart)
- Kneeling Push-Ups
- Wall Push-Ups (standing up with your hands on wall, body at an angle)
- One Arm Push-Ups (set feet quite wide for balance)
- Feet On Chair/Bed Push-Ups (incline push-ups - increases difficulty)
- Between Two Beds/Chairs Push-Ups (hands on two objects so your range of motion is greater)
- Clapping Push-Ups - explode up and clap your hands between reps
- Luggage on Back Push-Ups (set your suitcase/bag on your back for resistance)

2. Dips

- Between Two Chairs (use the tops of the chair backs as dip handles)
- In a Countertop Corner (stand in the corner facing out and set your hands on either side of you - do a dip from there)

BACK

1. Pull-Up Rows

Lie underneath a solid object like a rail or table (not a table with only a center pedestal!). Pull yourself up underneath it like you're doing a rowing movement.

Secret Training Tip #374 - The Pull-Up Row
http://www.fitstep.com/Misc/Newsletter-archives/issue28.htm

2. One Arm Suitcase Rows

These work best if you got a heavy suitcase. Use your luggage for resistance - go for strict form and squeeze your back hard as you do them.

3. Pull-Ups

If you can find something that is solid that you can hang from, you've got yourself a pull-up station.

4. Suitcase Knee Rows

For this exercise, you'll need a fairly large suitcase. Rest the suitcase end on your thigh - this end will act as the pivot point for the exercise, using the suitcase as resistance. Row the handle towards your body - the one end will stay on your thigh while the top end pivots up towards you.

5. Luggage Farmers Walk

Grab your two heaviest pieces of luggage and walk around with them for as long as you can! For a variation that works your abs, hold only one piece of luggage - this hits the obliques.

THIGHS

1. Squats or Lunges

These can be done for high reps without extra resistance or you can use your luggage or other objects around the room for resistance. High reps won't be as useful for muscle building but will definitely stimulate your metabolism.

2. Wall Sits

Maintain a sitting position with your back against a wall for as long as possible (with no support - you'll only stay up by pushing hard with your thighs). You can also hold a piece of luggage on your lap for extra resistance.

3. One-Legged Squats

These can be done on the floor or standing on a chair for greater range of motion. Basically, you stand on one leg and squat down as far as you can then come back up (you can hold onto objects for balance when you first try these).

4. Isometric Leg Curls

Most motel/hotel rooms have tables. Stand in front of the table facing away from it (make sure there's nothing on top of it). Now raise your foot underneath so that the heel of your foot is pushing against the underside of the table. Now try to push the table up. You should feel a strong cramping in your hamstring. Hold it there for 5 to 10 seconds, squeezing hard. Relax and repeat.

5. Bench Step One-Legged Squats

This exercise requires a chair, bench or even just a stair (as long as you have something solid to grab onto). Move the chair in front of a solid object, like a doorframe, that you can get a good grip on. Stand on the chair on one foot. Now, holding onto the solid object, lower yourself down into a one-legged squat. The benefit here is that you can go further down and use your arms to pull back up if you need to. This is a tough one but a good one!

http://www.fitness-ebooks.com/bench-step-exercise.htm

SHOULDERS:

1. Luggage Shoulder Presses and Raises

Press your bags overhead or do raises (front, rear or lateral) with them. When doing presses, grip the luggage on both ends and press the whole thing directly overhead (it's a shorter range of motion). If your luggage is light, you'll need to do high reps or isometric holds at the top of the movements.

2. Horizontal Push-Ups

These are done by first bracing two chairs against a wall about 2 feet apart. Kneel down in front of them then put your hands on the chair legs. Use your legs to push your body forwards then use shoulders to press your body backwards - use your thighs to apply resistance.

BICEPS:

1. Luggage Curls

Suitcases and bags all have handles. Use these to curl! These actually work extremely well because of how the resistance of the bag hangs down underneath the handle - much different than a dumbell or barbell! As you curl up, your hand will bend backwards, which keeps the resistance on the biceps very effectively.

2. Vertical Pull-Ups

If you've got a place you can do pull-ups, try keeping your torso completely vertical while coming up. This throws more tension onto the biceps.

TRICEPS:

1. Close-Grip Push-Ups

These are done like a regular push-up only you will set your hands about shoulder width apart. Keep your elbows tucked in beside your body as you do these.

2. Body Tricep Extensions

This is a great exercise that can be done using a dresser, chair, table edge or railing. Stand in front of the object (make sure it won't roll back - brace it against a wall). Step back a few feet. Set your hands on the edge. Now, keeping your body stiff and straight, lower yourself down so that your head ducks under the edge of what you're grasping.

http://www.fitstep.com/Bestexercises/free-course/5body-tricep-extensions.htm

3. Bench Dips

These can be done on a chair or bed. Sit on the chair and set your hands on the edge under your butt. Set your feet a little forward. Now move your butt off the chair and lower yourself down. Use your triceps to push yourself back up. This exercise can also be one arm for those who are stronger - set your feet wide apart for balance, keeping your legs straight. Your working arm should be in the center of the chair for best balance.

Wave Goodbye to Flabby Arms - Bench Dips For The Triceps and How to Make Them Work Better For You
http://www.fitstep.com/Misc/Newsletter-archives/issue12.htm

CALVES:

1. Standing Calf Raises

These can be done with one leg or two legs. They can be done on stairs or any other solid object. If you're in a hotel room, often a thick phonebook will work just fine.

Basically, stand with your heels off the edge. Let your heels come down then use the calves to push back up.

http://www.fitstep.com/Library/Exercises/Standing_calf_raises.htm

2. Full Range Calf Raises

In short, you combine both Donkey Calf Raises and Standing Calf Raises into one exercise. For more detail, use this link:

Secret Training Tip #444 - Full-Range Calf Raises
http://www.fitstep.com/Misc/Newsletter-archives/issue40.htm

ABDOMINALS:

1. Crunches

The standard crunch exercise will work just fine.

http://www.fitstep.com/Library/Exercises/Crunches.htm

2. Abdominal Sit-Ups

All you need for this one is a rolled-up towel. Place the rolled-up towel in the small of your back just above the waistband and do a regular sit-up from there. The towel changes the leverage and forces the abs to do the bulk of the work.

Strong To The Core of Your Being - Dramatically improve sports and weightlifting performance and say goodbye to lower back pain!
http://www.fitstep.com/Misc/Newsletter-archives/issue9.htm

3. Luggage Squats

This is a variation of an exercise I call the Curl Squat. Grip your luggage with two hands (one on either end) and hold it at face level just in front of you, a few inches from your body. Be sure you're NOT holding it against your body but that it's support just by your arms. Now squat down as far as you can and back up. Holding the luggage in that position will activate the abs VERY strongly.

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For pictures of many of these exercises in action (the ones without links above), please use the following link:

http://www.fitstep.com/Misc/Newsletter-archives/issue41-travel.htm

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In conclusion, while it can be a challenge to keep in shape on the road, it's definitely possible! By training as regularly as you can, using exercises that are suited to the environment that you're in and keeping your nutrition as simple and natural as possible, you should be able to continue to make excellent progress in your training no matter what your goals!

For more information on fat loss, muscle-building, and unique exercises for the abdominals and your entire body, check out the following links:

FAT LOSS INFORMATION
http://www.fitstep.com/fat-loss/fat-loss.htm

MUSCLE AND STRENGTH INFORMATION
http://www.fitstep.com/muscle-and-strength-building/muscle-and-strength-building.htm

"The Best Exercises You've Never Heard Of" and "The Best Abdominal Exercises You've Never Heard Of"
http://www.thebestexercises.com

Metabolic Surge - Rapid Fat Loss
http://www.fitstep.com/metabolic-surge/metabolic-surge-rapid-fat-loss.htm

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Secret Training Tip #519 - The Bicep-Blasting "In-Set" Superset Learn one of the most powerful techniques I've ever found for getting an extraordinary muscle-building pump in the biceps. It's done by combining two of the best biceps exercises in existence into a single killer set!

The biceps can be, at the very same time, one of the most rewarding and most frustrating muscle groups in the body...rewarding because who doesn't want to have great biceps! Frustrating because it can be extremely difficult to make them great!

That's about to change! I'm going to share with you a technique that I came up with very recently that hits the biceps so effectively, you'll have trouble reaching up to scratch your nose without shaking.

The technique is called an In-Set Superset. In a previous issue of BetterU News, I wrote an article about Superset training that explained this technique using triceps as an example:

http://www.fitstep.com/Misc/Newsletter-archives/issue39.htm

Supersets are, in a nutshell, when you do two exercises in a row without taking any rest inbetween, e.g. bench press then immediately to flyes. The purpose of this is to increase the stress to the target muscle. The In-Set Superset is slightly different than a regular Superset in that you alternate single reps of two different exercises WITHIN a set.

The example I used for triceps was combining Lying Triceps Extensions with Close Grip Bench Press. Basically, you would do one rep of the extension then immediately do one rep of the press, then extension, then press, etc., until you couldn't do any more extensions with the weight. You would then finish by burning out on the presses until you couldn't do any more reps. This blows the triceps up like crazy!

Now, those exercises are very easy to transition between. You don't have to move anything or do anything to go from one to the other. And, they're different enough to stress the triceps from different angles.

For biceps, it's a bit trickier as there are not many exercises that are practical to switch between AND which are different enough to stress the bicep muscle fibers differently than just two types of curls.

The solution: Barbell Curls and Close Grip Chin-Ups.

What we're going to do is alternate between doing a Barbell Curl (with an Olympic bar) then using that same barbell as a Chin-Up bar to do the chins on. The best place to perform this technique is in the power rack (a dip station can work if you don't have a rack available).

In the rack, set the racking hooks (the small hooks that you set the bar on for the start of an exercise) at about shoulder height. Set a bar on those hooks and load it with a weight you could curl for about 10 to 12 reps. If you're using the dip station, set the bar on top of the dipping bars (everything else about the execution is exactly the same - you're just using the dip bars instead of the racking hooks to support the barbell).

Now stand directly in front of the bar (you should be inside the rack), step underneath it and turn around. You should be standing outside the rack facing in. The direction you face here is critical for the most natural execution of the two exercises.

Grip the bar with about a shoulder-width grip (we don't want a wide grip for the chins - also, the closer grip is better for biceps activation on barbell curls).

Lift the bar off the hooks and do a single barbell curl rep. Without removing your grip from the bar, set it back down in the hooks, lift your feet off the ground and pull them up into a cross-legged position in front of you. This position is necessary to keep your feet and knees from touching the ground during the chin.

Lower yourself down until your arms are straight then pull yourself back up. Keep your torso vertical to maximize the tension on the biceps (this is one of the other benefits of the cross-legged position - holding your legs up in front of you keeps your torso vertical without even trying).

If you are unable to do chin-ups on your own, here's another great benefit of this exercise - you can keep your feet on the floor and use your legs to spot yourself as you come up! Just make sure that you're using as much bicep tension as possible and only using your legs just enough to keep the movement going.

Setting your feet down and helping with your legs is also VERY valuable for stronger trainers as the biceps start to give out. You can really push your biceps hard by helping out with your legs as much as you need to.

At the top of the chin, set your feet back down on the floor, and without releasing your grip on the bar, immediately go into the next rep of the barbell curl.

Repeat this process until you can't do any more barbell curls in good form (it is permissible to use a bit of swinging to get a few "cheat" reps of the barbell curl to really push your biceps to the limit). When you're finished on barbell curls, you can either stop with your final chin-up rep or burn out with as many chin-ups as you can do.

At this point, I can promise that your biceps will be screaming! The emergency response from your body will send a rush of blood to your arms, resulting in one of the strongest pumps you'll ever experience. You will probably also find that your grip is being VERY strongly worked as well.

In addition, if you want to try this exercise from another angle and target brachialis development, do reverse-grip barbell curls alternated with reverse-grip chin-ups. You will need to lighten the weight to perform the reverse curls but the execution is exactly the same.

You can even alternate between sets of regular grip In-Set Supersets with sets of reverse-grip In-Set Supersets (resting in between Supersets, of course). When you're done and you can't touch your nose because your biceps are so pumped up, you'll only have me to blame.

One of the main reasons this technique works so well is that you are going from a strong isolation exercise for the biceps (the Barbell Curl) immediately into a compound exercise for the biceps (when doing the chins, the back works with the biceps to complete the movement). Your back will help push your biceps to a whole new level!

Give this technique a try in your next biceps workout. As a person who has had to overcome poor genetics for biceps, I can tell you from experience, this exercise combination will make a HUGE difference in how your biceps respond to training.

For pictures of this technique in action, please click on the following link:

http://www.fitstep.com/Misc/Newsletter-archives/issue41-biceps.htm

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The #1, Without Question, WORST Thing You Can Do In The Gym That Will Cost You YEARS Of Frustration! By The "Muscle Nerd" Jeff Anderson

Sure there are lots of boo-boos you can make in the gym that will short change your efforts to build the massive body you're after. But one factor stands out above all the rest from my observations of all the iron jungles I've visited in my travels...OVERTRAINING!

NOW WAIT ONE SECOND!

Before you smirk and move on to the next article thinking this one doesn't apply to you, stay with me for just a bit and see if some of my descriptions of overtraining don't seem a little...shall we say "too familiar."

You see, although it's a basic principle of muscle growth, about 80 - 90% of all lifters today forget that muscle is built after the gym, when your body has a chance to recover from the intentional "damage" you caused, and rebuild stronger for the next planned "attack."

And hey, who can blame them?

I mean, with the "pump" you feel in your muscles from your workout, it's obvious that your muscles are growing right before your eyes, right?!

WRONG!

Those extra bulges you see in the mirror after getting off the bench press are only temporary periods of increased blood and water flow to the muscles. Give it 30 minutes or so and they'll be right back at the starting line.

Don't get me wrong...I'm not saying you shouldn't work hard in the gym. An intense workout is key to stimulating your muscles to grow.

But the truth is that it probably doesn't take as much effort as you think to make them grow!

The bottom line is this...when you stress the muscle beyond its ability to recover from your workout, the muscle will NOT get bigger...period.

With that in mind, here are a few of the most common reasons for overtraining and how to overcome them:

REASON # 1: "Didn't I see you do that yesterday?!"

Everything must comply with Mother Nature's ground rules, and that includes your muscles. Following an intense workout, your muscles go through a pretty specific timeline for recovery and growth.

In fact, it takes about 3 whole days for your body to simply break down and excrete the damaged tissue from your workout...then another 3-4 days to rebuild the tissue to where it can effectively grow stronger for the next targeted workout.

Break out your calculators here!

If applied biology (yes, I am a "nerd" after all) states that your muscles require 6-7 days to fully repair and grow from a targeted workout, then why is it that so many guys are hitting the bench press 2-3 times a week?!

Don't get caught in the "more is better" trap! Target each body part only once per week with an intense, focused workout and you'll see renewed growth in your lagging parts.

REASON #2: "Did I just see a vein pop out of your forehead?"

What's the most common phrase heard around the gym today? No, it's not "Dude...check out the aerobics instructor!", it's...

"C'mon man! One more rep!"

Normally, this kind of motivation is a welcome aid for someone who needs a little extra "vocal urging" to get the bar up.

But when it's accompanied by a "helping hand" from a spotter who really ends up doing 100% of the work for you half way through that last repetition (as your head nearly explodes from excess strain)...you've got problems!

"Forced reps" are mistakenly seen as the only way to train by many misinformed bodybuilders today. Again, I have to refer to scientific evidence to make a point...

You see, once you can no longer lift the bar on your own, your muscle fibers have literally quit working and any additional "forced reps" will only risk injury and greatly increase your recovery time!

While it's advisable to have a spotter for safety reasons, reach failure on your own and then rack the bar.

REASON #3: "Haven't I seen you do this same routine since 8th grade?"

You've heard that "variety is the spice of life", well variety is also a main ingredient in building new muscle.

Sure we all have our "favorite" exercises that make our muscles just pop out of our skin. But the fact is, your muscles can get "used" to the same old workout if done too regularly.

Fortunately, it's not too hard to throw them a curve ball. Break up your routine each week by either performing totally different exercises for the same muscle groups, changing positions (e.g.- wide-arm vs. close-grip; incline vs. flat bench; etc.), or changing the order in which you perform your sets.

By changing your routine, you end up placing more stress on different parts of a muscle group each time you work out, you can add more emphasis on a muscle that didn't get a good workload the "last time", and it simply makes your workouts more enjoyable.

Well, there you have it!

Now do your muscles a favor and give them the precious support they need for optimum recovery and I promise you'll be amazed at the results in the mirror!

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Jeff Anderson (better known in the bodybuilding community as the "Muscle Nerd") is the creator of Optimum Anabolics, the ground-breaking new bodybuilding program that has taken the entire industry by storm!

For more information on Jeff's controversial new mass-building principles, go to

http://www.fitstep.com/goto/optimum-anabolics.htm

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