Creativity, grit help maintain strength training on road

When the weight of your body provides all the resistance you can handle, it’s not hard to take your strength training program on the road. But for someone with more experience, lack of access to machines and weights makes generating adequate resistance difficult at best.

Many of us will find ourselves in this situation over the next two to four weeks, so why not plan for it?

This week, I’ll present a few tips for mobilizing your resistance training, and I’ll introduce an exercise that lets you work hard even though Gramps and Grandma still don’t have a gym in the basement.

Cardiovascular exercise is fairly easy to maintain wherever you’re traveling and regardless of equipment availability. Walking, jogging and running are almost always an option.

Strength training is a different animal. Traditional resistance programs require equipment, and workouts suffer when standard equipment is not available.

Body weight training can provide enough resistance to sustain a level of maintenance during short trips. Pushups, pull-ups, squats and lunges are the top four exercises that come to mind for basic body weight training. In most cases, people can find a few extra minutes to perform these simple movements.

High-level fitness enthusiasts may be advanced to the point that basic body weight exercises performed at normal speeds do not provide the stimulus necessary for desired fatigue levels. In this case, my recommendation is to slowdown the pace of the repetitions, doubling or tripling the time under contraction.

For example, start counting down from five as you slowly lower from a standing position into a squat. As you reach zero, you should be at the lowest point of the range of motion. Now, count back up to five as you return to the starting position.

Moving more slowly will increase the time your muscles have to contract and thus generate a more difficult and challenging stimulus for the target area.

Another “easy” way to generate mobile resistance is to pack a few stretch bands. These seemingly innocuous rubber tubes can make all the difference when used properly.

Use bands of different resistance levels, and you’ll want to experiment with anchoring spots. One of my favorites is a door hinge because a) it’s immovable, and b) there are usually three heights.

Once you’ve got the center of the band anchored, adjust your body position at different distances from the anchor point to find the right resistance. The farther you stand from the anchor point, the tighter the band will become during use. Biceps curls, tricep extensions, chest flys and seated rows are just a few of my favorite stretch band exercises.

This week’s exercise, the Stretch Band Pushup, adds varying levels of resistance to the standard pushup to simulate a bench press exercise on the go.

1. Select a high resistance stretch band with handles on each end.
2. Position the band around your back and underneath your arms, holding one handle in each hand.
3. Get into a normal pushup position, either on your knees or on your toes depending on your upper body strength.
4. Place your palms against the floor beyond shoulder width apart while holding the stretch band handles.
5. Perform a pushup.
6. As you press up, the band should tighten around your back, resisting your motion.
7. If the resistance is too low, wrap some of the slack in the band around your hands.
8. Perform two sets of 12.

Mobile training, although limited, can be accomplished with a little ingenuity and a lot of willpower. With any luck, you’ll be able to maintain strength and feel more productive on your next short vacation.

Matt Parrott has a doctorate in education (sport studies) and a master’s in kinesiology and is certified by the American College of Sports Medicine.

[email protected]