Don't let frequent travel and cramped hotel rooms disrupt your new fitness regime. Using a combination of simple bodyweight calisthenics and isometric holds this short, full-body workout will help you stay fit and strong whenever you are on the road with a minimal investment of time.
Workout Instructions:
- Perform each exercise back to back in a circuit like fashion
- Rest then repeat the circuit a second time through
- Put maximum effort into each exercise
- Record your scores and try to beat them next time round
Wall Sits
The wall sit is great for building a base of strength and endurance in the legs, particularly the quads. All you need is a secure surface to lean against. The smoother the surface, the harder the exercise!
Performance Tips:
- Press your back into a wall
- Place your feet approximately shoulder width apart, toes pointing forwards
- Slide down until your hips and knees are at 90 degree angles
- Shins should be vertical and thighs should be parallel with the floor
- Hold for as long as possible (slide down the wall if you can no longer stand)
- To make the exercise easier hold your thighs slightly above parallel
Incline Push Up
This variation of the push up shifts more weight to your feet so the resistance your arms and chest must overcome is reduced. Perfect for beginners! The more vertical your body, the easier the exercise. If incline push ups are too easy simply perform the same movement from the floor.
Performance Tips:
- Find a sturdy elevated surface, the higher the surface the easier the movement
- Place your hands on this surface underneath your shoulders with fingers pointing forwards
- Squeeze your glutes and brace your midsection
- Descend until your chest is close to the surface, pause, then push back to the start position
- Keep your elbows tucked in close to the body during the movement (45 degrees or tighter)
- Move your body as one single straight line
- Don’t let your hips drop or rise quicker than your shoulders
Iso Floor Rows
This simple isometric exercise helps strengthen and condition the pulling muscles across the back of your body when no equipment is available (like in a hotel room!) Play around with different arm positions to see where you feel the best stimulus.
Performance Tips:
- Lie on the ground with some padding under your elbows
- Forearms should be held vertical
- Your hands can be open or closed
- Gently pull your arms down through the floor
- Every 10 seconds increase the level of force you apply to this pulling motion
- Continue with this incremental force production for 60-120 seconds
- Eventually you should be pulling your arms into the floor as hard as possible
- Don’t forget to breath and keep your neck relaxed as you do this
- Really focus on the contraction and mind-muscle connection
Bridge
This simple move awakens, activates and strengthens your glutes and posterior muscles. A good partner to the more quad-dominant wall sit.
Performance Tips:
- Lie down on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor
- Squeeze your glutes to lift your hips off the floor
- Pause at the top of the movement and hold for time
- Actively try to recruit as many muscle fibres in your glutes as possible
- Imagine pulling your heels back towards your body to engage your hamstrings
- Imagine trying to pull your arms down through the floor
- This exercise can be performed with a hip width, narrow or wide stance