Hotel Room Workout

Like most of the individuals that I speak with, you probably believe that traveling or being on the road means you need to take a break from your fitness routine or workout.

You don't have to lose any of your hard earned muscle or conditioning.

Do you consider yourself to be a road warrior? The Bureau of Transportation estimates that over 400 million Americans take long distance business trips each year.

The life of a road warrior is not an easy one but your workouts do not need to fall to the wayside and your diet does not need to go down the tubes. Don't be a statistic; be the exception!
 
Having a great hotel room workout in your regiment means you never have to leave your workout routine or fitness regiment at home. It also means not having to regain momentum or consistency with your workout once you get back home (which we all know can be very difficult).
 
I know that after hundreds of miles behind the wheel or after being crammed in middle seat of a plane for many hours, the last thing on your mind is working out. You are probably thinking, "Get me to my bed!" (especially if you are checking in at night)

Click here to discover how to have an awesome hotel room workout with just your bodyweight and with no equipment

 
The Right Information & The Right Mindset

Knowing what to do and how to do it allows you to modify and continue just about any routine you have in place. You will be able to do it without the hassles of poorly stocked hotel gyms, special clothing or special equipment. A great hotel room workout allows you to have privacy and stay on track with all your fitness goals.
 
Before hitting the road or getting on a flight, one of your first priorities should be to make a commitment that you will not put your health or fitness on hold while you are traveling. Be truthful and realistic and try to make a pre-determined workout schedule and know how many times and for how long you will be working out while staying at your hotel. There are no excuses for not staying fit while you are traveling.
 
The Workout

Since I know that there is no one universal workout that is good for everyone, I will provide you with an entry level workout that is explained in detail plus two videos that outline more advanced workouts. The videos were made by fitness superstar, Craig Ballantyne.
 
Entry Level Workout
 
This easy and intense workout can be completed by just about anyone in under 25 minutes. It consists of 3 basic exercises; the pushup, the squat and the bicycle crunch. These 3 exercises are great because they are simple and they hit all the major muscle groups; abs, chest, biceps, triceps, quads, hamstrings, lower back and glutes.
 
You should perform all three exercises in a row and then take a 2 minute rest in between each set. Try and complete at least 3 sets and work your way up to 6 sets. If you can't complete 3, do what you can and if you are consistent, you will quickly build up to 3 sets. Perform up to 20 repetitions for each exercise and remember, quality is a lot more important than quantity. Focus on form and make each repetition count.

Click here if you are ready to make those muscles lean while you are on the road with this incredible hotel room workout
 
Your sequence should be squats, pushups and then bicycle crunches. Below is a brief description on how to perform each exercise:
 
Squats-
 
1) Stand with your feet shoulder width apart and make sure your weight is on your heels. You should be able to wiggle your toes.
 
2) When you begin to squat down, make sure that you keep your weight back so that your knees don't ever extend past your toes. Keep your back straight, eyes ahead and extend your arms in front of you to help with balance.
 
3) Squat down as low as you and your knees are comfortable going and pause for a moment. Breathe in while you are squatting down.
 
4) Come back up by straightening you legs and breath out while you do this motion.
 
If these become very easy for you, find something in the room that weighs a few pounds and that you can comfortable and securely grasp and hold it above you head as you squat.
 
Pushups-
 
This is one of my favorite exercises because there are so many variations that target so many different muscles. Here are the steps for performing a basic pushup.
1) Lie chest-down with your hands at shoulder level, palms flat on the floor and slightly more than shoulder-width apart, your feet together and parallel to each other.
 
2) Look forward rather than down at the floor. The first contact you make with the floor with any part of the face should be your chin, not your nose. Keep your legs straight and your toes tucked under your feet.
 
3) Straighten your arms as you push your body up off the floor. Keep your palms fixed at the same position and keep your body straight. Try not to bend or arch your upper or lower back as you push up. Exhale as your arms straighten out. Pause for a moment.
 
4) Lower your body slowly towards the floor. Bend your arms and keep your palms in fixed position. Keep body straight and feet together. Lower body until chest touches the floor. Try not to bend your back. Keep your knees off the floor, and inhale as you bend your arms.
 
5) Pause for a moment. Begin straightening your arms for a second push-up. Exhale as you raise your body.
 
Widen you arms to shift the focus over to your biceps. Bring your hands together so that your that your thumb tips are touching to shift the focus to your triceps. Instead of having your feet on the floor, you can raise them up and place them on the bed or a chair to target different areas of your chest. If you are having a difficult time with pushups, do not hesitate to start with your knees on the ground and work up to the point where you no longer need help from your knees.
 
Bicycle Crunches-
 
1) Lie flat on your back with your hands placed behind your head and your fingertips just barely touching each other.
 
2) Bring your shoulder blades off the mat into a basic crunch. You should try and keep your shoulder blades off the mat during the whole time you are completing this exercise. If you are not able to, do your best and work up to the point where you can stay in a crunch position during the entire exercise.
 
3) Keep your neck in line with your spine and resist the natural urge to bend and strain the neck. It may help to imagine that you are holding a tomato (or any small round fruit) underneath your chin as you complete this exercise.
 
4) Lift your legs off the mat and place one leg in a 90-degree angle and the other leg in a 45-degree angle.
 
5) Move your legs in a bicycle motion, like you are pedaling, bringing your left one up to a 90-degree angle as the right one moves back into a 45-degree angle.
 
6) Meet your right knee with your left elbow as it comes closer to your upper body. As your left knee comes close to you, meet it with your right elbow.
 
7) Repeat the bicycling motion, meeting your knees with your elbows until you have completed 20 repetitions (10 to each side).

Advanced Workout

Video 1:

Video 2: