Hi and welcome to another week,
Hello from what is the very windy city of Wellington – I have been in NZ for ten days now (after spending a couple in Melbourne on the way through) and my bags are packed ready for what will be a long journey home. Really looking forward to getting home to see my family (and of course my gym).
I wouldn’t say it has been a ‘gruelling’ trip – there is only so much ‘gruel’ in 5-start Hotels – but it has been very busy. Certainly I have learned more about NZ – and particularly Rotorua – than I had ever hoped to know…but at the end of it all we played the game against the Kiwi’s and (just – only just) got away with the win. So all good. What I thought I would share today though is the training/eating whilst travelling experience and how I tried to negotiate my way through it.
First off – when every meal (breakfast and dinner anyway) is a buffet, controlling portion sizes is always going to be a problem. So – rather than beat myself up about it and deal with the frustration of knowing I have eaten two much, I took a really simple approach. No bread, no pasta, no potato, no rice…and NO SECONDS. Now on a trip such as this when there is a ‘sports nutrition’ element to the diet, this approach can be a disaster as pasta is on the menu most nights. This trip though it has been pretty easy – there have been meat and veggie options for each meal and it has almost been as if I was eating a ‘Whole Life Challenge’ type diet. Lunch has been a bit trickier – there have often been packed lunches featuring chicken and salad rolls etc – but given I knew this was the case it wasn’t too difficult to grab a banana or apple from the breakfast buffet to munch on at lunch-time.
Did I ‘break the rules’? Only once in fact – when we had dinner at the Australian High Commission in Wellington that very ‘Aussie’ dish – Lasagne – was the only thing on the menu…on a day that had featured a gym session, footy training and a walk for me…so I enjoyed my lasagne – safe in the knowledge that I had done the work and occasionally breaking the rules didn’t make me a bad person!
What about training? How did I manage in hotel gyms etc? Well, to me this was really not much of a problem and having travelled a bit in the past I am used to making do with the equipment on hand. I always think the primary key is to remember that something is better than nothing – and a simple repeating circuit style training session might be a touch boring but it can be very beneficial. Before you wander up to start working out though, it is always best to have a ‘plan’. So – head to the gym with a pen and paper. Write down the equipment that is there (assuming you know how to use it!) and head back to your room. When you get back there, make a list of the exercises you will do given the equipment available – if there are dumbells, you might do some lat raises. If there is a rower, you might do some rowing. If there is a floor, you might do some burpees, pushups and squats. There are a heap of programs available in the Round One Holiday program pack which we are always happy to share with our members and give a lot of great ideas.
When we were in Tarangi (we went there to climb the volcano) there was no gym of any kind available. This was the easiest session ever to construct. Body weight only, I repeated 5 chinups, 6 burpees, 7 pushups, 8 plyo lunges, 9 squats and 10 Situps for 10 minutes – then ran for 10 minutes (well, it was actually about 8:30 but that was how long it took to get to the ‘river post’ and back!). When I got back, I did it again. Then I did it again. Awesome workout. The next day I didn’t try to invent anything – I just did the same thing again. A bit boring? Maybe. But I figured at the time I would rather be bored training than bored sitting around thinking about training followed by being bored later wishing that I had done my training!
The other thing to do when on holidays is ‘explore’. If you have a spare hour, don’t lounge in the hotel – walk the city/town. Get out and about. The benefits of just ‘getting moving’ are real and of real benefit to your health. Not sure what to look at? Don’t worry about it – just head east and explore (or west, or north, or south – it really doesn’t matter). With this in mind, I tried to put some time into planning my days – gym before breakfast, take part in every team activity available (whether required or not, just get involved!) – but when free time is scheduled, make a point of ‘walking’. It has been a great way to get to discover the towns where we have been staying (a LOT better) as well as get to know my fellow tourists…it seems someone is always up for a walk (though rarely the same person every day).
Oh yeah – the final secret. Stay away from the beer. And wine. And whatever. You will enjoy your days away a lot better when they are not seen through the fog of a hangover…sure – enjoy a couple of nights out – everyone wants to do that. But if you are just out for dinner, stick with the soda water. Your body will appreciate it the next day – and you will have a much better chance of getting up and into the gym.
That’s it – trip over. I am about an hour or so away from heading to the airport…can’t wait to be back.
See you at Round 1,
Michael.
Our amazing January special is still running – Unlimited Membership (full access to classes + gym, cancel anytime) – is available without a joining fee. So – for $70 per month (or less than $16 per week), you have full access to everything R1 has to offer. And if your circumstances change there are no penalties involved in ‘moving on’! This special ENDS THIS WEEK. It is valid for JANUARY ONLY!!! No extensions.
Month one of the life plan still has a little way to go. We weigh in on the first Friday of each month which doesn’t roll around until February 7th. Until then, the current rules stay in effect:
– Two (2) group training sessions per week.
– One (1) 30-minute walk/stretch per week.
– No bread, Monday to Friday.
– Four (4) alcohol free days each week – and only two (2) drinks allowed on the other three (3) days.
– Two (and ONLY 2) days during the month when you can eat/drink outside of the ‘rules’.
I will be sending out the updated rules (Month 2) on Wednesday February 5th…which will give everyone heaps of time to ask their questions and do their shopping before the start of the ‘month’ swings around. (In other words, don’t ask now, all will be revealed in due course!)
Some new bumper plates have arrived – so all you ‘Starting Strength’ people, all you ‘TANKS’ people and everyone else who has been working on their squats and deadlifts, there are now a few more plates to go around. Hopefully this makes things just a little bit easier for everyone!
As always though, what makes things even easier than ‘more’ plates are plates that have been put away properly. Put the 5’s together, put the 10’s together, put the 15’s together etc – and that means together ON the rack. Laying them around the floor is also less than helpful for the next person.
The February ‘Get it Done’ challenge is just around the corner. During the month, you will need to do ‘25’ classes (Boxing, Beginners, Body Work, Tanks, SS) to earn your t-shirt. You can count two x ‘double classes’ (two in one day) throughout the month if you are ‘running short’ of days to finish…but NO MORE than two. Start planning, start getting organised…time to Get It Done.
The registration sheets for the February ‘Get it Done’ Challenge will be available at reception from this TUESDAY.
Despite being away I have still been able to put up some links pretty regularly on our FACEBOOK site – if you missed them, here they are:
My goals don’t care: http://www.chrisbrogan.com/my-goals-dont-care/
Squats or Legpress – http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/most_recent/leg_press_vs_squat_the_final_chapter
Everything is a nail: http://www.strongfirst.com/everything-is-a-nail/
16 Things you should never stop doing: http://www.marksdailyapple.com/16-things-you-should-have-never-stopped-doing/
Chris Kresser: http://jasonferruggia.com/chris-kresser-interview-part-3/
Does Technique have to be ‘Perfect’: http://www.brendanchaplin.co.uk/your-technique-needs-to-be-perfect/
Front Squat with straps: http://www.t-nation.com/training/how-to-front-squat-with-straps
What our dietary guidelines should be: http://breakingmuscle.com/nutrition/what-our-dietary-guidelines-should-be
Nut slice: http://livepaleo.wordpress.com/2012/08/14/nut-slice/
A week on the Lakers’ Diet: http://grantland.com/the-triangle/butter-bacon-and-bone-broth-a-week-on-the-lakers-diet/
The pros and cons of intermittent fasting: http://www.t-nation.com/diet-fat-loss/fasting-sound-science-behavioral-bs
Healthier Workplace WA – Stretches at your desk: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLnciynPp7cynl7v7csKErY7SPhyUushOF
Enjoy!
‘Why do you train so hard?’ and other questions I get asked:
See you in the gym!
Michael.
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