I’m going to be traveling a lot over the next few months and I was wondering if anyone knew of a good bodyweight/calisthenics routines that worked well.
I’m going to be using:
chins
push-ups
handstand push-ups
vertical jumps,
but a set/rep schedule would be cool.
I went to the Cirque de Soleil the other day and the artists there had some pretty phenomenal physiques, smaller than me, but I can’t quite do what they can do either.
I’d really like to develop the strength to do flares on the ground.
B
Check out Ian King’s leg training series at T-mag and his “Killer Legs” video. He has some bodyweight-only stuff in there that’s sheer torture and very effective. Running stairs at the hotel is “fun” too. Throw in some abs, as well. That’s easy to do when traveling.
You might want to consider getting some Jump Stretch Bands…I got some for WSB stuff, but the other day I was messing around and doing pushups with one wraped around my back and doing squats with one wrapped around my feet and the back of my neck, you can also do tricep extensions and curls, and a horde of other stuff. While it isn’t the ideal workout it’s better than nothing when you’re in a hotel room. At least if you have some bands you have an option other than doing high reps push ups to failure.
I wonder if youve heard of the sissel pad,its a compact version of a swiss ball(although not as versatile).It makes single leg movements more challenging as it adds instability, you could add the use of it to Ian’s exercises (as if their not already difficult)Probably a good time to catch up on your flexibility training too.
As for set/rep schemes, I would try something like Mon, Wed, Fri, where you do the exercises on each day and maybe some cardio stuff on the other days. Or you could divide it up and have a leg day and upper body day.
Maybe do something like this:
Day1) Pushups (2-3 sets of each different hand position - incline, wide, close, regular). Try doing 10-20 reps each set at a slow tempo.
Superset pushups with Chin/Pullups using various grips. Same amount of sets as pushups (for balance/stability purposes). But work in a rep range that works for you (10-12, 6-8, etc).
Handstand pushups: 3-4 sets, AMRAP (as many reps as possible).
Day 2) Follow the bodyweight exercises from Ian's Limping series. You can have one or two leg days depending on what works for you. Follow his instructions and set/rep ranges. This workout will kick your ass!
Day 3) REST or cardio stuff (sprint, in-line skate, run steps, bike)
Day 4) Repeat Day 1.
Or you could do the first leg workout on day 1, upper body on day 2, rest on day 3, do second leg day on day 4 and repeat upper body workout on day 5. It just depends on how much time you have available. This type of split would be like the Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri routine.
But there are many other combos! Just be sure to do something. I’ve used workouts like this when I’m on vacation or even on days when I know I don’t have it in me to hit the weights but want to do something. It’s also a nice change of pace.
Another thing, I’d be careful about hand stand pushups…after reading some things Dr. Siff had to say about hanging upside down I’d be very cautious. All the blood rushing to your head, and then exerting yourself on top of that. Check out the Weights Net archive for more info.