Yes, this is how I’ve been doing strength training for some time now. An example of a typical workout would be:
5 rounds using ~80% 1RM of:
5 reps OHP (typically 125 lbs)
5 reps Front Squat (typically 185 lbs)
5 reps weighted pull ups (typically +22 - 28 kg) (Set timer for 1:30, and do a set each time it goes off. Total time would be 22:50 for this)
I love this type of training and it gets you strong and requires more conditioning. The logistics in my garage make the OHP and Front Squat natural selections because it just takes some plate changes. I have rings hanging from the ceiling so do my pull ups on those. Finish it off with some hard airdyne sprints or KB swings. I’ve been on a Crossfit kick for a while and this is how strength is programmed at my gym.
If the time is too much of a challenge, either drop the weight to keep the pace up, or add another 15-30 seconds between each set. I use a Tabata timer so it’s easy to see the countdown for each upcoming set.
I’m continuing to weigh 224ish in the AM, and I weighed in at the end of the day yesterday out of curiosity. Ended up hitting 228 and some change. I also opted to skip the diet break I had planned. Keeping my foot on the gas is the only way to reach my goal of 230lbs.
I’m two lifting days into Mass Made Simple and can already tell it’s going to be good for me to run this program.
And of course, I can’t wait to not eat so much. I have a feeling this fat is going to fall off without much effort when the time comes.
Current-ish state of things (from a week or so ago), 224lbs
It’s been a rough 2 or so weeks. My new job has me travelling, the family issues have had me not being focused on food and pretty much have put weight back on.
I am not doing great with food at the moment, maybe just because I am overwhelmed with it all. I think the simplest approach is going to be protein first, get my protein goal with food, and the rest will follow.
I am also battling a pretty nasty knee injury, which has been initially diagnosed as a trapped peroneal nerve, meaning I can’t squat, lunge, or almost anything else to do with legs. I also have 2 small lesions on the same meniscus meaning it’s hard to get anything done below the waist.
I look at possibly doing leg extensions and hamstring curls, what else can I do to put the load through my legs to help me get moving in this challenge?
Also any and all food / nutrition thoughts for simplicity would be great. Is it bad form just drinking 60-90g of protein through shakes?
Hey, good sir: I’ve long traveled for work (50-80% for several years) and have had multiple knee and back surgeries. If I can be any specific help, let me know.
If you’re just looking for commiseration, that’s cool too.
Are good mornings an option? How about dragging a sled?
For simple protein: eggs/egg whites with a microwave egg cooker, canned chicken breasts/tuna are silly simple, the latter two requiring no cooking. If you wanted to go further down that route, canned fruit and veggies, frozen fruits and veggies, and (if you use carbs) sweet/white potatoes and oats can all be microwaved. For fats, avocados, nuts and nut butters require no prep.
haha commersation is always good
But no really I do want to get back into a healthy lifestyle.
I got some info in a post below that helps a lot. I also forgot about backwards sled drags and good mornings, both great options.
What kind of things did you do on your travel times to get in your workouts? especially if they are just going to be in the hotel, high intensity cardio/ jumping is a no go, but i guess I should really look into isometrics as an option for leg work?
My goal is 15% body fat or 175-180 lbs.
I am on the road 3 days a week now. I am doing a program already for the challenge which I really enjoy, I guess I Just need to work out some suppliment leg exercises for the stuff I Have in now
I do hack squats and leg press, leg ext and hamstring curls ( the last 2 I can do )
I am able to train 6 days per week, which is what i was before I moved out.
Mostly away mon - wed/thurs, although that might change, but with this job finishing in 3 weeks, I could be home for good for awhile, or away in fresno for a while.
I’ll assume the 175-180 is a drop in weight. In which case, calories are king. You have three choices here, and I’ve done two successfully.
Be smart like @T3hPwnisher and prep all your feed and be on-point
Set yourself a calorie target per meal and use menus to stick hardcore to that
Leverage some intermittent fasting - this is a useful tool for me with work trips
Any of the choices just come down to caloric restriction, obviously.
For your workouts and limitiations:
You say you work out 6 days a week, so I’m going to make some leaps. I’ll assume it’s twice weekly frequency, likely a PPl split. When I do something like that, I only allow one day to tax my joints; the other will be silly stuff.
Since you’re on the road 3 days a week, let’s do all your “hard” workouts at home and the “easy” ones on the road. That way you use the equipment you want for the stuff that matters, and who cares what the substitutions have to be when you’re in a hotel gym.
Since you’re trying to lose weight, cardio is a smart plan (it’s a smart plan anyway) - use the road time for that. Watch some Netflix and be a hotel treadmill hero. Set an incline and you’ll get some decent calf and maybe even glute work in. I don’t do the sociopathic thing and push it with the motor off so nobody else can use it, but maybe your criminal tendencies run a bit stronger than mine and that’s an option.
Now for the real secret: get some bands. These are going to pay you twice:
Obviously, you can basically recreate any movement you want on the road with bands. If your hotel has dumbbells, you can add bands and make the move appropriately “heavy” regardless how high the actual weights go.
You also get to reverse band your leg exercises when you’re home. These are what’s causing you trouble, so let’s mitigate that in the scary spots and get you some practice reps. It’s also a great way to progress as you get some good reps in and maybe build up some muscle around the offensive joints. You start with heavy bands doubled, then just heavy, then two lighter ones doubled, then one, etc.
This phrase appears so infrequently that I felt the need to highlight it.
@bkennedy74 On top of the awesome advice you just got, I’d say check out the website “wodwell” for some great spitfire ideas of workouts to do with limited equipment. I picked up a $10 TRX yesterday that I’m pretty amped about having: rigging something like that up in a hotel room could allow for a lot of nifty stuff.
Yes I think that’s a great idea, to do the rehab/ band work on the road.
I doing a 3 day split program. supposedly, mon wed frid, then tues thurs sat is my rehab cardio days.
I’ll work on food, that is my pitfall for sure right now.
On that whole chicken conversation from earlier. Found this at Costco this weekend. Basically eating this every day now, with a bit of sriracha or teriyaki. 450 cals plus sauce.
It almost tastes kinda cardboardey/starchy (don’t know how to describe but a little different from rice out of a rice cooker) but I can’t buy it because I’ll eat them all before I cook rice (so different but good and convenient). Personally, I think Uncle Bens is better.
No. The logistics of the workout are enough of an intensifier without adding more.
This can work but don’t be too ambitious out of the gate. If you’re doing a legitimate 5x5 of a barbell compound push, pull, lower circuit at 80+% 1RM you won’t have anything left for more strength work. Maybe some curls or lat raises. You’ll get better results learning how to go harder and heavier and not by tacking on more volume to a training day.
It’s not bad. I don’t mind them one bit. I prefer the 3 minute frozen ones I get from Trader Joe’s. Problem with them is they are a much larger serving.
