Try These Hotel Workouts to Stay Fit During Holiday Travel

Pack these travel-ready workouts for your next trip.

Traveling requires some deviation from your daily routine, but regular strength training is one habit you don’t want to leave behind.

Resistance training helps maintain and improve your body’s health, appearance, and strength. There’s even strong evidence linking resistance training to a reduced risk of death from all causes. (1) Beyond these obvious benefits, resistance training has emerged as a potential intervention to support mental health. (2)(3)

Man doing one leg squat at home gym — Credit: Prostock-studio / Shutterstock

For your body, longevity, and mind, you need to do strength training while traveling. Weight training while on the go can be difficult, so here are three travel-ready workouts to get you ready for your next road trip.

world class travel workout

Bodyweight Only Traveler Workout

Staying in a hotel or short-term rental without a fitness facility? Fortunately, bodyweight training is a viable option for working nearly every major muscle group.

No weights, all gains

This quick and efficient bodyweight workout can be done in the comfort of your hotel room or short-term rental bedroom. We combine classic exercises like push-ups with challenging moves that use your own body weight to work parts of your body you never knew were possible. Because strength levels and weights vary, a wide range of repetitions is recommended for this workout. Aiming at targets repeatedly creates difficult sets.

push up

manner: Lie on the floor, place your palms under or just outside your shoulders, and dig your toes into the floor. While maintaining a raised plank (torso and legs in a straight line), press into your palms until your elbows are straight. lower with control.
Number of sets and reps: 5-20×3
Break time: Rest 60 seconds between sets.

pike push up

manner: Start in a high plank or pushup position with straight arms and legs supported on your palms and toes. Shift your hips back to keep your back straight and bring your head down to the “pike” position. Perform a push-up by lowering your forehead toward the floor and then pushing back into a V-shaped pike position.
Number of sets and reps: 5～15×3
Break time: Rest 60 seconds between sets.

rear leg raise split squat

manner: Prepare for the Rear Foot Elevated Split Squat, also known as the Bulgarian Split Squat. Sit on the edge of your bed with your heel on the floor and your working leg extended in front of you. Maintain this foot position when standing and place your non-moving leg on the bed behind you. Lower your body toward the floor in a controlled manner and return to a standing position. Place most of your weight on your front foot rather than your rear supporting foot.
Number of sets and reps: 3 x 10-20 per leg.
Break time: There is no rest between the legs. Rest 60 seconds between sets.

elevated single leg bridge

manner: Lie on your back perpendicular to the bed with your knees bent at about 90 degrees. Place your working heel on the bed, with the other leg unsupported. Press your heels into the bed, extend your hips and lift your hips. lower with control.
Number of sets and reps: 3 x5-15 per leg.
Break time: There is no rest between the legs. Rest 60 seconds between sets.

side plank

manner: Lie on your side with your support arm on the floor directly below your shoulders. Extend the support arm straight and extend the upper arm toward the ceiling. For balance, spread your base by placing the heel of your top leg well in front of the toes of your bottom leg. Imagine a straight line through your nose, chin, sternum, and zipper. Try not to let your hips drop toward the ground. Hold this position for a period of time before switching sides.
Set and hold period: 3 times for 20-30 seconds per side.
Break time: There are no breaks between sides. Rest 60 seconds between sets.

Travel workout with resistance bands

Along with your toothbrush, deodorant, and clothing, resistance bands should be on your list of “travel essentials.” With just one simple resistance band, you can add resistance to your workouts and movement patterns that wouldn’t be possible without going to the gym. Best of all, resistance bands are light, easy to pack, and inexpensive.

Have a band, travel (and train)

This workout can be completed with a single loop resistance band of moderate thickness (41 inches / approximately 1 meter). Depending on strength, choose a band that is 0.5 to 1.5 inches (1.27 to 3.81 centimeters) thick.

pulling the band apart

manner: Stand with the loop of a resistance band wrapped around your torso. Extend your arms and hold a short band in front of your shoulders, palms down. Spread your arms wide and squeeze your shoulder blades together to stretch the band. Return to starting position.
sets and reps:3×10~20
Break time: Take 90-120 seconds of rest between sets.

band push ups

manner: Wrap the band around the center of your back, under your shoulder blades. Begin the exercise in the top push-up position with the end of the band pinned under your palm. Keep your elbows straight and support them on your palms and toes. Lower your body toward the floor and return to the top position.
sets and reps:3×5~12
Break time: Take 90-120 seconds of rest between sets.

band split squat

manner: Wrap the band around the base of your neck or around your upper back and secure the other end under one leg. For your safety, hold the band with both hands while exercising. Take a large step back with the leg that is not on the band. Bend your hips, knees, and ankles to lower your body toward the floor, keeping most of your weight on your front foot. Return to top position. Perform all repetitions in this foot position before carefully switching legs.
sets and reps: 3 x 10-20 per leg.
Break time: There is no rest between the legs. Take 90-120 seconds of rest between sets.

band row

manner: Place one foot firmly in the center of the band. Hold the end of the band with a neutral grip (palms facing each other) and pull your upper arms and shoulder blades back to perform a modified bent-over row. Return to starting position.
sets and reps:3×10~20
Break time: Take 90-120 seconds of rest between sets.

Band half kneeling single arm overhead press

manner: Hold the band with one hand just above shoulder height and secure the other end of the band under the knee on the same side. Place your opposite foot flat on the floor in front of your body. Perform a press by extending the band toward the ceiling until your elbows are straight, but not fully locked. Return to starting position.
sets and reps: 3 x 10-20 per arm.
Break time: There is no rest between the arms. Take 90-120 seconds of rest between sets.

Band “Good Morning”

manner: Wrap the band around the base of your neck or around your upper back and secure the other end under your legs. For your safety, hold the band with both hands while exercising. Keeping your back straight and your legs slightly bent, bend forward at the waist to perform a “good morning” motion. Return to a standing position.
sets and reps:3×10~20.
Break time: Take 90-120 seconds of rest between sets.

band hammer curl

manner: Stand with both feet firmly placed on a short band. Place your arms at your sides and grab the other end of the band with your palms facing in. Perform a hammer curl by bending your elbows while stretching the band. Return to starting position.
sets and reps:3×10~20
Break time: Take 90-120 seconds of rest between sets.

Training at the hotel gym

A typical hotel gym or “fitness center” is minimalist, to say the least. If you’re lucky, you might find a few treadmills or stationary bikes, a set of dumbbells up to 40 or 50 pounds, an adjustable bench, and maybe some random types of strength training equipment. But even a simple hotel setup is nothing to be scoffed at. We can provide you with the tools for a high-quality full-body resistance training workout.

Get your money’s worth

This workout focuses on building muscle, also known as hypertrophy. 8 to 12 repetitions is traditionally recommended for muscle growth. (4) If you are a strong lifter, a hotel gym may not provide enough weight to accomplish difficult sets in this repetition range. To remedy this predicament, our hotel workouts use advanced exercise variations, mechanical drop sets, and strengthening techniques to ensure you achieve exciting levels of effort.

Dumbbell front squat with heels raised

manner: Place your heels on the frame of an incline bench and raise your heels 1 to 3 inches. Alternatively, you can place weight plates or squat wedges under your heels. Hold the dumbbells over your shoulders. Keep your torso upright as you squat deeply and drive your knees forward to bias your quadriceps. (5) Return to standing position.
Number of sets and reps: 4×8-12
Break time: Take 90-120 seconds of rest between sets.

Dumbbell row with alternating isometric bench support

manner: Set an adjustable bench at a 45-degree angle and lie face down holding two dumbbells. Pull your arms and shoulder blades back and row both dumbbells to their highest position. Keep the left dumbbell in the upper position, lower the right dumbbell and row again. Next, lower and raise the left dumbbell while keeping the right dumbbell in the upper position. Alternate sides with each repetition.
Number of sets and reps: 4 x 8 to 12 per arm.
Break time: Take 90-120 seconds of rest between sets.

Single leg dumbbell romanian deadlift

manner: Holding two dumbbells at your sides, carefully lift one leg behind you. Keeping your standing leg slightly bent, lean forward at the hip until you feel a deep stretch in the hamstring of your working leg. Return to standing position. Perform all reps on one leg before switching sides.
Number of sets and reps: 4 x 8 to 12 pieces per leg.
Break time: There is no rest between the legs. Take 90-120 seconds of rest between sets.

Seated, Incline, and Flat Dumbbell Press Drop Sets

manner: This is a mechanical drop set. Use the same set of dumbbells and progress from the most difficult exercise to the most difficult, with little to no rest between each movement. Increased leverage (and mechanical advantage) allows muscles to persist after initial fatigue. Set the adjustable bench to a fully upright position. Perform a series of overhead presses while seated by pushing the dumbbells from chin height to lockout overhead. Once your muscles are fatigued, adjust your bench to a 45-degree angle and perform a set of incline dumbbell presses, pushing the dumbbells up above your chest and overhead. Finally, once you reach muscle fatigue again, adjust the bench to flat. Perform a classic flat dumbbell bench press by pushing the dumbbells from your chest toward the ceiling.
Number of sets and reps: 4 reps of 8-12 for each movement (reps may be lower for the latter two exercises due to cumulative fatigue).
Break time: Make sure your breaks are only long enough to adjust the bench for each movement. Take 90-120 seconds of rest between sets.

Incline dumbbell triceps extension

manner: Perform two arm exercises back-to-back without resting as a superset. Set your bench at a 45-degree angle and perform incline dumbbell triceps extensions. Place dumbbells next to your head with your elbows pointing toward the ceiling. Straighten your elbows to lift the dumbbells and control them back to the starting position.
Number of sets and reps: 4×8-12
Break time: There is no break before moving on to the next exercise. Take 90-120 seconds of rest between sets.

incline dumbbell curl

manner: Sit on a bench and begin an incline dumbbell curl with your arms hanging by your sides and palms facing forward. Curl the dumbbells without swinging your upper arms, then controllably return them to the starting position.
Number of sets and reps: 4×8-12
Break time: Rest for 90 to 120 seconds, then return to the previous exercise.

resistance training on the street

Traveling takes a toll on your body. Changing time zones and forced sedentary behavior in cars, planes, and trains can disrupt our normal rhythms and routines. Fortunately, intensive strength training has restorative effects. You can maintain consistency in your training and continue to reap the benefits of resistance training. Whether you check into your hotel gym, use a resistance band, or simply participate in some bodyweight training, be sure to pack some resistance training on your next trip.

References

Shailendra, P., et al. (2022). Resistance training and mortality risk: a systematic review and meta-analysis. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 63(2), 277-285.
Carneiro, L., et al. (2020). Effects of supervised programs based solely on resistance training in depressed patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(18), 6715.
O’Connor, P. J., Herring, M. P., & Caravalho, A. (2010). Mental health benefits of strength training in adults. American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, 4(5), 377-396.
Schoenfeld, B. et al. (2021). Resistance Training Recommendations to Maximize Hypertrophy in Athletes: IUSCA Position Stand. International Journal of Strength and Conditioning, 1(1), 1-30
AC Fry, JC Smith, and BK Schilling (2003). Effect of knee position on hip and knee torques during the barbell squat. Strength & Conditioning Research Journal, 17(4), 629-633.