It is not easy. Particularly when you’re keeping well, at least energy-wise. Had a shitty session last evening, I just wasn’t feeling it. Thankfully, the facility’s head coach was a good sport and offered to train with me. We need a bunch of deadlifts, much more than what I had in mind.
Besides illness or lower energy levels, scheduling your days around a training session (even if it’s at a different time slot than your preferred one) is a wise thing to do. It keeps the momentum going and ensures that you don’t miss out on the practice. My biggest challenge while traveling is the schedule — I don’t train very well late in the evenings, but that’s the only time that practically works out for me.
So, I don’t schedule my usual workouts and instead go for less number of lifts at a higher intensity. It keeps the practice element in tact while making sure that I do move enough weights to count as an accomplishment.
I think it’s a mistake to expect perfect training sessions during travel. It almost never happens, which adds unnecessary stress. I’m getting wiser when it comes to selecting the right exercise and intensity on the days when I travel or am just not feeling it. Knowing your body’s rate of adaption comes with experience but it all starts with being true to yourself — do I feel a 100% to smash this training session? If the answer is no, you probably need to get realistic about your session.
Yes, you have to fight against yourself sometimes but you’re better off fighting when you’re at your best. And despite my best intentions, there certainly are days when I’m not at 100% when I’m travelling.
The key is to be deliberate about your exercise choices. There’s not point in attempting a PR when you’re not sure. And that requires one to check their ego at the door. I would rather be safe than sorry.
Here’s a sample workout I intend to carry out this week:
Session A
Squats (80% of 1RM)
Deadlifts (80-90% of 1RM)
Kettlebell swings (24kg, 10 sets of 10 swings, scale it down to 3 sets of 10 if you’re gassed out)
Session B
Bench Press (80-90% of 1RM)
Overhead Press (80% of 1RM)
Kettlebell swings (24kg, 10 sets of 10 swings, scale it down to 3 sets of 10 if you’re gassed out)
That’s it! I’ll keep rotating the two over the next four days. It’s simple and practical compared to my usual workouts.