Unconventional

It's 2am and I couldn't sleep. I have a million things going through my mind for some reason. I'm usually a GREAT sleeper. I can shut my brain off at night until that alarm goes off at 3/3:30. But since it came knocking a little earlier today, I figured I'd get up and write the post that I said I'd write last night. I've been slacking you guys. I have not been managing my time well when it comes to getting these posts written and I apologize for that. But here it is. Finally!

I wanted to share with you some strategies for working out in unconventional spaces. The two things that it really comes down to are simple. Make good use of your own body weight and be creative with the space you have and the objects surrounding you!

You can do so many things with just your body weight. There are a lot of people out there who will tell you that you can't give yourself a good workout without equipment. That's simply not true. I've given many clients and myself plenty of killer workouts with minimal to absolutely no equipment. You don't have to be pouring sweat and breathing like you just ran a marathon to have given yourself a good workout. It's all about what your goal is. A flexibility workout will be completely different than a straight up strength based lifting or cardio session, but it is JUST as effective and can be just as challenging! It's just challenging in a different way. There are also certain flexibility moves that will keep your heart rate up in the 80 percentile if you place them strategically in the middle of heavy lifting or HIIT session as active rest. This is a good way to utilize your breaks for improving flexibility and overall mobility!

Here are some of my favorite "go to" body weight movements:

1) Hand walkout w/ or w/o push up (Strength/Flexibility)
2) Pike Push Up (Strength/ Flexibility)
3) Spiderman Pushup (Strength/Flexibility)
4) Sumo Alternating "Air Row" (Strength/Core Stabilization)
           * This would normally be done with weights, but it has benefits w/o them too!!!!
5) Jump Squat (Strength/Power)
6) Double or Single Leg Leap (Forward, Lateral, or Diagonal) -- (Strength/Power/Balance)
7) High Knees
8) Yoga Plex (Flexibility)
9) Lunges (Strength/Flexibility)
           * Lunge Variations: forward, reverse, lateral, and diagonal.
           * You can also alternate legs opposed to doing all reps one side, then moving to the other.
10) Single Leg Airplane (Balance/Flexibility)
11) Siderman Complex (Balance/Flexibility)
12) Leg Whip (Strength/Flexibility)
13) Reverse Lung w/ Knee Raise & Torso Twist (Strength/Flexibility/Balance)
            * Twist toward the knee that you bring up
14) Dead Bug - Isometric hold or w/ arm and leg extensions
            * This will bullet proof your lower back and over all core if done correctly!
15) Hollow Body Holds (An advanced progression of the dead bug)
16) Reverse Crunch
17) Hip Switches
18) Supine Oblique "Side Bends"
19) High or Low Plank
20) Body Saw (Core/Shoulder Strength)
21) X Plank (Core Stabilization/Balance)
22) Russian Twist

Note: I tried posting links to demo videos for all of these exercises, but I couldn't get them to work. I'll figure this out soon! Until then, you can find them on youtube. Please leave any questions you may have in the comment section and I'd be happy to answer them for you! :)

Now if you are in a hotel room, there are A LOT of things that you can use for a workout. You just have to think outside of the box! For example, your bed can be used in the same way as a bosu ball is used for balance. Stand on the bed and do some single leg airplanes or makes some dumbbells by throwing some of your belongings in a pillow case and do some single leg curls and or overhead presses! You can make them as heavy or light as you want. Also, almost every hotel room has a chair with wheels! This can be used as an "ab wheel." It's obviously higher off of the ground than a real ab wheel, so for some it will be less challenging, BUT it still does the trick. Just fatigue yourself with a few of the exercises I listed above before hand, then do as many reps as you can get with the new ab chair you just created! It can also be used as the stability ball during stability ball hamstring curls (which is one of the BEST exercises for your hamstrings in my opinion). See you guys, you just have to think OUT SIDE OF THE BOX. You have everything you need just about anywhere you go. I will elaborate on this more either today or tomorrow, but that's all the time I have for now. It's time to get this day rolling, aka, time to go make me some breakfast!!!

Until next time :)