Elite Trainer Andy Vincent is here to help you stay fit on holiday
You’ve been putting in the hours in the gym since the New Year – sure, there have been a few minor hiccups along the way – but now you’re just a week away from the departure gate. What do you do? Do you take it easy and lose some of that hard-won momentum both physically and mentally (that’s fine, you deserve it), or do you get yourself prepared to keep going and mix business in the gym with pleasure on the beach?
It’s a question I get asked a lot, especially when clients are going somewhere that doesn’t have good training facilities. Yes, you can do the odd run but if you want more, then you need to be prepared. Gratifyingly, with a tiny bit of planning, you can stay on track with your training and nutrition, all you need to do is squeeze a few bits of kit into your holdall.
Training Kit:
Trainers: I recommend Nike’s new Metcon 5. It’s a great all-round training shoe with stability for strength training, cushioning for dynamic exercises and traction for speed drills. No matter how you train on holiday, the Metcon 5 can handle it. Men’s / Women’s
Lululemon clothing – It’s important to feel good when you train, and my mum always used to say “buy cheap buy twice”. So it’s worth spending the money to get good quality kit that’s a pleasure to wear. Lululemon’s kit is ideal because it’s lightweight and walks the athleisure line, so you can wear it in the gym and walking to the beach.
Carry-on bag: I love Stolt bags for short trips and day to day use. They are the perfect blend of a technical sports backpack and a sleek work backpack. They even come with a built-in laundry bag for your sweaty gym kit.
Fitness kit:
Floor glide pads – Glide pads are becoming commonplace in the gym and in studios. They are a really versatile tool and can fix one of the problems with bodyweight training, which ends up being a lot of pushing based moves and a distinct lack of pulling moves. The glide pads can open up a whole host of pulling based movements to balance out your training plan and make for a true, total-body workout.
Resistance bands – Personally I wouldn’t step foot in the gym without bands. So, they are non-negotiable when it comes to travelling. Bands provide a great way to load exercises like squats and hip hinges without the need for barbells, or to pre-exhaust muscles before doing bigger compound moves, so that you get the maximum benefit from each rep. Try a banded push-up before you bench.
Suspension trainer – These need a bit more space in your suitcase and an anchor point to work off, but the suspension trainer is a very versatile tool. This adds a whole range of rowing and pulling exercises into your repertoire as well as making pretty much every exercise a brutal core workout at the same time. They also give the options of being able to regress certain exercises, like single leg pistol squats.
Nutrition:
Protein powder pouches – Making sure you get good quality protein can be tricky, even at home. So it’s a real struggle when you are on your travels. Get yourself some single-serve protein pouches that are perfect for adding into shakes without you having to take an entire tub of protein in your suitcase.
Stay hot/keep cold bottle – Whether you are on a beach workout or hiking up a snow-capped mountain, keeping fluids to the temperature you desire is a small thing that actually becomes really important when you get a break during training and hydration is key.
Battery operated blender – There is nothing better than a handful of berries or ice added to your post-workout shake. There’s no reason these small luxuries should be dropped on your travels. Battery powered blenders are a great way to have a smooth post-workout treat after you train, when you’re on holiday.
