Keep on track whilst on holiday!!!!

I'm writing this as I sit in Heathrow ready to fly off on my summer holiday to visit a friend in Muscat, Oman. With everyone going on their summer holidays, me being one of them I thought I'd write a quick blog on essential goods to take to still keep on track with your fitness goals. I'm having a kind of rest week, but below are a few items I'll use to get a quick workout done. 

Now for all of you who are lucky enough to have a gym where you're staying then things can run as usual however, remember your on holiday!!!! It doesn't matter if you miss a few sessions here and there. My best advice would be keep it all short and sweet. Group muscle groups together such as shoulders/arms and Chest/Back. Supersets, tri-sets and mini circuits can all be included to get a great workout in. Timings wise you'll often be training in the morning, fasted so get some BCAA's down you and get training. Plus you can leave the other half to get ready and pig out at the all you can eat breakfast not feeling guilty. 

If you're unlucky like me and don't have a gym then you can still get a great workout done anywhere. Your body weight is one of the most under used way to train your body. For this I have packed a deck of cards!!! Now you may ask, 'why a pack of cards?' very random. Well it's a little trick I learnt off of Steve Cook, giving each suit of cards an exercise, for example hearts is press ups. You'll then have four exercises in all. The number on the card will indicate the number of reps performed, all face cards are 10 with an Ace being 11. If you land on a joker it's 12 burpees. Turn the pack of cards face down, turning one over at a time, performing the given exercise and reps. You can get a great little 20 minute workout done with just your body weight and a pack of cards.

One other essential I'm taking is a Thera-band. Now this I usually use in my programme to warm up with, especially the shoulder area. However, this can also be used as part of your workout. Exercises which can be performed are as follows:

- Squats with band around your knee, restricting from your knees pushing out and with a pause at the bottom it makes it tough.

- Bent Over Rows

- Upright rows

- Face Pulls

- Bicep Curls

- Lateral Raises

Along with a few push ups you've got a pretty good overall workout, use a 4020 tempo and you'll get an unreal pump.

A foam roller is something I always pack when traveling. It helps me to relax, but more importantly when your either sitting down waiting for a flight or on a long haul flight it's great just for getting everything loose once you've arrived. Additional it can be used as a warm up pre workout and to stretch post workout. 

Nutrition is the last thing I've left as in my eyes it's the least important. At the end of the day, you're on holiday, not at home. Unless you're a sponsored athlete with a company prepping your meals for you, you won't have meals to hand to eat every 3 hours. You won't have the facilities to make all your meals. But most importantly you're on holiday!!! Relax a little. This doesn't mean however stuff yourself with all the cravings you've had over the last few months but don't restrict yourself. One or two snacks a day or one main meal at the all you can eat buffet won't hurt. If you ate like this all the time then yes but for a week it won't. Make healthy choices where you can but at the end of the day just enjoy yourself. I personally come off of all supplements as well whilst on holiday. I sometimes find it can be an hassle to get them through security and plus your body needs a rest. Much like exercise your liver needs a rest. When you start taking them again you'll also notice such a difference.

So there you have it my holiday essentials. Those of you who are going on holiday have fun, just be ready to hit it hard when you get back!!!

Jack