Handstands in the snow, with snowboard boots, are tough.

After you’ve thrown yourself off the deep end with CrossFit, there’s not much that can compare when it comes to a fitness facility.  Maybe you’ve got a traditional gym membership and a CrossFit Affiliate membership.  When you walk into the traditional gym, what’s your attitude?  I know what mine is…

“screw the machines and most of the contraptions… just give me a pull-up bar, some kettlebells, a med ball, maybe a rower. if i can lift heavy weights, even better.”

The way my job works is that I travel sporadically, and when I do, it’s a lot all at once.  For example, I left Austin on February 20, returned on February 25, left again on February 28, returning March 4, and will be leaving for two more trips this month.  What does that do to my training plan?  Shot. To. Hell.

But it doesn’t have to be that way.  Here are my tips for success in training on the road:

• Decide right now: do you care to stay on your training plan?  Does it matter that you do the .com WOD 3-on, 1-off?  Or, can you maybe get a couple runs in and call it a week?
• Plan ahead.  While you’re making your travel plans figure out what’s in your hotel and what’s around you.  Find the nearest CrossFit Affiliate, shoot them a note.  I guarantee you’ll be welcome there, and I’m willing to bet you’ll fit in.
• If you’ve decided you’re sticking to the plan, then do your best to stick with it, but don’t freak out if you miss something.  Remember the words of Rip: “training is a process, not an event.”  So I can’t do MEBB in every town I’m traveling to, but I can at least find a place that allows me to lift heavy.  I can search the programming of all the CrossFit boxes in the area and find out which ones might work the best for me.
• Pack versatile and light. You don’t need your oly shoes, running shoes, fivefingers, rings, abmat, chalk, tape, and 5 pukie shirts for your 4-day trip.  I bring the following: fivefingers, enough workout clothes for 2 days (and wash out in the tub/air dry to rewear… if you have good gear, it won’t smell), some tape, and a TriggerPoint ball.  For example, if you’re running and CrossFitting, do your CF workouts in your running shorts.

No CrossFit gym?  Then start heading to the fitness center in your hotel.  Use the dumbbells, treadmills, and mats to construct a workout.  Do “Fran” with dumbbell thrusters and body rows using the cable cross machine.  Do “Angie” with bench dips or body rows.  Or, hit up CrossFit Endurance and use the treadmills to do the WOD (or just run outside).  Get creative… the point is to just keep moving!

Case Study: Vegas and San Diego

Last week, I was in Vegas for a conference.  Vegas is a tough town because it’s hard to get around… cabs are expensive and they don’t like to go too far off the strip.  I’ve made it over to CrossFit Las Vegas a couple times — great place — but this time I didn’t have the time.  So, I took my Vegas hangovers to the MGM Spa and did a modified version of the CFE Recovery workout a few times:

Run 400m

3 rounds of:

• 15 bench press
• 15 swings
• 15 bench dips

Then do 2 rounds of:

• 50 situps
• 5×30:30 hip bridge

Keep the weights light but challenging — your third round should be tough but unbroken.  Move with purpose but not like you’re racing.  Then go hit the steam room.

In San Diego, life’s a lot different.  I wasn’t crazy like Vegas, and I had control over where I stayed.  So I stayed near CrossFit Invictus.  CJ and his crew (which includes the rockstar Sage Burgener) are awesome, and every time I show up, it’s only better.  Turns out I got 3 days of exactly what I needed — some lifts, and some metcon.

Conclusion

I’ve been around states and tried to keep up with my training.  At first I felt guilty because I was off “the plan.”  Then I began to realize that when you travel, it’s so much easier to simply do nothing.  So go do something.  Try to get it as close to what you’d do if you were home.  Meet some new people.  Buy a shirt from another affiliate.  Not only is CrossFit a good cult, but it can be done just about anywhere.

3 rounds:

• sprint 100m
• 10 pushups
• sprint back
• 10 swings

Skill work: back squat

Workout

4 rounds:

• 400m run
• 15 back squat (lighter than skill work)
• 15 dips (ring, off box, off step)

Tabata mountain climbers

50 sit-ups for time

• Stretches
• Balance/agility work
• Warm-up WOD: 5 rounds of 5 pull-ups, 10 push ups, 15 squats

Workout

• 50-40-30-20-10: tuck jumps, sit-ups
• Rest
• Tabata seated press

• 400m run
• Dynamic stretches
• Skill work: hang power clean
• 3 rounds of: 10 push-ups, 10 squats, 10 hang power cleans

Workout

800m run

21-15-9

• box jumps
• back squat (body bar, barbell, or loaded barbell)
• butterfly sit-ups

800m run

Cool down

Stretch, roll out.

• short run
• mobility work
• skill work: hang power clean

Workout

5 rounds for time:

5 burpee box jumps
10 weighted step-ups
20 butterfly sit-ups