The barbell will be your best friend.

 

 

The barbell loves you.  It gives you strength, power, athleticism, muscles, and a strong heart.  All you need to do is feed it weight plates and sweat.

It wants to hang out with you and do squats, deadlifts, presses and rows.

It wants to introduce you to some of its very awesome friends like the prowler sled and farmer walk handles.

The barbell would like to help you calm the stress in your life and help you forget about the coffee you spilled on your new slacks this morning.

Don’t be afraid of the barbell if you’ve never had one.  It won’t judge you as you learn and will always be there when you come back, no matter what.

The barbell is always your barbell whether you use that one, or that one, or the one with the rust on the knurls.  It is still your best friend.

Let the barbell into your life.  Learn its favorite things.  Do its favorite things.  It will make your life better.

 

For Travelers

Say you’re on the road a lot. Or in the air. Hotels maybe. How do you take care of yourself? I recommend finding a good resistance band kit. One with handles and a door mount that travels light. You can get a pretty good burn with bands in the small muscles and then spend some time with bodyweight exercises for the big groups. A 10 to 15 minute circuit will do it with bands, squats, pushups, single leg deadlifts, and getups. A lot of hotels will not have adequate equipment, maybe a treadmill and bike. Or swim! Hit the pool and don’t just float, do some laps. If you’re in one location for an extended period try to look for a gym that has a national membership or see if you can buy a month’s worth of time.

Watch what you eat. Be cautious at the restaurants. Don’t be afraid to ask for just a plain grilled chicken breast and a pile of vegetables. Breakfast should be easy with a bowl of oats or plate of eggs with fruit. Keep dried fruit and nuts handy, preferably unsalted and unflavored. Green tea because it suppresses appetite and provides just a little dash of caffeine and won’t crash you. Packets of tuna fish or sardines with crackers like Wasa brand.

Look up some recipes for things that travel well like nut butter oat bars or your own roasted nuts so you can control the salt and oil. Can you dry or smoke meats at home? Staying extended? Hopefully it’s a suite with a kitchen and you can continue to cook for yourself.