Maintaining strength without equipment?

Linnews

So I do heavy lifting 4-5 times a week, mostly base exercises where I keep adding on weight (for instance I squat about 185lbs and deadlift 190lbs atm). However, I am going away for 3 weeks this summer and won't have access to any equipment. What kind of exercises can I do to maintain my muscle/strength, that doesn't require equipment? Thanks in advance!

darrensurrey

Move the fridge in your apartment around?

I'd do high rep stuff for the burn. I spent two weeks in a hospice watching my dad slowly fade away and nipped off for bodyweight training every couple of days. Didn't see to affect things.

Capt_Apollo

push ups, pull ups, dips, body weight squats, lunges, and one legged dead lifts.

darrensurrey

Pull ups might be a toughie. Could try under-table rows?

There was nowhere to do pull ups in the hospice. I could have used a hoist, I suppose, but I think I'd have been told off even if I didn't weigh over the max rating of 150kg.

Linnews

Push ups are fine, but there won't be anywhere to do the pull ups and dips (no racks or play grounds). And with the body weight squats, lunges and one legged dead lifts; would't I need to do a lot of reps before they would have any effect? Will it be enough resistance?

darrensurrey

Don't unpack your suitcase. Carry that and do sumo squats

and suitcase deadlifts: http://youtu.be/XlfKDq3d4kY

Might wanna stand on a chair for a decent ROM!

I am not a PTer so if you fall off and kill yourself, blame someone else.

Butrovich

Push ups are fine, but there won't be anywhere to do the pull ups and dips (no racks or play grounds). And with the body weight squats, lunges and one legged dead lifts; would't I need to do a lot of reps before they would have any effect? Will it be enough resistance?

You could look into purchasing resistance bands to simulate the weights, although they won't be perfect. I would not worry about missing three weeks. It will give your body a good break to rest/recover and you should not see any adverse effects or sudden loss of strength from the time off.

yogicarl

If your legs are that strong that BW squats and such are too light, it is time to switch to one legged stuff.

Look up Pistol Squats. You don't have to be able to do a full *kitten*-to-grass Pistol (if you can that's awesome) as there are ways to make the exercise easier while you build the strength and skill. Pistol squat to a box or chair seat and lower the box height each time you can do your 5 sets of 5 (each side). Or you can do negatives - just do the downward part of the movement, then two feet on the floor and stand back up, leg up and negative pistol again and so on.

Pull-ups - you can get a portable pull-up bar that slots through the doorway and sits on the door lintel.

Always ways to make BW movements easier or harder to keep things progressing.

Careful though - you may get hooked on BW and throw your weights away

RavenLibra

YOU can improvise with weights... picking things up and putting them down does NOT JUST mean a barbell or dumbbells... there are rocks, benches, furniture, bags... invest in some resistance bands... and really all your looking to do is keep the muscles active... so you don't lose your gains... and really 3 weeks away is NOT going to be THAT detrimental to your training... unless of course you are at the top of your game and competing at something that requires you to hold your gains...

anyway eat right... push ups, sit ups, lunges, squats, dips... can all be made more difficult with resistance bands

MagnumBurrito

You Are Your Own Gym: The Bible of Bodyweight Exercises

http://amzn.to/VA1nbf

Capt_Apollo

Push ups are fine, but there won't be anywhere to do the pull ups and dips (no racks or play grounds). And with the body weight squats, lunges and one legged dead lifts; would't I need to do a lot of reps before they would have any effect? Will it be enough resistance?

so do a lot of reps.

i find vacations a great time to re-focus and work on something you might not always be inclined to work on during your normal routine.

Tony_Von_Stryfe

Burpees, walking lunges, box jumps(if you can find something to jump on), but mostly burpees.
Also get one of those bands that look like surgical tubing with a handle on each end, you can do a lot of exercises with those and it won't take up any room in your suitcase

rick_po

If you can spend a few bucks, buy a suspension trainer, like TRX or Jungle Gym XT, and take it with you. As long as you have a sturdy door frame, you can get a pretty good strength workout.

Otherwise, hunt down "You Are Your Own Gym" or "Body By You" books for a bodyweight program. I've heard good things about the phone app that goes along with these, but haven't used it myself.

ninerbuff

Push ups are fine, but there won't be anywhere to do the pull ups and dips (no racks or play grounds). And with the body weight squats, lunges and one legged dead lifts; would't I need to do a lot of reps before they would have any effect? Will it be enough resistance?

If it's really going to bug you, then consider a TRX suspension system. Weighs 2lbs and can be mounted just about anywhere for a decent workout with just body weight.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

rybo

You can do dips on a chair, feet on the ground or the bed if you can. Also can do skater squats or Bulgarian split squats if pistols are too much. Rows can be done under a sturdy table. There are endless possibilities.