Road Warrior

The Road Warrior

Traing While on the Road

by

Matt Wanat

Aside from what I change training wise when I’m on the road, there are some things that I have to do in order to keep getting better while travelling.  I am on the road approximately 3 weeks out of every month, so I think I’ve got this down pretty good.  The biggest things one must do while on the road involve monitoring recovery.  When you work a non-travelling job, you take for granted things like food, bed, relaxation time, etc.  Here is a list of things to keep in mind when travelling:

Food and water.  On the road, your food sources are limited for the most part.  You can’t count on cooking your own meals or having your favorite food on the road.  Make sure you are prepared.  This goes even double for the leaner guys or guys who are eating a ton to get bigger.  Bring food with you.  You can bring foil packs of tuna, almonds, clif bars, and water very easily on an airplane or in a car.  Mixing protein shakes in a car/plane can be a huge pain in the ass.  That being said, it’s far better to have a protein shake than a McDouble.    

Sleeping.  Most people don’t think about the fact that they are used to their own beds.  On the road you will eventually run into an issue with sleep.  The beds are uncomfortable, the room is too hot, the hotel is too noisy, etc. will cause you to miss sleep.  I bring ZMA, Benadryl, naproxen sodium, Ambien, and melatonin on the road with me.  If feel that I’m going to have trouble sleeping, I’ll take 2-3 benadryl and 2-3 naproxen sodium and it usually does the trick.  You should also go to bed 30-60 minutes earlier than you normally would at home.  Even if it takes longer to get to sleep, you will get a good night’s rest. 

Recovery tools.  I always travel with a foam roller and now I’ve added a baseball and “the stick” to the list of must have items on the road.  All the time you’re cramped in the car/plane will need to be worked out of your system.  I use the foam roller and “the stick” for myofascial release work and the baseball for trigger point type therapy.  Most hotels have hot tubs nowadays.  Use them if you’re on the road.  They loosen the body up and help you relax.  Stretch after you get out of the hot tub.  Your body is warmed up so you will get more out of your stretching. 

Be adaptable.    Some weeks are great, some are awful.  You need to learn to listen to what your body needs.  I the past month, I’ve hit rep P.R.’s and had shitty weeks.  It all depends on what has happened during the week.  Because of this, you will need to have some flexibility in your program.  Something in the style of Westside style training or 5/3/1 will work best here because of the ability to adapt to how you feel that day.  The gym you are going to get to workout at is probably going to be an issue.  Most likely the best choice you are going to have is a YMCA or Gold’s Gym.  Some of these are really nice, and some suck.  Be prepared for this.  Don’t expect to be able to do a heavy circa-max phase with chains, bands, and a monolift if all you are going to get is Gold’s Gym.  Simple is better with your training style as well.  You can get very strong without bands/chains/shirts/suits/etc.  Don’t plan on being able to do too many events on the road either. 

Relaxation.  If you are on the road, you will need to take time to relax.  The stress from the job and being on the road will tax your body more than if you did the same job at home.  Be sure to take time to do whatever it is that relaxes you.  This is of vital importance to making sure that you continue to improve. 

These are some of the things that I worry about while on the road.  I hope this has helped someone out there with similar problems to mine. 

Pro-Strongman Athlete

Matt Wanat