Fitness Abroad: The China Adventures! (Part 2)

The Parrot - Best Steak & Ale Pot Pie this side of Tianjin

Ni Nao!  If you're just tuning in, welcome to the second part of a segment I like to call Fitness Abroad: The China Adventures!  The focus of this series is staying fit while on the road in less than ideal conditions.  Fitness enthusiasts are notorious creatures of habit.  They've record their goals, dialed in their workout schedules, and perfected their eating habits.  So what happens when you're on the road and have access to a limited amount of equipment or no equipment at all!?  Remember that although plans or perfect, life is not and it's your reaction in these moments that defines you. Today we'll take a look at a workout from www.crossfitmiamibeach.net and how I modified it for my needs on the road:

Original workout:

20 Minute AMRAP (As Many Rounds As Possible)
~ 5 Push Press
~ 10 Chin Ups
~ 20 Pistols (10 each leg)
Men: 115lbs; Women: 75lbs
*From www.crossfitmiamibeach.net (Tuesday 6/13/11 WOD)

How I made it work for me:

China streets - where lanes are merely suggestions

20 Minute AMRAP
~ 5 Push Press: No complaints here!  Push presses are great for building explosive power and putting mass on your delts.  The hotel gym happens to have a barbell so I was able to accomodate this exercise (you could also use dumbbells if necessary).  No weights? No Problem!  Try Inverted Push-ups or Handstand Push-ups.
~ 10 Bent-Over Row with Supine Grip: I'm a huge fan of chin-ups, but the hotel gym doesn't have a pull-up bar so we'll have to make a modification.  I chose bent-over rows since I already had the barbell set up from the first exercise and the supine grip will activate the biceps in a similar fashion as the chin-up. 
~ 40 Squat Jumps:  This exercise is very effective for the hams and quads and doesn't require any weights.  I chose to do this exercise because my knees don't like me when I do Pistols. It's also a great alternative for people with balance issues.  To tone down the difficulty, remove the plyometric portion and just do body-weight squats.  Want to add a little fun?  Throw in 90 degree turns or side hops with every jump. 

Well I hope that gave you a little insight on how you can modify a workout for any circumstance.  Just be creative and listen to your body.  I'll be taking a rest day tomorrow, but stay tuned for Part 3 of this segment when I return to the gym on Thursday!

Xie Xie Ni! (Thank you!)
Dan