Vacation training/Reload
Vacationing season is upon us! Personally vacationing to me is a catch. I love to vacation, travel and enjoy uninterrupted time with family and friends but on the flip side I really enjoying keeping my routine. Every year I go on vacation I seem to say the same thing “Just a day too long” that doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy my time away- rather I just enjoy my time on the grind just as much.
Vacationing has always seem to be a slight “burden” when it comes to training. Let’s face it, most vacations consist of 1 day of travel 5-6 days of vacationing and another day of travel. This can make it hard to fit you splits in when you are spending two days of travel then during the actually vacation itself can make training a hassle. Taking all that vacation has to offer It took me only a few trips away to realize how “I” need to train during my time away.
For those who have read any of my recent articles or know of me, you know I don’t miss ANY days of training. Whether it be just active recovery and core work at home or in a hotel I strive to become better everyday. I live by the motto- “If you’re not getting better, you’re getting worse!”
I soon realized that I was unable to get THE MOST out of my training on vacation. Between the mimosa’s by the pool and late nights enjoying time with family I WAS NOT OPTIMAL during my training days. That when I decided to use vacation as a RELOAD week! Yes, REALOAD. A “reload week” is not a total DELOAD that most powerlifters/ lifters are accustomed to. Rather a week to still train without totally resting throughout the week. Most deload weeks are scheduled “OFF” for those who deload. I personally do my deload weeks at roughly 50% on all of my normal splits. While my reload week will be a twist on high intensity compounded with lots of body weight exercises. This gives my body nearly 1 week away from the “Clanging and Jarring” of the heavy free weights while still being able to progress and FEEL GOOD about my training!
Below I have wrote out my 1 week RELOAD program that I will be using on my vacation this summer! If you run this program you will see that each session is roughly 20-45 minutes with the exception of the 2 days of travel.
Day 1: Travel:
100 push ups- in the least amount of sets possible
100 sit ups- In the least amount of sets possible
15 mins of stretching
Day 2:
Upper body:
100 Close grip push ups- In the least amount of sets possible
100 Regular grip push up- In the least amount of sets possible
100 Wide grip push up- In the least amount of sets possible
50 Wide grip Pull ups- In the least amount of sets possible
100 crunches in the least amount of sets possible
10 mins of stretching
Day 3:
Lower Body:
50 Air squats- In the least amount of sets possible
30 Bulgarian split squats (Each leg) – In the least amount of sets possible
100 weighted crunches in the least amount of sets possible
15 mins of lunges- None stop
10 mins of stretching
Day 4:
Upper Body/Lunges
(if dumbbells are available- if not, I will “Find rocks/ something that at a moderate weight to preform these exercises)
Alternating Dumbbell curls: 100 EACH ARM (weight approx.. 25lbs)- In the least amount of sets possible
Side Raises: 100 In the least amount of sets possible (approx. 15lbs)
Push up regular grip <superset> Pull Ups: 50 each
200 crunches in the least amount of sets possible
Lunges: 15 mins non stop!
Day 5:
Full body:
3 rounds total!
-Chin ups to failure
-Wide grip push ups to failure
-Air squats 25
-50 crunches
-Dips to failure
REPEAT 3x!
Followed by:
10 mins of walking lunges- none stop
Day 6:
Full body:
100 air squats in the least amount of sets possible
100 regular grip push ups in the least amount of sets possible
50 pull ups in the least amount of sets possible
100 crunches
10 mins of walking lunges none stop
10 mins of stretching
Day 7: Travel
100 push ups
100 sit ups
15 mins of stretching
Take this RELOAD week into your vacation and feel comfortable that you are still getting better as well as allowing your body to recover from the stress of the daily HEAVY LOADS it typically undergoes.
FOREVER PUSHIN!