Balancing Training and Travel
As a powerlifter, when you aren’t lifting what do you love to do? Personally, one of my favorite aspects of life is traveling. I love to experience new foods, beautiful locations, and rich cultures whenever I can.
It is no secret though. Planning times to go to the gym and get a workout in can add a whole new level of stress to the itinerary. Especially if you are traveling to an unfamiliar area. Sometimes there may be a meet on the horizon and the need to train is simply unavoidable. Other times lifting ends up going on the back burner to free up more time to enjoy the traveling experience. Both things are completely okay and depend on the timing and the lifter.
I have been an avid member of the powerlifting world as both an athlete and a coach for almost ten years now. As a traveler and an athlete myself, I realize that when it comes to traveling every person, place, and situation is going to come with different challenges. So as you are planning for your vacations this summer, here are tips I have learned over the years. I'm here to give you peace of mind instead of guilt over missing your next deadlift session.
Last year, I took a month off of training to take part in a once-in-a-lifetime study abroad trip in Italy. That was a no-brainer to do - but with us traveling from place to place and my own want to participate fully in the experience, I didn’t plan to train the entire time. This decision wasn’t made lightly as I experienced all the same fears as you might. How much weight am I going to lose off my lifts? How long will it take to build back up? Will I be able to sit back and relax or will I feel the constant presence of gym guilt the entire time?
At the end of the day though, whether the trip is big or small, these experiences outside of the gym are as vital to my well-being as being in the gym is. Exploring new places, new cultures, and experiencing the world provides clarity and comfort to my life - but that doesn’t mean it didn’t make me nervous to push aside training. Especially since it’s such a large part of my normal routine. When it comes to a decision like this it’s important to remember to not set aside your life. Don’t throw away life-altering experiences simply because you don't know where the nearest barbell will be in the next 3 weeks.
Since the gym is such a big part of our lives at home it can be easy to think it can be just as easy to lift on vacation. Unfortunately, it's not as simple as it sounds. There are several stressors that come into play from the beginning.
Some examples may be:
You may be with other people who play a role in the scheduling.
You may not have control of the scheduling.
You may be in an area that lacks the equipment you’re looking for.
You may have a schedule that doesn’t allow time to structure training in.
You may not want to train during your travels.
These situations are all valid and most of them are out of our hands. I have been in travel scenarios where all of these have applied. While the pressure to train or fear of “losing your gains” may loom over your head prior to, during, or after your experience. Planning to train in these scenarios can only add to the stress. Sometimes it can even make you dread aspects of your trip or your training.
So how do you handle this?
After being in all of these scenarios at least once, here are my tips for traveling and training:
Recognize that you’re not going to “lose all your gains.”
Research has shown that within up to 28 days of no training, absolute strength seems to be minimally affected. That’s a whole month of time where you can sit back and enjoy looking at the Eiffel tower instead of trying to find a gym with a one-day guest pass. After 28 days, there is an accelerated effect, but it's also strength that can be quickly rebuilt once you get back into a consistent routine at home.
Your next question may be this... If absolute strength isn’t affected for over 28 days, then why am I coming back from my weeklong vacation in the Bahamas feeling like I can’t even squat 50% of my 1RM?
The research isn’t as straightforward with muscle mass - however, the main idea is that you likely come back from vacation feeling “flat” or “weak” because of the decrease in muscle blood flow and glycogen content. This feeling is there simply because you’re not using your muscles in the same way. Meaning the endurance you built to carry that 315 lbs squat on your back is what has decreased more so than your actual strength. While you may feel weak at the moment this is not the end of your powerlifting career. Within a few weeks of being back on the program, you’ll be back and better than ever.
So enjoy the rest, enjoy the variety of activities, and enjoy the new experiences. Your favorite gym, rack, and barbell will be waiting for you when you come home.
Determine what the priority is for you
You may have different travel experiences that require you to train or not train on vacation. Some situations you may have to travel for work right before your meet, you may be going to a bachelor party midway through meet prep, you may be scheduling a vacation and want to know how it will impact your training… Different situations require different training strategies.
If you are:
Mid meet prep
Close to a meet
Wanting to have some break time from the travel
You may find that you need to train. If that’s the case, I recommend the following:
Scope out the area
Use Google Maps (this is a great crowdsourced powerlifting gym map made by a friend of mine!) to look around the area(s) you will be in to locate a gym that you could go to in advance. Planning ahead is easier than trying to figure it out after you’re there. This will allow you to prep and coordinate easier.
Simplify your program to the vitals
If you don’t have a lot of time or you don’t want to spend a lot of your time in the gym while away, strip your program to the main compound lifts that you need to get in. If you have a coach, communicate your plans with them and work with them to simplify the program.
Communicate and collaborate with your travel partners
Have clear expectations from the start. This may be telling your travel partners that you will need to train - express the days that would be optimal, ask if they would like to join, offer to train early or late. Especially if it’s a trip that is not mainly about you, make sure you approach these conversations with understanding and gratitude. Just because you need to train does not mean you can make it a burden for anyone else.
Understand you may have to make sacrifices
You may have to miss out on sleep or activities or dinners. When I was in prep for Raw Nationals 2024, my family went on an 8 day RV trip through the Grand Canyon and Zion. There were only a few days I could train, and I had to be particular with my time. My family was willing to go grocery shopping during the time I would train. It ended up working well, but time spent with family was sacrificed there. I also sacrificed energy on hikes to train as well. There are just a few examples.
Now, if you find that you would LIKE to train, I would recommend using the same advice as above. You may find that you don’t need to be as strict with getting it in if something shifts around.
If you don’t have a want/need to train,
Enjoy your travels, and find movement where you can!
When you return from your trip, I recommend going lighter the first week back, building your training back up, and view the time as an opportunity.
Don’t expect to be hitting PRs the first week back. You need to ease back into it. I would recommend starting with something like 75% of the volume you were doing the week before you left, and then also keeping RPE around 6-7. That way your body has time to adapt to the demands being imposed on it.
From there, build back up week to week. Take this time with ‘easier’ loads to focus on prioritizing your technique, building recovery, and easing back into it.
