How to Work Out Well in a Lousy Hotel Gym
Some hotels try harder than others, but no fitness center hotel beats a fully equipped gym. You have a treadmill, an elliptical trainer, and usually some dumbbells. Everything else is a rare bonus. Here’s how to get a decent workout.
Know your options
You might not actually be stuck in the fitness center. Ask about the pool, consider the local streets, and be sure to check if the hotel has any deals with nearby actual gyms, sometimes guests get a discount or free travel.
Survive cardio
If you love treadmills, you’ve probably stopped reading by now. So, for the rest of us, there are two ways to spend half an hour on a cardio machine without losing our minds.
One is to let your mind drift elsewhere. Watch a movie on your phone, or better yet, on your tablet. Try to forget that you are on an elliptical trainer and not on a couch.
Another is to break your workout into segments that are too short to tire you out. Some options:
- On a treadmill, I like to alternate between two strides: the pace (a little faster than I usually run) and the fastest I can walk (that’s 4.0 mph for me). A two minute pace, one minute of brisk walking, and on average, that’s about the same pace as a light run.
- Do a guided run called Run Fast. Repetition. “In the Nike Running Club app. These are 30-second intervals with 60 seconds of rest for 40 minutes in a row. A friendly trainer cheers you all the way.
- For other cardio equipment, I love the Classpass Go app (free for iOS and Android , no subscription required). There are guided workouts for elliptical trainers, indoor cycling and rowing.
Lift those tiny weights
If you have dumbbells, you can train with weights, even if they are smaller than what you normally use. A million reps with light weights can be just as effective for building strength as fewer reps with heavy weights.
Bodyweight fitness is another option (which you can do in your hotel room if there is no official gym). Here’s our guide to creating the perfect bodyweight workout . Not sure where to start? Try this 15 minute bodyweight workout . Repeat this two or three times, add a short treadmill run between sets, and you have a solid circuit workout.
Reddit r / fitness offers a whole thread of strength training that you can do with limited equipment . The last time I went to the hotel gym, I did one of the workouts I found there. I had a weighted bench and dumbbells up to 25 pounds. This is how it was:
- Split Squats (with your back foot on the bench), 3 sets of 8 reps.
- Bench press with largest dumbbells they’ve had, 3 sets of 8+ reps. (If you don’t have a bench, you can lean your back on the exercise ball or just lie on the floor.)
- Dumbbell Row, one arm and knee on a bench, back parallel to the floor, 3 sets of 8 reps
- Reverse flies , 3 sets of 10 reps
- Calf Raises, 2 sets of 15 reps (hold or no weight on one leg at a time)
- Overhead Triceps Extension , 2 sets of 10 reps
Bring accessories
There is no law that you should limit yourself to the gym. Bring a set of elastic bands or one of those hanging trainers you can hang from your door frame. Use them at the fitness center, or work out in your room if your accommodation choice offers nothing but a continental breakfast after your workout.