How I keep lean and fit while backpacking.

Look, you may wonder why I write about this but it’s incredibly important to me.

I’ll never forget returning home after my 2nd year of backpacking. I meet my friend Maxy from New Zealand. One of the worlds wildest backpackers. And we are at my home town. And Maxy ask me, “Adrian, you don’t look happy.”

I had a blast around the world. I was going back out for more. But I wasn’t keeping balance.

I drank too much. Partied too hard. Put on a bit of weight and wasn’t achieving any more.

Around my waist there was a fair bit of weight. I weighed more than I ever had before. And I made a promise to myself that I would make my health a much higher priority.

From then on, no matter where I was, I would regularly visit gyms or workout regardless of location.

Ideally, I will hit the gym every 4th day of the week but no less than a workout a week.

Making that commitment to continually work our while traveling turned out to be the one of the best decisions I ever made. And it’s one not done by many.

I’ll never forget living with a girl friend in Romania and walking from her warm apartment, through the cold snow to go to a gym which looked much like any gym in Australia. Alternatively I remember going to a gym in Chiang Mai, a real local gym, not a commercial one, where we lifted things like car tires and blocks of cement.

When I can’t hit the gym like today, (Currently in Osaka Japan) I’m lucky to have my imagination….. And Army training.

It starts real simple and I want to share it with you so you can see how easy it can be.

1. I make a strong short coffee, and play some upbeat music

2. I write up my workout program.

3. Basically, the work is done. The coffee and writing it out is your commitment taken care of and since the coffee is kicking in….. Your going to get at it.

My preferred workouts are going from one muscle group the next. I may go through a cycle of 7 exercises like below. Or I may cycle between any 2 exercises. After completing one set, I rest that set of muscles while working out a different set.

I have a plan for hitting my core, arms and shoulders. Today, I have a space which is just 3 x 3 meters, which is like a lounge room/bed room of a friends house. I’m actually extremely blessed today. I have this space, privacy, some music, a fan (it’s summer), a blanket for padding, my backpack (can use as weight) and a bicycle which I’ll use after to ride down town to meet some friends later.

A Typical Workout Program and my program for today:

Most of the time, I alter between 10-40 repetitions of each activity (push ups, dips, crunches etc) with varying sets (working through each activity once being a set). By trying different workout program, my muscles are constantly challenged, rather than adapting to the no. of reps. Variation is good for muscles too. When I’m building muscles, I increase weight or angles to make it harder. This is like running fast sprints as compared to long slow distance (LSD).

Try this sometime when you get home; play some music, make a short coffee, create a simple plan and give it a go. Feel the caffeine and music as it energize you. Appreciate how nice it is to have these luxuries. Appreciate how good it is that you can do this. Look back on all the good things that happened in the week, reflect and appreciate all good things while you are exercising. Enjoy!