I’m in Cozumel this week as a spectator, not racing, just enjoying the energy of race week and staying active. And like a lot of you who travel, I wanted to keep my training rolling while I was here.
So this morning, I grabbed my water bottle, headed down to the hotel gym… and walked straight into what might be the most bare-bones training setup I’ve seen in years.
We’re talking:
A tiny room
Two treadmills that were completely dead
An ancient spin bike with no computer and a questionable resistance knob
One adjustable bench
One small stack of dumbbells
And that was the entire “fitness center.”
For a second, I felt that familiar wave of disappointment. You know the one... the “maybe this isn’t worth it today” feeling.
But this is what travel does. Gyms are unpredictable. Equipment is inconsistent. Circumstances aren’t always ideal. And it’s incredibly easy to let the environment dictate your effort.
But here’s the part that matters:
Your body doesn’t care whether you’re training in a world-class facility or a hotel storage closet. It only responds to the stimulus you give it.
So instead of skipping the session, I decided to make something happen. And what came out of it was a surprisingly solid, sweat-soaked 2-hour workout that anyone can do — anywhere, with almost nothing.
Below is the exact session I built on the fly.
Save it for your next trip, your next hotel stay, or any day when your environment isn’t ideal but you still want to get the work in.
THE TRAVEL-DAY “MAKE IT HAPPEN” WORKOUT
Warm-Up
10 minutes easy spin on the bike
Block 1: Strength + Core Circuit — 4 Rounds
40 air squats
20 hand-release push-ups
10 slow regular push-ups
30 crunches
Bike Set #1
10 minutes:
Block 2: Upper Body + Power Circuit — 4 Rounds
15 bench dips
10 diamond push-ups
20 dumbbell thrusters
20 straight-leg sit-ups
Bike Set #2
10 minutes Zone 3 tempo
Block 3: EMOM Conditioning
10 minutes:
Bike Set #3
10 minutes:
Block 4: Lower Body + Arms Finisher — 4 Rounds
40 bodyweight lunges
10 bicep curls
10 tricep extensions
Cool Down
Easy spin to complete a full 2-hour session.
This workout checks every box you need when traveling:
✔ Strength
✔ Conditioning
✔ VO₂ + anaerobic stimulus
✔ Core stability
✔ Movement patterns requiring zero specialized equipment
✔ A mix of endurance and power that keeps you sharp
The goal isn’t perfection — it’s adaptability.
Consistency is built when conditions aren’t perfect. Adaptability is a performance skill. And travel is never an excuse.