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I’ve always been into strength and conditioning training. When I was growing up, it was a vehicle that helped me with self-esteem and confidence. As I got older, it became clear to me that the result was only part of the mission. Aside from getting stronger, the training also provided a level of mental intensity and focus that I have been able to apply to pretty much all aspects of my life. There are valuable lessons to be learned every time your body wants to quit but your brain keeps it going.
On tour, the two main components that you have to contend with are lack of equipment and lack of energy. In the van, real estate is a valuable commodity, so dragging along a set of weights and packing it in with all of the gear, merchandise, etc. is pretty much out of the question. Keeping your nutritional needs met is also incredibly difficult if you eat at Denny’s and 7-11 every night. I usually pack a good multi-vitamin along with spirulina powder, one of the best “superfoods” you can ingest. I like to mix spirulina into either orange juice or grapefruit juice; trying to power it down with water is brutal, and I don’t recommend it. Add in no sleep, a few 12-hour drives, dealing with a shady promoter or two, and you probably won’t feel up to working out.
There is no way around these obstacles. You have to modify your way of approaching them, so don’t expect to break any personal records while on a 30-day US tour. I just want to maintain so when I get back into a normal training routine, I’m not starting from square one. Also, working out on the road is the best way for me to manage stress and pick me up from those morning energy lulls. You may wake up feeling exhausted, and your body may be telling you that it wants to stay down, but it’s important to make yourself do the workout.
Everyone has a different goals, different regimes, and different reasons for training. On the budget level that Tombs operates at, getting a workout in at a real gym is not an option, so I rely primarily on bodyweight training and methods that require minimal equipment. Some key pieces of workout gear that are “road ready” are kettlebells, dumbbells, medicine balls, and jump ropes. As I mentioned earlier, you won’t be breaking personal records on the road, but with these tools, you can maintain.
Below are some videos showing awesome workout techniques that can be done with minimal equipment:
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Full Hindu Squat
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Hindu Pushups
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Medicine Ball Pushups
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Combo Kettlebell
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These are just the tip of the iceberg with what you can do with minimal equipment. The key is to maintain a positive mental attitude and set reasonable goals. Training on the road is difficult. But aside from physical benefits, it will also relieve the common stress that results from intense travel, playing every night, and dealing with life on the road.
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Mike Hill is the guitarist and vocalist of Tombs.
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The psychology of continuing to work out when you’re in a high-stress, low-time situation is very familiar to me. When my twins were born this past June, I had a hell of a time, given the severe lack of sleep as well as the lack of time. (Not to mention, a recent study pointed out that caring for children reduces your testosterone.) But I did it anyway. I lost some strength, but I’m back to where I was before, and finally just last week started pushing myself forward again.
W-o-w!
With one little overactive daughter of 3 already, I’ve abandonned. But you managed to continue training with TWINS… I can only show admiration at your courage!
I like the idea of using your own body weight for most exercices. I think we were designed to be able to be our own “training station” and that nature should be the best gym around.
Very cool article. I can’t imagine touring and not doing some sort of exercise.
Honestly, this is one of the best advice pieces I’ve ever heard. Just some physical exertion will get your endorphins pumping and help keep of unwanted pounds b/c we all know that chicks don’t dig fat fatties.