The Hotel Room Workout: No Equipment Necessary

Whether traveling for work or for play, getting in a good workout on the road isn’t the easiest thing to do. Most hotel gyms don’t have much aside from a treadmill, so why bother? But the more you put off exercising, the tighter those pants get. Here’s a workout that will make you sweat with no equipment at all.


 Even the most determined guys are tempted by the comfort of their hotel bed. If you usually spring out of bed at the sound of your early morning alarm to hit the gym as soon as possible, the luxury of a king size bed and breakfast delivered to your room are just enough to keep you from getting in a sweat session. Well, that and the fact that the hotel gym isn’t much to write home about.  

But no matter your reason for traveling, the further you stray from your routine of regular exercise, the harder it’s going to be to get back to it when you get back home. So, rather than nagging you to seek out the closest gym or make due with whatever the hotel gym can provide, we’re going to make this easy for you—in the sense that you don’t have to leave your room, anyway.

 We’ve devised a workout that will meet all your needs when you’re away from home: efficiency, effectiveness, and ease of execution with little to no equipment.

EFFICIENCY
Time is of the essence when you’re on the road.  If you’re out of town for business, you likely won’t have an hour or so to spend on a lengthy workout session. With limited time to generate some energy and sweat it out, the more efficient the workout is, the better.

If you’re on vacation, you have plenty of time on your hands, but you probably don’t want to use too much of it in the gym. It’s important that you still get your heart pumping, but you don’t want to use up your entire morning putting your body to the test.  This workout is built to get you what you need in a short amount of time.

EFFECTIVENESS
Since your time is limited, you want to make sure your workouts are hitting multiple body parts. When you’re at home you may have an hour to work on chest or arms, but when you’re hanging in a hotel, you’re looking for something more holistic. This workout will hit you from head to toe.

EASE OF EXECUTION
If we prescribed something that involved kettlebells, squat racks, and resistance bands—but all you had at your disposal was the weight of your suitcase—you’d probably just sleep in and skip this workout.  But then nobody wins. We’ve crafted this workout so that, when it came to getting it done, you’d have no excuses. All you need is a few square feet of open space and gravity.

THE WORKOUT
Are you ready? No gym necessary. No dumbbells needed. No treadmill in sight. The movements below are all bodyweight exercises. They will be performed as a circuit, so you’ll work through the entire list before taking a minute to rest.

 The great thing about bodyweight movement is that it’s easy to perform. But with that said, if your form is terrible, your results will be similar.  Maintain good form, keep your body moving, and work hard until you’re finished. Your body will thank you when you’re done rocking it.

Exercise Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Round 4 Round 5
Pushups  20 reps  40 reps  60 reps  80 reps  100 reps
Superman  25 reps  20 reps  15 reps  10 reps  5 reps
Pike Push-up  10 reps  20 reps  30 reps   40 reps  50 reps
Wall Squat  90 sec  80 sec  70 sec   60 sec  50 sec
Plank  50 sec  60 sec  70 sec  80 sec  90 sec

CONCLUSION
How quickly you can get this workout in is completely up to you. The speed at which you execute will make it more challenging, but will minimize how long you spend exercising. If you’d rather take your time and really focus on your form, it may take you a little bit longer.

 No matter what speed you choose, though, this collection of exercises will be efficient, effective, and easy to execute. The moves may be basic, but each one will make you earn your workout as you make your way through them.

 Good luck!

Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and is not meant as medical advice, nor is it to diagnose or treat any medical condition. Please consult your physician before starting or changing your diet or exercise program. Any use of this information is at the sole discretion and responsibility of the user.