Missed workouts, stacked dumbbells, and travel wins
Why missing the ‘perfect’ workout might be the most perfect thing you can do.
Jeremy here, writing alongside Coach Lisa.
Over the last few weeks we did some back-to-back travel — New Orleans to visit the family, then Sedona for Lisa’s birthday. And among other things, it reminded us of something important about fitness: our training serves our life and adventures.
When the Hotel Gym Surprises You
Picture this: we’re at a reasonably large hotel in Sedona, expecting a decent fitness facility. What did we find? Two treadmills, a stationary bike, a set of dumbbells, and a bench.
That’s it.
But I saw those dumbbells and knew we were good to go. That day’s workout, “TOP-MIDDLE-BOTTOM” called for Crossovers, Walking Lunges, and L-Sit Holds.
I subbed Jumps with arm crosses for the Crossovers (to mimic the rhythm). Walking Lunges, no problem. The L-Sits were the challenge. No parallettes, no boxes, no second bench.
But you know what worked perfectly? Stacking one hex dumbbell on top of another, twice, to create makeshift parallettes.
Sometimes Life Serves Up Plot Twists
A week earlier, our family trip almost didn’t happen. I showed up at the airport with no ID in my wallet — discovered it right at security.
While Lisa flew with the kids, I made a frantic Uber ride home, missed the next flight, rerouted to another airport, and arrived six hours behind everyone else.
The next morning, we discovered our little boutique hotel gave guests access to a 2-story family gym that shared the parking lot.
After all that airport stress, this felt like hitting the jackpot.
That day’s workout was “BAR, BELL, BIKE,” which I made work like this: 3 rounds of Strict Toes-to-Bar (on the cable machine’s pull-up bar handles), dumbbell front squats, and a mile on the stationary bike (with high resistance).
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We got a few looks running between stations and breathing hard, but the staff was amazing. They even gave our kids a deck of Uno cards to keep them occupied.
When You Get Creative, Magic Happens
A couple summers ago we wrote about how we packed empty sandbags and filled them when we arrived in Costa Rica. Game changer.
Using the heavier sandbag for thrusters and Strava to estimate my run distance, I did the 5 rounds of “THUNDER RUN” in the tropical sun.
Was it exactly Rx? No. Was it a great workout that challenged me differently? Absolutely.
The sandbag required extra stabilization that a barbell wouldn’t have demanded.
And then there’s “HOTEL HELL” — Jason Khalipa’s and Chris Spealler’s infamous creation that destroyed us both in under 14 minutes using nothing but two dumbbells each in a tiny hotel gym back in 2019.
We’ve shared this story before, too, and you can witness the shared suffering on YouTube.
Fitness Serves Life, Not the Other Way Around
Here’s what three weeks of travel reinforced: we’re training so we can say yes to life’s adventures.
Some days we did long hikes through red rock canyons. Other days we mountain biked trails that left us exhausted. Call it active recovery, call it what you want — we were tired at the end.
And we’re more than okay that it wasn’t the workout written on the whiteboard.
We’re stoked that we got outside and used our fitness. Because that’s what it’s all about — life outside the gym.
Making It Work Anywhere
Remember: bodyweight movements will take you far. Add a pair of dumbbells, and you can create incredible variety.
The key is adaptability. Can you maintain the intended stimulus with different movements? Can you preserve the workout’s purpose even when the equipment changes?
The Bottom Line
Travel will disrupt your routine. Equipment will be limited. Space will be cramped. And that’s perfectly fine.
Because the real measure of fitness is the confidence to tackle whatever physical challenge is in front of you.
Keep adapting, train smart,
Jeremy and Coach Lisa
WODwell | Co-Creators
