What is the best way to eat & stay in shape on a 2 week road trip (50 hours total in a car).
Tucker Loken Answered question August 10, 2018
Hey Kyle,
It’s hard to eat right when you’re on a long road trip. Â I would buy a big cooler and stuff it with as much pre-made meals as possible. Â You can always make some pit stops to grab more supplies and if you’re staying in a hotel, try and find one that has a kitchenette so you can prep and setup your nutrition for the next leg of the journey.
As far as staying in shape: Â I’ve always relied on taking a couple of heavy kettlebells on road trips to do some presses, rows, front squats and swings. Â They are very portable and effective. Â I would also take a selection of different bands to do some alternative exercises. Â They are also extremely versatile and effective. Â A few small workouts within your two week travel period will help a ton and you won’t feel guilty missing your regular workouts.
Hope this helps!
Ken
Ken Whetham Answered question August 2, 2018
It depends! How extreme is what you are trying to accomplish?
Diet: Are you a bodybuilder at single digit body fat and trying to get even leaner for a show? Then you better be prepping two weeks worth of food to bring with you in a giant cooler. I’m going to assume that you are a powerlifter who pays attention to what they eat. My recommendation in that case is to make the best food choices you can where you eat. Every restaurant will have something reasonable to eat. Even snacks on the road can be decent- a protein bar and some jerky isn’t a bad choice. 2 weeks of doing your best to eat clean isn’t going to kill your progress, especially if you are simply a nutritionally aware lifter and not Mr. Olympia.
Training: Same answer! 2 weeks of deloading isn’t going to matter much in the long run. Do the McGill work. Walk a ton. Bring some bands with you to do some fluffy work in a hotel room. Bodyweight movements will go a long way too, pushups, lunges and so on. Get gym sessions in when and where you can but don’t fret it too much if you don’t get everything in.
Moral of the story- training and diet are a long term play, a marathon that is won over years and years of consistency. Do your best to eat well and be active while you travel but also realize that 2 weeks of being off your game a bit isn’t going to derail you entirely.
Daniel Dalenberg Answered question August 7, 2018
Hey Kyle,
I just moved across the country a year ago, so I know a thing or two about this one.
First, you’re not going to be perfect, but try to make good choices. All the sitting and driving is going to mess with your normal routine, and you may feel less hungry than you normally do. This is fine, just eat as your appetite allows.
Second, it can also be a huge hassle trying to find clean food on your way, and its tempting to eat junk. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have some granola bars, string cheese and other goodies along the way, try to keep the snacks to a minimum. Luckily a lot of chain restaurants are having healthier options now, so you can get a burrito bowl at chipotle, or a chicken salad at subway and those will do you good. To fill in the gaps, some almonds or healthy nuts and stuff like that can really help. Overall I’d try to keep carbs low because most carbs you’ll find on the road are junk carbs.
Finally, if you can do something to stay active, that will go a long way to making you feel healthy and not wanting to turn to food each day for a little endorphin spike. If you can find a gym in the local town you’re at and see if they have free trial passes, or even just pay for a day pass and get a couple workouts in each week, it’ll make your body feel good. If you’ve got no access, even just a nice brisk walk in the mornings and some push-ups, jump squats, core work and stuff like that in your room will definitely get your blood moving.
Tucker Loken Answered question August 10, 2018
