Functional Pursuit - Fitness and Nutrition

I have been so busy lately with traveling but we finally found somewhere to chill and train as much as we want!

Nothing better and more inspiring than training in the sun, on a beach, in a tiny little island in Indonesia!

Wod
10 RFT:
10 ring dips
10 alternating pistols
100m run (or in and around that just pick a distance that suits the area you are in)

Then as a finisher a quick dip in the sea :)

To scale this for a workout at home just run down to a local park(or use your garden for a few laps) and use push ups and squats instead!

TRAINING ABROAD: Structuring training

I have been traveling and training abroad now for 3+ months. How do I plan my training sessions or even a weeks training when I don't know where I shall be, what facilities I will have at hand and what free time I will have? Here is a simple guide line that I try to stick by to keep myself active;

I try to train 3 times per week. I usually just leave about an hour for each session but this can vary dependent on where I am- more time will be needed in a gym than a park. I break up each training session into different muscles/skills/ strength and conditioning sessions so as they dont conflict with each other.

Day 1 Upperbody
-Focus Muscle ups/ back levers

-15mins: progressions for back lever
-15mins MU work: 5x2 strict and a few skills to help transitions and keeping positions
-10mins extra work: strict pull ups or something to help strengthen the muscles needed for the above skills
-10-20 mins conditioning: all dependent on what we are doing(short and intense one day and longer and more aerobic the next).

Day 2 lowerbody
Focus Pistols
-Weighted pistols: 3x8-10 reps
-Bulgarian spilt squats weighted in some way (DB or bag etc)
- Conditioning;
longer session at a slow pace

I would try to keep this structure flowing all the time upper/lower body days different skills and conditioning, always mixing up the exercises and routines to keep them enjoyable. This is just an example of how I try to structure my training when all the variables are unknown. The same logic can easily be applied when normal day routines can affect your ability to exercise on a consistent basis at home.

If anyone has any specific questions on how to apply this kind of structure to your training at home or abroad, as always, just let me know.

TRAINING ABROAD: Rings

The rings are a brilliant tool that I chose to bring with me while traveling. They can be so versitile plus they are small and compact and dont take up much space. I have incorporated the rings into my training in many ways such as skill work, strength work and also in conditioning.

Time and time again, whenever I take the rings out, whether its in a park or a gym everyone seems so interested in what I am doing and I have to give them a go. I have met many people on my travels so far that I have helped jump up on the rings for the first time. They loved it and I am always happy to help coach them no matter what I am doing. Pictured here is Drew on the rings for the first time in Vietnam! The rings require a lot of stability/control and patience and so can be daunting the first time you try them but just like Drew with a little bit of coaching you will get a hang of the rings quite quickly! Everyone is capable!

Traveling has made me so much more aware of my surroundings. It has made me realise how many opportunities there are out there to exercise once you start looking. I love/ miss the gym and everything you can do in them but when you take a look outside there are so many things to do and more places than you would think to train in. You can look for a local park/pitch, you can hike or run up a mountain, outdoor gyms have even started popping up everywhere. Nothing will ever beat the equipment you can get in the gym but sometimes the inspirational environment of the outdoors can push you further. Go check your local surroundings today and see if you can notice some new places for those days you just don't have time for a trip to the gym. I've been to a lot of countries on my travels and am constantly surprised at the amount I can do without my usual equipment.

TRAINING ABROAD: Pull ups

Pull ups are one of the important and famous upperbody exercises. First off the pull up requires a good deal of upper body strength (lats, rhomboids, biceps, forearms). Control and stability are the other two key components needed to perform the exercise correctly. The average man can probably pull off 1 or so reps of a pull up naturally whilst women find it harder as they wouldn't have the same muscle mass as their male counterparts. It will take time and practice, but, everyone is capable of completing the exercise. I have seen many people who couldn't do any(and never thought they would be able to) progress to performing multiple reps with ease.

If you are interested in starting to add these to your own training or want to improve what you already have here is a few tips and exercises to try;

- Negative reps
- Band assisted
- Parter assisted
- Ring or inverted rows

These can be done in many different rep and set schemes. Try to hit these reps and sets, but if you can't just focus on adding on a rep every time you return to the exercise;
Reps 8-10/Sets 3-4

If you are doing negative reps try to do 3-5 reps/3 sets and make ever rep last 3 secs on the lowering down phase of the exercise.

If you are already proficient at pull ups here is a few that I have been adding to my training recently;

- Weighted dumbbell or bag
- Strict chest to bar
- Band resisited
- Tempo pull ups
- Towel pull ups (more focused on grip strength)

Pull ups are a great exercise to build upperbody strength, build a strong upper back and shoulder girdle. It is also an important exercise that will help you progress towards bigger goals in the future such as muscle ups etc. If you have more question on pull ups dont hesitate to mail us. Here is an example workout I did recently with the predominant focus on pull ups.

Strength work:
- band resisted pull ups 3x failure (record reps)
- inverted ring rows 3x10-12 with 3 sec negative (or 3 secs lowering down)

Conditioning
For time
-500 Double unders or 1000 single unders
- But EMOM 5 pull ups or ring rows

TRAINING ABROAD: Pistols

Pistols or a single leg squat is a great exercise to be able to perform. First off the pistol squat requires great balance, leg strength, flexibility and coordination. Chances are you will never see anyone get this movement on their first attempt due to the difficulty of the exercise- I know I didn't. Many people are able to perform heavy back squats but can't do pistols as they lack one or more of the skills above ie. they can get into a good position ( flexibilty) but they dont have the co-ordination or balance to go down into the squat or just dont have any leg strength to get back up.

Whilst I'm traveling for a few months maintaining leg strength is a big issue as i don't have access to a gym and heavy weights regularly. For this reason I use Pistols quite a lot to work my legs. I have performed them in a few different ways to increase the difficulty and this has allowed me to work my legs in more ways than thought I could.

- Weighted (Dumbell, Bag)
- Paused
- One a box/ chair
- One and a half squats

I find these great for working my legs (quads, glutes, hips). At the moment whilst traveling I perform them twice a week and mix up the variations from above and generally just peform 3-4 sets and 8-12 reps depending on what I am doing. If you can't perform a pistol and want to try them I would suggest asking a qualified coach to teach you first but you can always try it yourself and drill it. Here are a few examples;

- off the side of a chair/box
- heel elevated
- holding onto an object (door, rings)

If you ever need a hand with any of the above mail us! As always, we are happy to help. Here is a workout I performed recently with pistols;

Strength/balance work:
- Paused pistol 3x8 each leg ( use this to get comfortable in the bottom and don't loose balance on the way up)

Core: Accumulate 5mins in a plank position (beat previous times of rest)

Conditioning:
12min amrap
- 5 pistols each leg
-10 ring dips or push ups
- 200m jog

Hi guys, i have another great healthy recipe for you to try inspired by Cian's travels.

Hearty Vietnamese Beef Stew:

I’ve made this quite a few times and originally got the recipe from paleo leap but tweaked it a bit to suit my own needs, so it is a really versatile recipe that you can add or omit ingredients. It does require nearly 2 hours cooking time but once the prep is done it all goes into one pot and you can leave it simmer away while you do something else. It is definitely worth the wait though as the end result is a delicious, spicy and comforting stew full of protein, some fats and if served with rice (I usually have wholegrain rice) then your macronutrients are looked after. The recipe also provides a healthy dose of vitamin C and prebiotics. Hope you enjoy!
Ingredients:
-600g diced beef
-150g mushrooms
-2 red peppers
-4 carrots
-3 shallots (finely chopped)
-3 bird eye chilis (finely chopped)
-1 tin chopped tomatoes
-2 lemongrass stalks (finely chopped)
-3cloves garlic (finely chopped)
-1 tbsp. honey
-1 tbsp. tomato puree
-500ml beef stock
-1 star anise
-1 tbsp. 5 spice
-2 tbsp. soy sauce
-1 tbsp. coconut oil

Instructions:
Marinade the beef with the soy sauce, lemongrass, garlic and honey. Give it a good stir then cover and leave for at least an hour (overnight is even tastier).
Melt the coconut oil in a large pot, on a high heat brown the beef, reduce to a medium heat and add the shallots and chilies and cook for a further 3 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients stir and reduce heat again to a low setting. Leave it simmer for 1hr 45mins. This recipe will feed 4 hungry mouths, it can be doubled and keeps well in the freezer.
Pierse.

TRAINING ABROAD:

Make sure you don't underestimate the simple things around you. I Had a pool in the hotel I stayed in and so I said I would do a little conditioning. Here is what I did;

21-15 - 9 -15 - 21
- Down ups (burpee w/out a jump)
- 5 full lengths of the pool between rounds of down ups (pool was quite short 10m up and 10 back so lower if using a larger pool)

The swimming was a killer but I enjoyed it. Give it a try if you ever get the chance. I don't normal include swimming in conditioning so it was definitely a good challenge

Lovely to see pictures of our recipes in action! Glad to see people are enjoying them! If there is anything else anyone would like to see be turned into a healthy dish let us know! ☺

TRAVELING ABROAD: Finding a place to exercise

Finding a suitable place to exercise is a crucial part of your training when away! It will keep you motivated if you find a good environment that provides opportunities for you to be innovative when it comes to your training. It really is not as hard as you would think. You can google local gyms or ask locals where would be a good choice. What I do quite a lot is use the first day I am in a new city/town to go for a walk, take in my surroundings and find a good place to train. This can be a park, beach or I have actually found a lot of outdoor public gyms. If you are confused about what to do for training if you only have a few days and short amount of time to exercise mail us as we shall be happy to help. A few people have already mailed us and we love providing any assistance we can.

Here is a workout I did when I found an outdoor public gym;

-Muscle up practice 10mins
- Pull ups 5x failure
- Ring rows 3x10 (slow eccentric)

Conditioning;
Every 2 mins complete the following and rest the remainder.
Complete 5 rounds in total.

-40 Double Unders
-20 Mountain Climbers
-10 Pull ups

As always this can be done at home or in a gym and can be scaled down for all levels. An example of this would be as follows;

Muscle up practice - Pick a drill to help you get closer to achieving a muscle up. Or even pick a completely different skill you would like to learn and work towards a new goal.

Pull ups- Band assisted or Negative Pull ups
Ring rows - Change the angle you perform them from. The more horizontal you are the harder it is and the more vertical the easier.

Conditioning;
40 Single Unders
20 Mountain Climbers
10 Ring Rows

If anybody does this training session let us know! The conditioning session was actually quite fun :)

As I discussed the other day, one of the most important things in training is commitment. One the best ways to ensure you remain committed is to set goals. Goals are a major part of exercise. What's the point of doing it if there is no end goal in mind? Whether your goal is weightloss, astheics or functionality everyone has an something they are working for.

Top Tip: Set a short term goal, something that is achievable and motivates you to work harder.

While there are many different options you can have when it comes to setting goals there are a number of steps which can apply regardless of the area you are interested in;

1. Find out where you are
2. Find out where you want to go
3. Set parameters for achieving your goal- This is where we can help you, feel free to mail the page with any queries or questions you have in relation to this step and we will be glad to talk to you about the appropriate parameters for your goal.

Carl is a follower of this page who had a simple goal of being committed to keeping active whilst on holidays. He mailed us and while on holidays did the previous training session that we posted a couple of days ago-handstands, planks and a conditioning session.

If anyone else hits up the workouts we suggest or if you use any of the recipes posted mail us with a picture so we can feature it on the page. Here is Carl doing a handstand as part of his workout in the south of France!

TRAINING ABROAD: BEING COMMITTED

I said to myself before I left that I would have to be committed to training. If exercise is a big part of your life or if you want it to be then you won't want to stop for any amount of time. Being committed to me meant getting stuck into exercising straight away rather than pushing it to the side and saying ill start on monday! [as everyone does ;)]. Once I arrived in my first city (Beijing) I decided to exercise in my room to get the ball rolling!!! This is what i did;

- Strict Handstand push ups (3xfailure)
- Accumulate 5 mins in handstand position
- Accumulate 5 mins in a plank

Conditioning
15min amrap (as many rounds as possible)
- 5 push ups
- 10 burpees
- 15 sit ups

As always this can be done at home depending on your level of fitness and skill. To scale this down all you have to do is lower down the skill level of a certain exercise and/ or the repetitions or duration . An example of this is as follows;

- Push ups (on your knees if needed)
- Accumulate 3 mins in a plank position

Conditioning
10min amrap
10 burpees
15 sit ups

Figuring out the workouts is the easy bit. The hard part is finding a way to maintain or build some form of strength without having access to proper weights and how to structure a few days training without knowing what you will have access to or whether you will be able to find the time! This is what I am here for- to make this part of the training easier for you to ensure you can stay on top of your training with minimal equipment so that you can easily slot in some cardio/strength work before you head off in the morning or before you pick the kids up from school.

As always, let me know if you have any specific questions on anything I have talked about!