Building Your Own Gym - The Essentials: Car/RV Living Edition

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Welcome to Part 4 of the "Building Your Own Gym" Series. This series will focus on the top 5 items I believe are best for creating your own "gym" based on your individual situation. As the title indicates, part 4 in this series is focused on best equipping the fitness needs of those living their best lives on the road, in their own cars or RVs (or any other vehicular device). 


1. Kettlebells:

Incredibly versatile, a kettlebell is an absolute game-changer for your fitness if you love to travel and are living out of your RV or car. Living in your car/RV necessitates that you take maximal advantage of your space. Kettlebells take up very little space and are extremely fun for training. Buying one kettlebell will absolutely suffice for your nomad training. A single kettlebell will allow you to do any unilateral pressing and rowing movements for building your upper body, while also allowing for kettlebell swings, goblet squats, cleans, and snatches for training your lower body and explosiveness. Because this is such an important piece of equipment for your fitness travels, I suggest investing in a high-quality kettlebell, but you know best what you need and want!

Top of the Line - 

On A Budget - 

  • Weider Cast Iron Kettlebells - Side-note: The grip on these kettlebells is not nearly as nice as the Rogue or Kettlebell King Kettlebells. It is wide and can get quite slippery. Try using athletic tape on the handle if you purchase the Weider cast iron kettlebells. Otherwise, no complaints. Solid kettlebell for a great price.



2. Jump Rope:

 Taking up just about no space at all, jump ropes are a no-brainer for this list. If you didn't know already, jumping rope is one of the most effective ways (if not the most effective) to burn calories through endurance training. As an added bonus, it's also extremely fun, increases your athleticism and coordination, and can be done anywhere on a flat surface. Ramp up the intensity to get a real sweat going, or use it as a recovery or warmup tool to get the blood flowing through your muscles. When purchasing a jump rope for outdoor use (what you will be doing mostly given your situation) investing in a more durable jump rope is wise. Something that can hold up well from the beating it might take on hot asphalt parking lots or playground concrete. Jump ropes with a PVC Cord or thicker, shatterproof beads will be your best bet. 

Option(s) - 

BEADED - 

PVC - 



3. Suspension Trainer:

    Just like the jump rope, Suspension Trainers will take up very little space in your vehicle and can be made to fit just about wherever you can find a space. Suspension trainers likewise pack quite the punch. If you can find a playground, tree limb, or chain-linked fence, you have the perfect setup for your suspension trainer. Suspension trainers totally open up your bodyweight exercise variety and make sure you aren't having boring workouts. Ever. Your creativity is the only thing holding you back. 

As a side note, in order to turn the gymnastic rings into more of a TRX Suspension system, you will need to buy a strong carabiner that you can slide the gymnastic straps through while also being able to hook the carabiner up to a chain-link fence (or wherever the carabiner can attach to). 

Option(s) - (Suspension Trainers)



4. Resistance Bands:

    Resistance bands are fantastic for travel because they allow you to hit muscle groups that you otherwise have difficulty targeting without gym equipment. I'm talking biceps, shoulders, and scapula primarily. Resistance bands also are fantastic for hitting a trio of my favorite core exercises: The Palloff press, Palloff rotation, and Overhead Pallof Press. Try them all out and you will quickly discover how effective they can be for your training. If you plan to add resistance bands to your travel stack, opt for looped bands over straight bands. Looped bands are much more durable and versatile and allow for easier attachment to posts and fences as well as stepping into the band for added resistance in your training.

Option(s) - 



5. Weight Vest:

Increase the intensity of all your workouts by investing in a weight vest. Throw on a 10+ pound weight vest for all your workouts - running, kettlebell, bodyweight, hiking, etc. - and you will immediately feel the difference in the difficulty of your workouts. Furthermore, a weight vest is easy to store, especially if you invest in a quality one. Get a quality weight vest if you choose to go this route. Nothing is worse than getting a bulky weight vest that interferes with your pushups, squats, or lunges because it is too bulky or doesn't fit well. You will not regret your investment in a high-quality weight vest. 

Option(s) - 

















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