Build Muscle While Traveling with a 5 Day Band Routine

Build muscle while traveling to keep your gains coming, whether you’re on the move for business or pleasure!

It can be daunting to travel when you are trying to pack on mass. It may feel like it’s a death sentence for any gains you already have and there is definitely no hope in adding more.

However, the truth is you can stay on track even if you are traveling.

Below, I’ll share a 5 day band routine that I rely on to build muscle while traveling. What I like about the 5 day plan is that it incorporates rest days, so you can use this same routine to cover a 4 to 7 day trip.

First, let’s dig into some info that will help you get the most out of the routine.

Why use bands?

I specifically built this plan around bands, because they are a great tool for resistance when you don’t have access to heavy weights and bars. No one can travel with a suitcase full of plates. Bands are very light weight and easy to carry around, and have other great benefits.

Many bands come with their own storage bag to make this even easier. In addition they often include handles and other attachments to make them very simple to use and multiply the ways in which you can use them to get more exercise options for you.

If you’re looking for different approaches to band workouts, check out my recommended full body resistance band workout and upper body resistance band workout.

Tips to build muscle while traveling

Regardless of what type of workout routine you use, there are some tips that can help you continue to build muscle while traveling.

• Plan ahead. Think about your schedule ahead of time. This helps whether you are traveling on vacation or for work. Either way, you have a lot to do. Don’t leave your workout to chance. Think ahead to when you’ll be busy, too tired, and when you can get the most out of a workout.
• Find your location. There are great options for where you can workout when you are away from home. Choose what motivates you. Here are some ideas:
  • Work out in your hotel room.
  • Choose a hotel with a gym.
  • Find lodging with a gym nearby. You can use a day pass or you may have access as a member of a national chain.
  • Use a park nearby. Sometimes public parks have outdoor equipment that is available to use.
• Energize yourself with peers. You can find a local gym if you prefer to be around others, instead of working out alone in your room. Another option is to check Facebook or other sites for meetups for people looking to work out.
• Get creative. The workout below will be based on bands and bodyweight, but you can find resistance in other ways. A bag or luggage can be used as a weight. Tables and chairs can be used to provide support for various exercises.
• Make time to rest. Recovery is when you actually build muscles stronger and better after a workout tears them apart. Sleep builds muscle while traveling, so don’t hesitate to get plenty of it.
• Relax. Building muscle has to be a lifestyle choice, not a forced addition to your day. Don’t let workouts get in the way of taking a break and enjoying yourself. Also, don’t let working out take over the entire trip. Even in this situation, your goal is to get in and out in under an hour.

Check out my post on how to best work out while traveling to get a deeper dive into the topic.

5 day band routine to build muscle while traveling

Here’s what I would suggest and do myself for a 5 day plan. It’s flexible, and easy to perform with body weight and bands only.

If you’re wondering how I decided on the splits I use, read up on choosing which muscles to work out together.

• Day 1- Biceps and Back
  • Bicep Curls– Stand on the center of the band, and use handles on each side to curl the band.
  • Seated Band Rows– I prefer to sit with my legs stretched out in front of me. Then, I wrap the band around my feet to shorten it. This will increase the tension that’s often missing when people try to work out their back with bands.
• Day 2- Triceps and Chest
  • Tricep pull downs- Some bands come with an attachment that allows you to use a closed door as an anchor. This looks like a tiny foam roller. Or, I’ve used the arm of a heavy hotel door to loop a band through and use that as an anchor above my head.
  • Pushups– You can use just bodyweight or include the bands for an additional challenge. This is my favorite exercise to build muscle without weights, which makes it a great way to build muscle while traveling.
• Day 3- Legs
  • Band Squats
  • Band Romanian Deadlifts
• Day 4- Rest- Surprise! Just like training at home, recovery is important for your muscles to grow. Building rest days into your travel workout plan will ensure you have a fun experience, and stay committed to gains.
• Day 5- Shoulders
  • Band Side Lateral Raises– The banded version of the side lateral raise is killer for your shoulders, especially if you slow the movement down and pause at the top. My favorite variation is to use the middle of the exercise as the point where I keep my “resting” arm while the other arm is moving. Basically, instead of working one arm at a time, and having the resting arm down by my side, I keep my arm under tension and out away from my body. The point is to use isometric contraction to increase time under tension.

Again, the point here is to think ahead, so you are less likely to be tempted to skip a workout instead of blending it into your travel. For example, maybe don’t hit your legs the morning before you go on a hike. Also, if you need to move your rest days around, it might be helpful to line them up with your actual travel dates when you’ll be running around in an airport.

You can rework the schedule to fit a 4 day trip, or even stretch it out to a week with more rest or additional combination exercises incorporated. Then, if you repeat that 7 day schedule, you now have a plan that will carry you for multiple weeks.

Most importantly, don’t skip on training because you are traveling, and don’t give up travel because you are trying to gain mass. It is possible to build muscle while traveling with the right approach.

Thoughts or questions? Let me know in the comments!