Workout Ideas While in Africa?

I’m leaving for a missions trip to Africa this Tuesday. I’m somewhat lost on what would be an effective program for mainly body weight stuff. I have a friend going that is a cross fitter and he said he has some ideas but I know there would be no rhyme or rhythm to what he would be suggesting.

I’m going to be pulse feasting for 10 days while I am there. I’m looking to start cutting as it will be hard to gain anything so I might as well try to get shredded. So I was thinking I’ll probably do wind sprints, various push ups, pull ups, pistol squats and goblet squats. I’m not sure how to put things together and what type of split to do?

I mainly just want to not lose any muscle size. Especially in my upper body. I’ve been on HP Mass. I’m probably like 13% bf. I still have a six pack but thats probably cause my abs are fairly thick. My arms are like 16’’ while my legs are like 26. So if anything gain something on my arms.

Does anyone have some suggestions on a template for a program using mainly body weight exercises?

How long will you be there? When I was deployed to places like that, I would take those elastic bands with me and just focus on what “curls” I could, “shoulder presses” and then push ups. That shit drove me crazy.

I’m sort of in the same position…I’m working on a ranch in Montana for 5-6 months. I’m doing push-ups, pull-ups, dips, and then I fill a water bucket to do curls and lateral raises.

Really though, its only a couple months out of (hopefully) 20+ years of lifting, so I’m trying not to stress about it. There’s more to life than lifting.

Enjoy your time, and make the most out of it.

how long will you be there?

doing “crossfit” style workouts is probably a good idea. id just focus on trying to maintain what muscle you have while upping your conditioning and dropping some body fat.

using bands like prof X said, is a good idea, use sand bags for presses and med ball toss style exercises.

give a few more details and ill be able to give you some good suggestions.

yeah dude, like Greg said, do crossfit stuff. Better yet, go to military athlete’s website and email the owner (Robb I think). He’s pretty cool, and he will give you tips for stuff to do. He’s the man. Are you doing this for military?

fight a lion?

[quote]jwesus wrote:
fight a lion?[/quote]

fuckin…exactly what I was gonna say. Find a young lion and fight it. As it grows, so will you. And you’ll be best buds.

Great idea with the bands and buckets. Thanks. Didn’t think about those.

I’m only going to be gone for 14 days. Traveling about 4 of those.

I’m a Christian and I’m going as missionary. I’ll be doing soccer camps, sharing the Gospel, helping churches and the people in Swaziland.

My diet will basically be Metabolic Drive bars, beef jerky, cliff bars, and whatever protein I can get while traveling. While I’m not traveling I’ll be pulse feasting for the 10 days. I should have access to some clean foods for the dinners and will take advantage of that.

I should have a place to do sprints, pull ups, and any other body weight stuff. I should be able to take some bands and I will have 5 gallon buckets. And I will have a friend working out with me.

I’m not to savvy with how to structure an effective program… especially one geared towards maintaining size and fat loss. All I can think of doing would be like a 4 day split. Two upper, push/pull style, and two lower. With active recovery stuff on off days.

Goals would be no size loss on my arms and losing some fat.

Would a circuit type workout be best?
And what rep/set ranges would be good? I should be able to adjust resistance with things to go to failure on different rep ranges.

2 weeks? lol

Dont even worry about it. If you get out there and and hit up pushups and pull ups you’ll be fine with 2 weeks.

You can generally do “strong man” type stuff because there’s heavy stuff in every country.

blast straps, bands.

also bench press an African.

Antagonize a cheetah to strengthen cardio…

Seriously though, it sounds like you have the basics all ready. What kind of nutrition will you have available to you?

[quote]BookemD wrote:
Antagonize a cheetah to strengthen cardio…

Seriously though, it sounds like you have the basics all ready. What kind of nutrition will you have available to you? [/quote]

Duh! Nevermind, I just realized you already posted your nutritional plans…my bad!

Two Weeks? Honestly go down there, maybe go for a run or two, some push ups/pull ups if your losing your mind…but just go down and enjoy the experience and give your body a break. You will come back with a new training hunger to get yourself back in full effect.

[quote]eeu743 wrote:

[quote]jwesus wrote:
fight a lion?[/quote]

fuckin…exactly what I was gonna say. Find a young lion and fight it. As it grows, so will you. And you’ll be best buds.[/quote]

hahahaha LMFAO

[quote]Matt Szwarz wrote:
Two Weeks? Honestly go down there, maybe go for a run or two, some push ups/pull ups if your losing your mind…but just go down and enjoy the experience and give your body a break. You will come back with a new training hunger to get yourself back in full effect. [/quote]

That and here is a good spill on things you could do prior to leaving http://www.T-Nation.com/strength-training-topics/675

JOIN AN AFRICAN GYM

Also, see Rocky IV training montage (in the barn) for further improvisational training ideas

Since you are in South Africa, I suggest you skip the lion and go for a great white or hippo.

[quote]Matt Szwarz wrote:
Two Weeks? Honestly go down there, maybe go for a run or two, some push ups/pull ups if your losing your mind…but just go down and enjoy the experience and give your body a break. You will come back with a new training hunger to get yourself back in full effect. [/quote]

This. I mean, two weeks… You’ve got this great experience ahead of you, just make the most of it.

Pick up something heavy and do Zerchers if you go nuts :slight_smile:

Deadlift the crocodiles, curl the gazelles, climbing the tree to get away from the lion will qualify as pull-ups, and use the hippopotamus for “sled work”.

I have never been to Africa, but those are my suggestions based on what I imagine it is like.