Lifting heavy weights is a great way to increase both strength and muscle size.  But what do you do when you are traveling and don’t have access to heavy weights?  You have to become a more creative with your workouts and make light weight feel heavy.

My favorite way to make light weight feel heavy is to perform the exercise really really slow.  My first few reps will be 40-60 seconds but as I fatigue each rep will become faster and faster.  Once my reps are at a normal pace, I know I’m done.  Increasing the time under tension of the muscle is a great way to increase strength as well as focus on proper technique.

Another great way to make exercises more challenging is to perform exercises one side at a time.  For example, pistol squats, or one legged squats, is a very challenging body weight exercise for your lower body.  One armed pushups are great for your upper body.  You start with the left side and then do the right or vice versa.  Both exercises do not need much room or any equipment.

Super sets or monster sets or giant sets or whatever else kind of sets are great for those with a little time and little weights.  You perform multiple exercises back to back targeting the same muscles back to back with no rest.  If you only have a light weights around, start with the most difficult exercise and then transition to the easier ones.  A great shoulder monster set for shoulders would be: lateral raises, front raises, and ending with military press.  By the time you get to military press, your deltoids will already be fatigued making that lift much more difficult.

So if you’re traveling for work and don’t have access to a ton of equipment, there are still plenty of ways to get in a great strength training session in.  Feel free to even combine two or all of the techniques discussed above.  No excuses!