James Stewart takes his training serious enough to travel with his rower!

One aspect of Motocross that is hard to avoid is the travel. If you are a pro or an industry insider, traveling the AMA SX and MX circuit means a lot of time on the road. Even if you aren’t one of the lucky few who get to travel for racing, many weekend warriors log so many hours for business they have to give their frequent flyer miles as gifts before they expire. Traveling from city to city can be great, but it does pose a problem from a training aspect. Time on the road means time away from your normal training routine which for most people means no training at all. A strange city and packed schedule and the travel itself -- racing to meet connections in airports, long lines, etc.  -- all serve to eject a workout from your day. But it doesn't have to be that way. With a little planning and a few simple things like a jump rope and TransformX Training system, Virtual Trainer's hotel room workout will keep your training program on track and you won't even have to leave your hotel room!

This workout is best done as a circuit, so start with the first exercise and proceed through the last, taking 45 seconds of rest between each exercise. Then take 2 minutes of rest and repeat the circuit. If you have the time and fitness to complete a third circuit, that’s great, but start out with two and work up from there.

Warm-up: Run in place, jump rope, jumping jacks, shadow box, squats, lunges, pushups and sit-ups are all good exercises to get your blood pumping, breathing elevated and muscles ready to work. Once you have broken a sweat complete this full body stretch routine.

1. TransformX Rock and Roll Pushups: With the added instability of the Rock and Roll platform designed specifically for motocross, this one exercise will not only work your back and shoulders but the core strength required to maintain balance will kick your heart rate into high gear making it a great endurance exercise as well. Do as many pushups as possible in 1 minute with perfect form. Pushups can also be performed normally on the floor or with your feet on the bed or chair for added resistance.


2. Alternating Split Squats: Starting in the lunge position (right foot forward, left foot back), quickly switch your feet by jumping. Try keeping your head at or below the level it starter while switching your feet by bending your knees. Keep switching your feet, staying as low as possible in the lunge position moving your feet as quickly as you can with intensity. Do this for 2 minutes. If you have a heart rate monitor you should be working in zone 4.


3. Chair Dips: Place your hands behind you on the edge of a chair (or the bed if there’s no chair). Lower your body until your elbows are at a 90-degree angle (your upper arms should be roughly parallel to the ground). Press back up until your arms are nearly straight, but don’t lock your elbows. Perform as many dips as you can in 1 minute with perfect form.


4. Bed Jumps: This one may get you in some hot water with the hotel management but the benefits are worth the hassle. Standing at the foot of the bed with your feet shoulder width apart, squat down and then explosively jump up onto the bed. Jump or step back to the floor and repeat.  Perform at max intensity for 2 minutes. Heart Rate Zone 4.


5. Windshield Wipers: Lie down between two beds with your waist aligned with the ends of the beds so your legs can be lowered to the right and left, all the way to the floor. Point your feet up to the ceiling, with your arms straight out to the sides, palms down. Hold onto the bottom of the bed for support. Lower your legs to the right, stopping within 1 to 2 inches of the floor. Raise them back to center and down to the left. Do as many as you can in one minute with perfect form. For added intensity have someone "throw" your legs to each side.


6. Plyometric Wall Pushes: Stand about a foot more than arms length away from a wall. Then, with your arms outstretched in front of you, fall forward and catch yourself on the wall. Bend your arms until your nose comes within 2 inches of the wall, pause, and then push explosively with your arms and chest to return to a standing position. Repeat for 2 minutes. The further you stand from the wall and the harder you push, the more intense the exercise. Want to make it harder? Use the bed instead of the wall.


7. Phone Book Crunches: Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Extend your arms straight along the floor above your head and grasp a phone book or anything else like a small suitcase (for added weight). Keep your arms straight and raise your shoulders off the ground as you lift the phone book off the ground. Be sure to use your abdominal muscles for the crunch; don’t just use your shoulders to life the phone book. Repeat for 1 minute as fast as possible with perfect form.

Other Road Warrior Exercises
If you aren't one for spending time in your hotel room and like to venture outside the number and variations of workouts are endless. Pack your running shoes and explore on foot or go to a local bike shop and rent a road bike if you are into cycling. If you find yourself in a high rise hotel, run the steps. Try switching it up by skipping steps and on every other landing stop and do 20 pushups. You can also work on power and endurance by walking the steps; but skip two or three steps at a time making the motion more of a lunge.

Man and Machine has developed the TransformX Moto Endurance Training System specifically for use at home or on the road. The training system is lightweight and compact, perfect for a carry-on type bag and comes complete with everything you need for a sport specific workout. Combined with that jump rope you packed, you have everything you need for a total body workout.

The TRX Suspension Trainer is one of the best pieces of equipment to come along in a long time. It is compact, lightweight and can be setup in any space. This thing is so travel friendly you can even carry it on at airports. Check out this complete page on how to use the TRX trnaiing system specifically for motocross.

Rowing is also an activity that doesn't have to stop just because you are on the road. Many of the top pro teams travel with their rowers in the hauler while more and more are showing up in the pits at each race.  The pros must be on to something. Many hotel gyms have a rower and if not, Concept2 has you covered with a webpage that will locate the nearest rower anywhere in the World. That should just about cover any excuse you can come up with for not training. So the next time you have to hit the road, bookmark this article and don't let a little travel ruin your training program. Good Luck!

That's it for now, until next time, good luck with your training and remember, if you have a question, log on to the Virtual Trainer Expert Forum and have your question answered by a panel of experts. In addition, be sure and check out the Racer X Virtual Trainer archive section. Your complete one-stop information zone for motocross fitness.