How to stick to an Olympic weightlifting program while traveling long term

I had been training hard for the past year and a half before I decided to leave home. I had just come back from a year off work and I was slowly getting adjusted to training and working part-time. My numbers were going up and I was finally beginning to feel like I knew what I was doing. The gym no longer intimidated me. I felt strong. I felt empowered. And most of all I could snatch and clean and jerk. I had a routine and I loved it.

And then I decided to go on a trip of a lifetime and long-term travel.

What was this going to do for my lifting? I started worrying about my progress. Would I be able to lift while traveling? If I didn’t, what would happen to my numbers? Am I dedicated enough to train without my coach? Would I be too caught up with traveling to even make time for weightlifting?

I knew that worrying wasn’t going to do me any good so I refocused my energy. I knew training while traveling was something I wanted. I knew that I had the determination to get it done. I knew because for the past year and half I lived and breathed weightlifting. A new city wasn’t going to change that. And after two cities, I’m happy to report that I’ve been training consistently and hitting PRs. So all that worrying was for nothing!

“I knew that I had the determination to get it done.”

— BOLD+FIT (Jen)

If you’re thinking about traveling long term and want to continue weightlifting, put in a little research early on. I’ve put together a few steps that have helped me along the way:

1) Pick a program

If you’re already following a program posted online, great! That’s one less thing you have to worry about. If not, I urge you to talk to your current coach and discuss your options. You can see if your current coach can continue writing a program for you, or you can find a program online tailored to your goals. Either way, having a game plan for when you do decide to move will keep you on track and ready to lift. Time it so that your current program ends right before your move. That way you can start fresh with your new program in your new city.

2) Pick a gym

This is the fun part: researching where you’re going to be lifting. New cities mean new facilities. Have fun with this! Ask around and see if any of your buddies know any weightlifters and find out where they lift. Maybe they are apart of a weightlifting team that you can join while you’re in town. You can even look for weightlifting clubs on USAW’s website. It’s a great way to find already existing weightlifting communities. If that doesn’t pan out, start searching for gyms online. I like to use Yelp. Use search terms like “Olympic weightlifting platforms in [CITY]” or “squat racks in [CITY]” to help narrow the results. Fellow weightlifters make good reviewers and they often include number of platforms or availability of equipment in their reviews.

If you’re having trouble finding a gym, have a look at recreation centers, college gyms and local Crossfit boxes. One thing to note about Crossfit boxes: be diligent about checking their schedule. Some boxes have wide open hours when you can drop-in at any time. Others have very limited drop-in hours which will severely limit when you can train.

3) Negotiate price

If you’re going to be in your new city for only a short amount of time, don’t be afraid to negotiate price. In Boulder I was able to get the initiation fee and activation fee waived. I also signed my cancellation form on the same day I signed up to avoid any recurring costs later down the line. In Austin I was able to negotiate a pro-rated rate for my second month since I was only staying for 6 weeks. And as you know, weightlifting can be an expensive sport. So any money saved is more money for you to keep lifting and traveling.

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4) Be flexible, but stay dedicated

Even though the plan is for long-term travel, exploring new cities will always make you feel like you’re on vacation. And it doesn’t matter if you’re an athlete or not, vacations make it difficult to stay motivated and focused. Pick a program that you can stick with. If you’re used to training 4-5 days a week, try scaling it down to only 3 days. That way you’re still training and staying focused, but you’re allowing yourself more days to explore your new city. Switching your workout times is also another way to stay flexible. Shift you workouts based on your schedule. That could mean training in the AM to accommodate your evening plans. Or maybe you have to do back to back days in order to have a free day on Friday. Either way, listen to your body and be smart about your decisions. Use your progress to measure if you need to scale your training up or down.

5) Meet people

It’s easy to bond when you both lift heavy shit over your head. Weightlifters are apart of a small and unique community. Introduce yourself, don’t be scared. People are super friendly and incredibly supportive. If you’re shy, start with “Oh hey, what program do you follow?” or “Hi, I’m new here. How long have you been coming here?” You’ll be surprised how easy it is to strike up a conversation. In addition to other weightlifters, you’ll undoubtedly meet a lot of other awesome people just because you’re snatching and clean and jerking. In Boulder, I met a lot of people just because they were interested in the lifts I was doing. So don’t be shy!