Hotel Workouts for Baseball Tournaments
Summer and travel baseball are in full swing, but how can you maintain your workouts on the road? Hotel gyms can be hit or miss, trust me, as a player and coach, I’ve seen a lot of hotel gyms.
In this article, I will give you a dumbbell workout and a bodyweight workout you can perform on the road to maintain your strength and performance at your next tournament.
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Tournament Baseball
First off, there are baseball tournaments EVERY week of the summer. There is no shortage of tournaments and hotels are now popping up all around these sites.
Most baseball tournaments are pretty consistent when it comes to how many days you will be at whichever tournament. More than likely, you will likely play in 3, 5 or 7 Day tournaments.
Another item to keep in mind is the potential for long car rides and plane trips. Your sleep may be impacted as well. I remember experiencing my first red-eye flight with my team from Boston going Detroit at 3 am to go to AAU Nationals when I was 16. That was not fun. It took me at least 2 days to feel recovered. I’m just glad my start wasn’t during those first few days.
Now add the following to the mix:
- Hot summer days
- High effort performances
- Hotel/restaurant food every day
That is a perfect mix to breakdown your body.
The Problem with Hotel Gyms
Hotel gyms are very hit or miss. I have been in some hotels where it was like any other gym with dumbbells, cable tower, and medicine balls. Everything you would need to get in your entire lifting session.
I have also seen the other spectrum. Here’s your broken down treadmill, a yoga mat, and exercise bike from 1992. Don’t forget the inspiration poster near the empty water fountain. Don’t be shocked if you also find lots of turquoises and or maroon.
Plan Ahead
Hopefully, the hotel you and your team are staying in has a fancy website to book your stay with images of their amenities (hint: google your hotel). When you’re looking for the gym, also check out the what kind of food and nutrition they will have
Download my Top 10 Game Day Nutrition Tips for Baseball Players
The Warmup
Yes, you still need to warm up. I get kids all the time who come in from a game and want to jump right into their lift.
Don’t make the excuse. Take the 5-10 minutes to get your body ready. For some, doing this warmup may be plenty, especially if you just played a doubleheader in 90+ heat on turf. If that’s the case, drink water and eat some food. Try to see if you can work out at a later time or different day.
Foam Rolling (5-10 rolls per body section)
Active Series
The 1 Dumbbell Workout Program
Yep, you guessed it, you will only need 1 dumbbell for this workout.
Why just 1 dumbbell? Hotel gyms rarely go beyond 50 pounds if they even have dumbbells. For most of you older athletes, that can’t replace your heavy barbell squats or deadlifts.
So, what can we do to maximize your workout for the equipment and space provided?[H3]
We can still work strength, but we can also make sure your movement quality is being maintained. We can also work on your core stability, balance, and prepare your body for the next few games ahead.
Being sore is not the goal. When you have a small window AND limited equipment, the goal is to maintain your high performance. This will keep your body from breaking down until you get home back to your gym and standard program.
Circuit 1
How Many Sets: 2-3
How Many Reps: 6
Exercises: Contralateral Reverse Lunge with Knee Drive, 1 Arm Bent Over Row, Standing Anti-Rotation Press
Circuit 2
How Many Sets: 2-3
How Many Reps: 6
Exercises: Goblet Squat, Yoga Pushup, Dead Bug
Circuit 3
How Many Sets: 2-3
How Many Reps: 6
Exercises: Contralateral 1 Leg RDL, Forward + Reverse Bear Crawl
The Bodyweight Workout
Now, if your hotel does not have dumbbells, here is a great bodyweight workout you can perform. This can be done in your hotel room or in an open space.
Maintaining good movement quality is the main purpose of this bodyweight hotel workout.
Circuit 1
How Many Sets: 2-3
How Many Reps: 6-8
Exercises: Bodyweight Squat, Yoga Pushup, Dead Bug
Circuit 2
How Many Sets: 2-3
How Many Reps: 6-8 (Hollow Holds are :15s each leg)
Exercises: Bodyweight Reverse Lunge with Knee Drive, Split Stance Reaching RDL, Level 1 Hollow Hold
Putting It All Together
Summer baseball can be long and draining. I know of baseball programs who play in 6-8 tournaments throughout the summer. That’s 1/2 to 3/4 of your entire summer!
On a minimum, you are losing 4 days where you can work out if you leave on a Thursday and get home on Sunday.
You need to take care of your body. Finding 30-45 minutes to perform these workouts will help keep you healthy and performing at a high level!
Nick Esposito
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This is fantastic – Great use of time and space when you may be on the go.