Oi from Rio 🇧🇷 !

Carnival is over, and after back-to-back trips through Panamá, Colombia, and now Brazil, I’m exhausted.

That said, time with friends and family always nourishes the soul, and I’m feeling very grateful for that.

Since I’ve been traveling for 3 weeks, I want to talk about strategies for maintaining performance, training, and nutrition on the road, and how to keep moving toward your goals.

I also include at the end 3 different travel-friendly exercises that you can use when you are short on equipment and/or gym access.

Let’s learn more 👇️ 

Sustaining Strength, Performance, and Nutrition on the Road

Travel disrupts routine (duh, Ivan) but performance isn’t about perfection—it’s about consistently applying the right principles, no matter the environment.

Strength and endurance aren’t lost overnight, but they do require a structured approach to maintain.

This blueprint gives you the strategies to train effectively, fuel properly, and recover optimally—wherever you are. 

1. Training: Maintain Stimulus

Strength is preserved through mechanical tension and neuromuscular efficiency. Research shows that training near failure (high relative intensity) can help sustain strength, even with moderate loads.

So prioritize compound movements (e.g., squats, push-ups, lunges, and rows) to sustain muscle activation. Use unilateral work (single-side at a time), isometrics, and tempo variations (e.g., 3-second hold at the bottom of a squat) to create sufficient stimulus without heavy weights.

Even short, 20-30 minutes of structured effort keep motor patterns active and prevent strength loss.

👉 What I do: I find a nearby gym, buy a day pass, and stick to my structured training plan just as I would back home. If a gym isn’t available, I adapt—short sets of bodyweight exercises at home, more movement throughout the day, and a sharper focus on nutrition.

2. Nutrition: Quality, Controlled Inputs

Speaking of nutrition, protein intake is critical for muscle retention. Studies confirm that 0.7-1.0g per pound of body weight per day helps preserve lean mass during inconsistent training.

👉 What I do: I will hit a grocery store and stock up on easy, high-protein options like:

• Greek yogurt (high in protein, easy to store)

• Milk or shelf-stable protein drinks (for a quick boost)

• Jerky or dried meats (high protein, no refrigeration needed)

• Canned tuna or salmon (portable and protein-dense)

• Hard-boiled eggs (grab-and-go protein)

• Protein bars or powders (for convenience when fresh options aren’t available)

Macronutrient timing matters too.

Eating protein every 3-5 hours helps sustain muscle protein synthesis, while fiber-rich carbohydrates (e.g. apples, bananas, rice cakes, etc.) provide steady energy and prevent blood sugar crashes.

And then let’s not forget about hydration.

Hydration directly impacts cognitive and physical performance. Air travel, schedule changes, and reduced fluid intake increase dehydration risk, negatively affecting performance and recovery.

So aim for fluid intake of 0.5-0.7 oz per pound of body weight daily.

Stay on the higher end if sweating heavily or in hot climates. And add electrolytes if active to maintain fluid balance and muscle function.

3. Recovery: Regulate Your Body’s Adaptation Systems

Sleep is the primary driver of physiological recovery. If disrupted due to travel, circadian rhythm regulation strategies—light exposure, breath work, and caffeine reduction—help mitigate the impact.

To adjust to a new time zone, gradually shift bedtime earlier by 30-60 minutes per night in the days leading up to travel. This improves adaptation and reduces jet lag severity.

Remember, travel fatigue increases systemic stress. And chronic stress elevates cortisol, suppressing muscle protein synthesis and impairing recovery.

👉 What I do: I focus on daily stretching, walking, and controlled breathing to activate the parasympathetic nervous system. Plus I practice good sleep hygiene and wear earplugs and an eye mask to improve sleep quality.

4. Mindset: Adaptability Over Perfection

Progress is built on long-term consistency—not rigid adherence. Flexibility and adaptability ensure sustainability.

Short, imperfect workouts—or knowing when to take a strategic rest day—are still part of effective performance management.

👉 What I do: I like to think of travel as an opportunity, not a setback. This reframe can help you use new environments to explore movement variability, refine body awareness, and test new training styles.

It’s this mental resilience that I believe builds the best athletes.

Final Thought: Execution Over Excuses

Performance is a system, not a single variable. If training volume is disrupted or low, adjust the levers—optimize nutrition, recovery, and hydration—to sustain key performance markers.

If you can workout, apply progressive overload principles, lock in nutrition, and regulate sleep.

With these techniques, you can sustain strength, energy, and resilience—anywhere.

Movement of the Week: Standing Spilt Squat

The Standing Split Squat is an effective, travel-friendly lower-body movement that builds single-leg strength, balance, and mobility—no gym required.

The split stance engages stabilizing muscles in the hips, ankles, and core, which are critical for balance and injury prevention.

This unilateral (i.e. single-side) work also helps address muscle imbalances between your dominant and non-dominant legs, and trains single-leg force production.

1. Start in a staggered stance, one foot forward, one foot back, feet hip-width apart.

2. Keep your torso upright, engage your core, and lower your back knee toward the ground.

3. Push through your front heel to return to standing.

Try 3 × 12 repetitions per leg 

To increase the challenge, you can increase weight by holding dumbbells or kettlebells at your side.

Simple & Effective: 3 Travel-Friendly Workouts

These workouts require minimal space and equipment while keeping your strength, mobility, and endurance in check.

I’ve separated by duration, depending on how much time you have.

15 min workout

• no equipment needed
  

• workout a: 8 min descending ladder
  

  • Start with 12 reps per exercise, then decrease by 2 reps per round (12→ 10 → 8 → 6 → 4 → 2)
    

  • burpee broad jumps

  • hollow body rock (or hold)

  • lateral lunge to knee drive 
    

• workout b: 7 min
  

  • 10 burpees

  • 10 mountain climbers (each leg)

25 min workout

• no equipment needed
  

• 5 rounds, 5 min stations:

  • 1 min jumping squats (or air squats)

  • 1 min pike push-ups (or hand-release push-ups)

  • 1 min alt. reverse lunges

  • 1 min bear crawl hold w/ shoulder taps

  • 1 min rest

35 min workout

• 1 dumbbell / kettlebell required
  

• 7 rounds, 5 min stations:

  • 1 min goblet squats

  • 1 min push press, switch sides 30 seconds

  • 1 min 3-point row, switch sides 30 seconds

  • 1 min plank pull through

  • 1 min of rest

That’s it for this week. I’ve got a beach to go lay out at!

And as we close out, I want to thank those who have referred friends! Some of you are close to earning a $50 Nutrabio gift card—but don’t forget, the $1K giveaway is still open! Check the referrals section below for details.

Hope you all have a great week! See ya next time.

- Ivan <3