Ben’s 8 Essential Exercise Tools for a Portable Holiday Travel Gym

December 10, 2024

8 of the Best Exercise Tools to Have in Your Arsenal When Traveling 🎄

Below is a list of simple, easy-to-use tools that are essential for creating a “pop-up gym” or embracing a minimalist exercise routine—whether you’re at home, in your car, at the park, in your backyard, or even on the go. You’ll also find the best workout options, gear recommendations, and how-tos to keep you moving through the holidays!

1. Kettlebell

If you’re driving out of town for the holidays, think about packing a kettlebell. Yes, it’s a few extra bucks of gas for those pesky kilograms, but worth it in my opinion to have a wickedly efficient workout tool at your disposal when you get to your final destination. Gas costs aside, it’s a perfect solution for achieving the minimum effective dose of exercise while you’re away.

As a matter of fact, a study that appeared in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research showed that the acute hormonal response to the kettlebell swing exercise (one of the most popular and easy-to-learn kettlebell moves) consisted of an extremely significant rise in growth hormone and testosterone.

A kettlebell is a cast-iron weight that looks like a cannonball with a handle. Originally a tool used by Russian strongmen for training and competition, multicolored, vinyl-coated kettlebells are now a popular fitness device that you can find at many gyms. Kettlebells range from 4 pounds to 175 pounds, but because a kettlebell is shaped differently than a dumbbell, a 4-pound kettlebell can actually feel a bit heavy or awkward. This is because the kettlebell’s center of mass is extended farther out from your body, so it can be tougher to handle and maneuver—which is one reason why kettlebells can be so effective for improving strength, balance, and explosiveness.

In most situations, kettlebells are used for increasing grip strength or performing movements that are designed to build strength and endurance in the lower back, legs, and shoulders. These movements include full-body exercises like the swing, snatch, and clean and jerk.

I own nearly a dozen kettlebells, littered across my garage, office, and home gym, and nearly every explosive or calisthenic-style workout I perform involves at least one kettlebell move. Should you want to take your kettlebell skills to the next level, I highly recommend any of the RKC or Strongfirst courses. I’ve done both and appreciate the confidence and knowledge skill set they provide around the often intimidating kettlebell. 

For more information on kettlebell workouts, you can check out these resources:

2. Jump Rope

While many fitness enthusiasts prefer a speed-rope-style jump rope, I’m a bigger fan of a weighted jump rope because it does a better job of strengthening the grip and shoulders.

When space is limited, you don’t have access to a treadmill or good running terrain, or you’re doing quick intervals that make it inconvenient to step outside to run or fire up a treadmill, a jump rope is a perfect option.

Sure, you could run in place, but the coordination requirements of a jump rope offer a better challenge for your brain. In addition, if you have any type of injury that leaves you unable to load one side unilaterally, as you would when running or jumping rope with alternate legs, jumping rope with both legs is often pain-free and can still train your knees, ankles, and lower-leg tendons for the eccentric motion of running.

For an added challenge, you can purchase a short “battle rope,” tie an elastic band around your ankles, and do jump rope intervals. This is a well-known obstacle challenge in most Spartan stadium races. Incidentally, Muay Thai fighters, some of the best-conditioned athletes in the world, make jumping rope a major part of their training because it combines a full-body workout and endurance training.

For additional information on this topic, you can check out the podcast listed below:

3. Weighted Vest

A weighted vest is simply a vest that is either made from a heavy material or equipped with small pockets that can be filled with tiny sandbags, small steel bars, or other weighted objects (these usually accompany your vest order).

The purpose of a weighted vest is to add extra weight for bodyweight exercises, walking, distance running, or speed, power, and agility drills.

When it comes to performance, research has shown that using this type of extra load during sprinting or speedwork requires your lower-body muscles to generate more force against the ground and can lead to improvements in strength, power, and acceleration during running, as well as increased strength and efficiency during speed, power, and agility drills.

It’s simple to turn a bodyweight workout into a difficult routine by simply putting on a weighted vest. For example, here’s a treadmill routine that I do while wearing my weighted vest: 

• Two-minute treadmill run (bicycling in a standing position is another option)
• Twenty weighted vest push-ups
• Twenty weighted vest squats
• Twenty weighted vest get-ups (or simply lie on your back on the ground, then do a sit-up motion and stand up to your feet)
• Twenty weighted vest reverse lunges

Repeat these five stations as a circuit four to six times. Because you’ll be running, this routine works best with a 10-to-20-pound vest. For an even more advanced version, throw in a round of pull-ups too.

You can also wear a weighted vest during hikes, walks around the neighborhood, at the park, or when doing stair repeats in a stadium or at a hotel. The sky’s the limit—I’ve even worn my vest through airport security and walked around airports with it on! The useful part about a weighted vest is that no matter where or how you move, it’s going to make any aspect of getting from point A to point B just a little bit more difficult. You can add an intense twist to just about any weight-training routine by putting on a weighted vest.

For example, you can try a “5×5” routine while wearing a vest. This routine—five sets of five deadlifts, squats, bench presses, barbell rows, and barbell cleans—gets seriously amplified when it’s performed while wearing a weighted vest. The main thing you’ll notice is that your core, lower back, and inspiratory and expiratory muscles are forced to work far harder, which gives you an added calorie burn and challenges your small postural and core muscles.

4. Elastic Bands

When I was a bodybuilder, elastic bands were an essential part of my portable gym for traveling.

Although I’ve since upgraded to a fancier band system I sometimes use at home and when traveling, called the X3 bar, I still often travel with simple, cheap elastic bands for on-the-go workouts, and they’re a good budget-friendly alternative to a fancier system.

The problem is that most people stick to single-joint movements with bands, like arm curls or side raises, which don’t give you the full benefit of this versatile tool. Instead, focus on full-body, functional exercises that engage multiple muscle groups. Here’s how:

• Squat to Overhead Press: Step on the band with both feet, hold the handles at shoulder height, squat down, then press overhead as you stand.
• Side Shuffles: Wrap the band around your thighs, get into a slight squat, and step side-to-side to engage your glutes and legs.
• Banded Push-Ups: Loop the band around your back and hold the ends under your palms to add resistance to your push-ups.
• Torso Twists: Anchor the band to a sturdy object, grab the handle with both hands, and twist your torso side to side, keeping your core tight.
• Rows: Anchor the band, grab both handles, and pull back, squeezing your shoulder blades together.

Combine these five exercises into a circuit by doing each move for 30–45 seconds, resting for 15–30 seconds in between. Repeat the circuit 2–3 times for a quick, effective full-body workout.

5. Suspension Strap

When a pull-up bar is nowhere to be found, there’s nothing like a door frame suspension strap to create a pulling and grip-strengthening station anywhere you can find a crossbar or door or even a tree branch or swing set.

It’s also a simple, portable method for balance training, lunges, push-ups, and a nearly unlimited number of challenging exercises.

You’ll usually find this strap, some elastic bands, and a Kaatsu or BFR device in the giant 60L backpack I travel with (I usually squeeze my luggage into the overhead compartment on the plane and check zero gear, so for travel, it’s nice to have a full gym that weighs just two to three pounds). I prefer a relatively minimalist suspension strap without all the fancy elastic and pulleys built into the newer models; Amazon has a host of cheap, generic models. 

For more information on doing a suspension strap workout, you can check out these resources:

6. Slider Plates

If you’ve ever noticed those small discs in the stretching area at the gym and wondered what the heck they are, you’re not alone.

I discovered these no-frills training tools when celebrity trainer Valerie Waters introduced me to her Valslides version ago at a fitness conference in the early 2000s.

The concept is simple: you place both feet or both hands on the sliders and slide them around in varying directions. They give you the same kind of core workout you’d experience if you wore socks on your feet and put paper plates under your hands on a wooden floor. Here are a few of the best moves:

• Knee tuck: Start in high plank position with both feet on sliders. Pull your knees in to touch your chest. Focus on keeping your core tight, and don’t hike your hips up too high. Push your feet back to extend into a high plank. Repeat.
• Mountain climber: Start in high plank position with both feet on sliders. Slide your right knee forward to your chest. Push your knee back to return to high plank. Repeat with your left knee.
• Skater: Stand with both feet on sliders. Slide your left foot behind your right as far as possible while bending your right leg and touching the fingertips of your right hand to the floor. Pull your left foot back as you return to standing position. Repeat on the other side.
• Reaching reverse lunge: Start in a seated position with your knees bent, palms on the ground with fingertips pointing forward, and both feet on sliders. Lift your hips until your knees are at a ninety-degree angle, your arms are straight, and your hips are level, like a tabletop. From there, flex your right ankle so that only your right heel rests on the slider. Send your right foot forward, engaging your glutes and hamstrings, then pull back to tabletop. Lower your right foot and flex your left ankle, then send your left foot forward and pull back to tabletop. Repeat.
• Alligator walks: Get into a push-up position with a slider under each foot. Walk your hands across the room while keeping your stomach and back tight. For an added challenge, to further strengthen your core, you can do this move with a 25-, 35- or 45-pound weight plate tucked under your toes.

The slider models I like are the original Valslides, the SKLZ Slidez, and Gliding Discs, though there are tons of brands on Amazon. Even thick paper plates will do the trick if you’re cheap.

7. Rings

One of my fittest times of life was when I was a spin instructor, bodybuilder, and water polo player in college.

Another time that comes to mind is when I interviewed Olympic gymnast Stephen McCain, who proceeded to design me a six-month gymnastics training program that included ring work, calisthenics, handstands, pikes, and a host of other surprisingly difficult moves with a potent result of strength, body awareness, and balance.

Though I don’t do gymnastics training much anymore, there are sets of gymnastics rings hanging above our family’s backyard patio, in the gym, and even above the cold pool (there’s nothing quite like a set of ring muscle-ups followed by a drop into ice-cold water). The unique nature of gymnastic rings and the exercises that can be performed with them provide benefits far beyond those of a pull-up bar.

The primary benefit of rings, in addition to their low space requirement and portability, is their inherent instability. Because they independently swing from long straps, the rings move at the slightest touch, forcing you to concentrate every second that you are holding them to keep from swaying and resulting in the significant use of core and stabilizing muscles. Moving your body around rings in a variety of positions requires a surprising amount of upper-body strength and control. Just take a look at the average gymnast’s rippling shoulders and biceps to see what I mean.

I recommend wooden rings. Plastic and metal rings are far more slippery and more difficult to grip properly. The added expense of wood is worth it if you plan on training with the rings for a long time. Both Onnit and Rogue have good models. To get started, simply secure the straps over a bar, through mounted hooks, or from playground monkey bars, and you’re set. Once you have your rings, head to the website gmb.io for some excellent ring-training instructions and a host of gymnastics and functional bodyweight ring exercises.

You can also check out this article for more information on getting a shredded body with a gymnastics-inspired workout.

8. Blood Flow Restriction (BFR) Bands

Blood flow restriction (BFR) training stimulates muscle hypertrophy under low loads or body weight by promoting the accumulation of metabolites in muscle tissue and increasing mechanical tension, while also providing supplemental benefits to cardiovascular fitness and pain management.

Although I have one of the expensive digitally controlled Kaatsu devices for BFR training, which uses a sensor-monitored pneumatic air band that allows you to set a precise pressure, I often (for the mere fact that I’m lazy and like to save myself a couple minutes setting the screen parameters) opt for a cheapo pair of BFR bands for the arms and legs, since a host of inexpensive options can be found on Amazon and elsewhere.

Technically, non-Kaatsu BFR options are based on the principle of occluding—or cutting off temporarily—the arterial flow from the torso to the limbs, a bit like a tourniquet. In contrast, Kaatsu bands use narrow elastic tubes that enable the arterial blood flow to continue and slightly and safely reduce the venous blood flow from the limb back to the torso. 

Both Kaatsu devices and BFR bands can be combined with most of the training tools in this article and are particularly effective when used with suspension straps, kettlebells, or any form of isometric training—static exercises where muscles generate force without changing length or causing joint movement, such as planks, wall sits, or holding a squat position.

For more information on BFR training, you can check out these resources:

Summary

The holidays bring plenty of challenges for staying fit—limited space, no access to your usual gym equipment, constant travel, and a packed schedule.

But these obstacles don’t have to derail your routine. With compact, versatile tools like kettlebells, resistance bands, sliders, suspension straps, and BFR bands, you can turn even the smallest hotel room, guest bedroom, or backyard into a functional training zone.

These tools allow you to adapt, staying strong and mobile with workouts that fit your environment, no matter how chaotic the season gets. By embracing the challenges and focusing on creative, efficient training, you can keep your body and mind sharp—and maybe even come back stronger than before.

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Additionally, if you have any questions, comments, or feedback, you can drop me a line in the comments below, and I’ll be sure to respond!