Won't have access to a gym for 3 months... advice?

[USCjas]

So I'm going to go work on a remote island in Belize until March and won't have access to a gym. Recently I've gotten really into weightlifting, but I'm worried that by the time I get back to the U.S. I will have lost all the progress I have made. Does anyone have any tips for any good bodyweight workouts I can do that will help me retain my muscle mass as much as possible without having any access to heavy weights? I'm still very new to all of this. Thanks for your advice.

[thisiskellyd]

Nike has an app I used to use when I was starting out, it has a lot of body weight workouts.
As long as you can still squat, do push ups, do crunches, you should still be okay. There are also things in your environment you can alter to turn into "weights" (lol coconut instead of medicine ball?)
You could buy some resistance bands and do workouts with those also.
Try to work on your form while doing body weight so that when you do use weight your form is strong
Do yoga and make sure to stretch

[ChessGuy]

Get a good set of resistance bands, such as Bodylastics. You won't be sorry.

[USCjas]

Coconut in lieu of medicine ball, haha! I love it! That would be awesome. I will also check out that Nike app.
Resistance bands are also a really good idea. I've never used them before so guess I have to learn before I go!

[TrainBetter]

Get yourself some equipment.

I would recommend a pull up bar (pull ups, leg lifts) and some adjustable dumbbells (presses, rows, lunges, squats). You can do several bodyweight exercises (several push-up variations, plank variations).

Legs might be more difficult to train if you don't have a squat rack that you can lift heavy with. Think about plyometrics...find a high box/step you can jump onto. Maybe hill/stair sprints with a sandbag or weighted vest. Also, get one heavy kettlebell you can do swings/snatches/squats with.

Equipment to get:
Pull-up bar
Adjustable dumbbell set (can find on Amazon)
Heavy kettlebell
Sandbag (can adjust the weight of the bag with sand)

[dreahere]

Get yourself some equipment.

I would recommend a pull up bar (pull ups, leg lifts) and some adjustable dumbbells (presses, rows, lunges, squats). You can do several bodyweight exercises (several push-up variations, plank variations).

Legs might be more difficult to train if you don't have a squat rack that you can lift heavy with. Think about plyometrics...find a high box/step you can jump onto. Maybe hill/stair sprints with a sandbag or weighted vest. Also, get one heavy kettlebell you can do swings/snatches/squats with.

Equipment to get:
Pull-up bar
Adjustable dumbbell set (can find on Amazon)
Heavy kettlebell
Sandbag (can adjust the weight of the bag with sand)

^^^Um, yeah, I'm assuming the OP would find it prohibitively expensive to ship all that shiz to a remote island in Belize. Probably could take an empty sandbag and fill it on the beach though

OP, Nia Shanks has an all-bodyweight program you might want to look into. She's legit, I like her. Who knows, you could come back from Belize being able to do awesomely cool stuff like handstand pushups and real pistol squats.

[oregonchick76]

Eat at maintenance, get enough protein and assume you'll lose a little muscle over the course of 3 months. It'll come back fast though.
I was forced to drop squats and deadlifts due to a back injury for over a year, and when I came back it was awful. But I was back up to previous weight within a couple months.

There are a lot of bodyweight exercises that can at least help you stay fit - push ups, modified push ups (with feet elevated), hand stand push ups, pull ups, squats and lunges with heavy back pack, etc.

[lizdaly]

If you can spare the weight in your luggage, 5 or 10 lb ankle weights are very versatile. Besides wearing on your ankles, you can use them as light dumbbells, ball them up and use like a medicine ball, and string them together and strap around your waist. Mine are almost 20 years old, but I got a set from Sports Authority that are 5 lbs each, made up of 10 removable 1/2lb weights so you can adjust the weight. We used them for everything when I was in gymnastics.

Found them: http://www.sportsauthority.com/produ...entPage=family

The brand name is "All Pro." Very durable, love mine.

Edit: Or if you don't have space in your checked luggage due to weight restrictions, they don't weigh your carry-on.

[Cara0915]

Get yourself some equipment.

I would recommend a pull up bar (pull ups, leg lifts) and some adjustable dumbbells (presses, rows, lunges, squats). You can do several bodyweight exercises (several push-up variations, plank variations).

Legs might be more difficult to train if you don't have a squat rack that you can lift heavy with. Think about plyometrics...find a high box/step you can jump onto. Maybe hill/stair sprints with a sandbag or weighted vest. Also, get one heavy kettlebell you can do swings/snatches/squats with.

Equipment to get:
Pull-up bar
Adjustable dumbbell set (can find on Amazon)
Heavy kettlebell
Sandbag (can adjust the weight of the bag with sand)

What the....??

OP I just had to take about 2 months off from the gym. I lost about 10lbs and 50% (more on some lifts) of my strength.
I've been back at the gym for 4 weeks now, it was super rough at first, depressing. But now I'm almost back to where I was, 75% there and my muscles are back, they were empty and deflated from so little food and not using them.
My point is, you will lose strength and some muscle but as long as you eat and at least do SOMETHING it'll come back fast. 3 months will go by in the blink of an eye and you'll be back in the gym before you know it.
I don't think you mentioned it but will you have access to a tv/DVD player? You could bring a couple DVD's with you. The Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred isn't horrible

[AsheMiner]

Try doing the Insanity program. I know it isn't geared towards muscle building, but you will honestly feel like you're in the best shape of your life.

[lizzylamb]

Try bodyrock or Zgym. Lots of online and free bodyweight workouts using little to no equipment. The workouts are super intense and are usually <20 minutes