You are on the road and don't want to miss out on your workout? No matter whether you are on a business trip or on vacation – you can get a really good workout in the hotel gym with minimal equipment.
Often you don't need more than a few dumbbells or kettlebells to train your whole body.
In this article, we'll show you 6 workouts that you can do right in the hotel gym or in your room – no matter how much or how little equipment you have available.
What options do I have for training in the hotel gym?
Although many hotel gyms are rather sparsely equipped, there are still numerous training options. With a little creativity, you can challenge your entire body and work up a good sweat.
Here is an overview of typical equipment that you can find in a hotel gym – and how to use it effectively:
Dumbbells: Perfect for strength exercises such as goblet squats, lunges, shoulder presses or rows. You can use dumbbells to vary many exercises and train both your upper and lower body.
Kettlebells: Kettlebells are ideal for dynamic, powerful exercises such as swings, snatches or Turkish get-ups. They engage the entire body, improving both strength and endurance.
Skipping rope: A classic for a quick, effective cardio workout. Perfect for interval training or as a warm-up.
Treadmill/rowing machine: If available, you can use them to integrate great cardio sessions – for a warm-up or as part of a HIIT workout.
Tip: If you don't know how to get the most out of the equipment in your hotel, the SmartWOD Workout Generator App will help you. It creates custom workouts based on your equipment – whether you only have a few dumbbells or a fully equipped hotel gym.
6 hotel gym workouts for every fitness level
Now it's getting specific! Here are 6 workouts that you can do right in the hotel gym – from AMRAP (As Many Rounds As Possible) to EMOM (Every Minute on the Minute) to Tabata. This way, your training stays varied and efficient.
Hotel gym workout 1: AMRAP 15 (As Many Rounds As Possible in 15 minutes)
In 15 minutes, do as many rounds as possible of:
10 goblet squats (with dumbbell or kettlebell)
8 renegade rows (each side)
10 push-ups
15 Russian twists (with or without weight)
This full-body workout gets your heart rate up while challenging your muscle strength. Best of all, you can set your own pace and push yourself round by round.
Hotel-Gym Workout 2: EMOM 20 (Every Minute on the Minute for 20 minutes)
In this workout, you start a new exercise every minute. Whatever is left of the minute is your break:
Minute 1: 10 jumping squats (with or without weight)
Minute 2: 12 kettlebell swings
Minute 3: 10 push-ups
Minute 4: 15 lunges (per leg)
Repeat for 5 rounds, with no rest in between.
The EMOM format is perfect for training strength and endurance at the same time, without overwhelming you.
Hotel-Gym Workout 3: Tabata Full-Body Blast (4 minutes per exercise)
Tabata is an interval training method in which you perform an exercise as intensely as possible for 20 seconds, followed by a 10-second rest. You repeat this a total of eight times per exercise, which adds up to four minutes per exercise.
For this full-body workout, you will do three different exercises:
4 minutes of burpees: 20 seconds of burpees, 10 seconds of rest (8 rounds)
4 minutes of kettlebell swings: 20 seconds of swings, 10 seconds of rest (8 rounds)
4 minutes of mountain climbers: 20 seconds of mountain climbers, 10 seconds of rest (8 rounds)
The entire workout takes 12 minutes and is a great way to get a full body workout in a short amount of time.
Hotel-Gym Workout 4: Cardio & Strength Circuit (ca. 30 minutes)
If you have a little more time and access to a treadmill or rowing machine, a mix of strength and endurance training is perfect:
Do 4 rounds of:
400 meters running (or 500 meters rowing)
15 kettlebell swings
12 push-ups
20 jumping lunges (per leg)
400-meter run (or 500-meter row)
This workout combines cardio and strength exercises for a balanced full-body workout.
Hotel-Gym Workout 5: Bodyweight Burner (ca. 20 minutes)
If the hotel gym is really minimally equipped or you want to train in your room, a bodyweight workout works great:
Do 4 rounds of:
20 jumping lunges
15 push-ups
30-second plank
15 glute bridges
Repeat this sequence for 4 rounds. It's simple, effective and requires no equipment.
Hotel-Gym Workout 6: Kettlebell Power Circuit (approx. 25 minutes)
This kettlebell workout is ideal for training your whole body. You combine dynamic and powerful exercises that challenge both your strength and your endurance.
5 rounds in a row of:
12 kettlebell swings
10 kettlebell cleans (each side)
8 kettlebell snatches (each side)
12 goblet squats
Do each exercise in turn and repeat the entire circuit five times. Take a short break (1 minute) between rounds to catch your breath.
Hotel training – with the SmartWOD apps
If you want to train at the hotel and have limited time or equipment, the SmartWOD apps are ideal for you.
The SmartWOD Workout Generator quickly creates a suitable workout based on the equipment available in the hotel gym – whether it's dumbbells, kettlebells or nothing at all. You can choose between formats like AMRAP, EMOM or Tabata and get started right away.
The SmartWOD timer helps you structure your workouts efficiently by supporting you in interval-based and time-based sessions. This way, you can always keep an eye on your training in the hotel and give it your all in a short time.
How to stay fit even in a hotel
While the hotel gym may not be equipped like your home or box, you can still get an effective workout with a little creativity and the right tools.
Whether it's dumbbells, kettlebells, or just your own body weight, there are always ways to challenge your body.
Even if you only have 15 minutes, the SmartWOD apps give you everything you need to stay fit while traveling.
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