Staying Fit on The Road
Why a mobile gym?
While RV living gives you a lot of access to cardio training outdoors, strength training was a bit trickier. We needed equipment for on the road with a mobile RV gym. But how? Choosing to live on the road was definitely a lifestyle change for us. We Essentially had to learn how to become minimalists due to the fact that four of us, and a dog, live in 450sq ft. That meant our previous gym equipment would not be an option. We did choose a toy hauler for a few reasons, one being we could have a mobile gym that travels with us.
Knowing we need to stay up on our health for not only ourselves but to keep up with our children. My husband is also a firefighter/paramedic making it crucial for him to continue his workout routine while he is home with us (wherever home may be). So we started researching and with some trial and error we finally set our sights on Iron Master. I will have to tell you we are sure happy we did.
Why Gym Memberships and RV Life Don’t Mix
Finding gyms on the road are an option but when your spouse is gone for weeks at a time it doesn’t work out. When you have small children and you’re constantly moving this becomes almost impossible. Childcare for gyms do exist, but not where you can find a traveling membership at every location you stop.
To top it off we are not always in an area with a gym that’s accessible. Now with that being said we could choose to stay in fancier RV resorts that have a gym but those are hit or miss. There have been plenty of times we have booked stays and had gone into a gym with hand me down equipment from the 50s’ with maybe a thigh master or two…please tell me you know what this is!
I’ll admit I refuse to base my travel destinations around a gym. This is where finding the perfect, durable, and mobile gym was a must have.
Creating a Gym in the RV Garage
Considering our garage is also our bedroom we had to make a few modifications in order to make it a multipurpose room. Taking a toy hauler that was once used for our Polaris General and recreating a functional space to workout in was easy! Although some space was taken up with our dressers, vacuum, and the dog’s supplies, the ability to pack a lot in a small space was surprising.
We removed the lower bed/bench seat off the happy jack and placed them in storage. The next step was adjusting the happy jack with our mattress on it in order for it to be high enough so that my husband didn’t hit his head on it. As much as I wanted to remove the metal siding off of the wall, it was left incase the equipment rubbed the walls on travel days.
Before adding more equipment than what was originally being traveled with, this mat was purchased. It added just enough cushion to a small enough area that helped make floor work more comfortable. The yoga mat is still a fan favorite to layer at times though.
Mobile Equipment for Strength Training
Now everything, I mean everything, needs to be multipurpose for us and the equipment we own is perfect. Iron Master has been our favorite thus far! Due to convenience of being able to use the plates on multiple pieces of equipment was a game changer, and a space saver.
Quick Lock adjustable Dumbells is where we started. I had a set of adjustable weights but they were not getting the job done. We needed not only something heavier, but something that both my husband and I could use. The best part of the dumbbells is the portability and size. Most people could fit them in a tote to go under a trailer or motorhome. It is bizarre how you can fit such heavy dumbbells in a small space vs competitors..We know from experience!
EZ Curlbar became a quick favorite due to the ease of attaching plates that were also used for the dumbells. Think MULTIPURPOSE!
We had a different bench prior to our purchase of the Super bench V2 and let me tell you nothing compares. You can attach and detach the seat, pull up bar, dip bar, leg extensions, cable system, etc. We have not caved on the leg extension or cable system yet, but the chin up bar attachment is a MUST have with an RV gym. Rv’s are not made to have pull-up bars in the doorway unless you feel like ripping your walls off. There was absolutely no way to do this exercise until we purchased the bench and attachment. Now with the dip bar handle we were also able to enhance our workout since there was no other way to have this in an RV gym.
Quick lock adjustable Kettle Bells are my favorite so far! I can add my plates to adjust my weight and they are DURABLE. We did do a durability test and they passed with flying colors. I never knew I would love kettlebells so much but I use them frequently.
Onto durability of course! When traveling you have to make sure your equipment can withstand the constant motion on the road as we travel. We have driven with the kettlebells on a flatbed trailer and they were still together when we got to our destination. We also decided to test them on our own and run them over with the Bronco…everything was intact and we still use them to this day! With the all metal construction they tend to be extremely durable. Our dumbbells and additional weights rode in the truck bed across the US. I am impressed to say the least.
RV Equipment You’d Never Expect
There had to be one piece of equipment I was dying to get out of storage. Now believe it or not but this does fit in our RV garage and I use this more now than I did in my sticks and bricks home.
I spoke about the mat that was purchased to make floor work more comfortable and the Peloton had a lot to do with it. I have the older generation, whatever that would be considered, so my screen does not rotate. It’s in the only place it would fit in which means the screen is useless for anything other than riding. I did find a piece to allow it to rotate here on Amazon. So now my mat is being used to its potential and I’m not moving my phone around every which way to do a workout.
Crafty RV Workout Equipment
Our equipment is used a lot but sometimes you just need to get crafty with your workouts. Your RV site and surrounding area can be a gem with gyms, picnic benches, trees, hiking trails, and lakes. Also remember your physical RV can be modified and useable as well.
The happy jack became useful for workout bands. How? While I do not condone drilling holes in your RV, we did drill a few holes in the happy jack to get the bed to stop at a height we needed. The holes were just big enough to place a pin with an exercise band on it.
The deck has definitely been used for dips prior to purchasing our dip bar. One of our personal favorites, Torklift , makes some extremely sturdy and adjustable steps that we use for step ups with the iron master vest. The vest weight can be adjusted by placing your weight plates in it.
Last Bit of Advice
Whether your workouts take you indoors or out, you need to do what’s best for your setup and lifestyle. Gym equipment tends to be more convenient when they are multipurpose and easy to store. Remember to choose items that you know you will use and get you motivated!
Happy workout!
Links
I made a list on Amazon HERE
Iron Master equipment can be found HERE
Torklift steps are found HERE
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Safe and intentional travels,
– Four Season Travelers
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