No matter where you are headed, vacation or world domination, at some point we will all leave the comfort of our gym, spin bike, or Jane Fonda box set. I have been infatuated with travel since I was a child. I haven't been everywhere yet so there's really no reason to stop my own global movement. Admittedly, I, like many of us, am a victorious fan of sweating up and letting loose. In sweat is the most productive you will ever find me. Getting strong has been a pretty long journey for me if I'm honest. It's taken some serious fight, and playlist after playlist of tears, until I got it. Granted, as I was told, hate did finally 360 to love, and these days I train every chance I get. I run a business, teach spin, compete in triathlons, and can out-run most public transport. I wanted this vacation not to be like the last and not become an obstacle in my race prep. 2 weeks of beaching can make that goal post a deserted mirage of rediscovery. This time I will not fall into athletic hibernation, and yes, I can adapt. So, I'm in Sayulita, Mexico. The sun is hotter than the salsa, my apartment is raspberry pink, and there is a donkey in the yard, major kudos. This place is beautiful, and strategically difficult to get to, so it's full of locals at this time of year- the real Mexico. There's not a gym in sight, and no Nutribullet. Between streetside burritos and packs of Pacifico, I am ready to work up a sweat, lose that 16 hour long-haul, and offload the unidentified objects American Airlines pushed upon me. I drop my bags and head to a tiny fruit cart close to my place to pick up a watermelon. Made of 92% water, this melon is popping with vitamins A, B6 and C, and as the name suggests, is obviously super hydrating. The good news is, eating watermelon helps replenish depleted glycogen stores, refueling muscles for the next workout. This fruit is damn heavy, the perfect co-worker for the weeks ahead. Kettlebell or sphere of melon, it's all the same thing out here- HEAVY. This bad boy weighs 12kg (trusting my high school Spanish)- and we are good to go. Try this workout at the beach, poolside, or in the grocery aisle. It's time to get some endorphins rolling, with a little help from my London based Barry's Bootcamp Trainer @milescaseypt
Work it out
30 seconds sprint at maximum effort through the sand
10 Melon thrusters (squat down with melon in both hands and come up to a press with melon)
10 jumps over the melon to a burpee
15 deep squat position curl to press with melon
15 watermelon swings
10 overhead lunges
1 min rest between sets
Repeat set 3 times
Then......THE MELON LADDER
MELON THRUSTER
MELON JUMP OVER TO BURPEE
MELON CURL TO PRESS
MELON SWING
MELON OVERHEAD LUNGE
1 rep each - 2 reps each - 3 reps each
Until you reach 10 reps on each
SLICE. EAT. ENJOY. REPEAT.
Additional to the workout, sunrise runs have become my daily ritual out here. The rowdy AC has become a blessing of a wake up at 6am. Sneakers on, out the door, and I'm sprinting down dirt roads to the beach, dodging restaurant staff prepping for Huevos Rancheros. The sunrise is a pyrogenius- it's outrageous. The peace gives me time to construct myself, the colours blow my mind, and the time on my own allows me to plan my day. To be honest, looking fly in your bikini is only the cherry on your ice pop. This workout will make you happy, keep you up close and personal with your race plan, and make paradise plateauing a thing of the past. Fast forward to the watermelon workout craze hitting the sand banks. Mind over melons, you saw it here first. Roll out and stay fresh. Undo ordinary. Images by @icapturedaily Text by @you_got_this_tils
