Tired of gym workouts and want to stay in shape when you travel? Then this book is for you
Gym workouts often mean accessing an array of decent fitness equipment and benefitting from personal trainer expertise to help support and motivate.
And for many fitness enthusiasts, gym workouts mean a fun place to meet and make friends, whilst getting the most out of a favorite workout or fitness regimen.
But what if you could transport your gym workout and some of your favorite exercises outside?
Or even better, keep up with it all when you’re traveling on business?
Newly East coast-based fitness expert, educator and author, Hollis Lance Liebman has released a new book which includes everything to that end – and much more.
Outdoor Physique details exercises that are optimised for portable performance, as well as tips for staying motivated and engaged throughout training away from the gym.
The icing on the cake is, that this all happens without the burden of a membership fee.
What’s more, Hollis’s program can be enjoyed with little or no equipment outside in the fresh air, or inside – the operative word being “portable”.
Hollis, who has worked with the likes of Hugh Jackman and Jane Lynch, provides readers with nutritional information to get the most out of their time exercising outside.
Outdoor Physique, by Hollis Lance Liebman
His book also helps them train anywhere effectively, comfortably and safely.
Here, Hollis tells Nativa World about Outdoor Physique and why it’s a must-read for businesswomen who travel often…
Hollis, what’s your background in fitness?
I began working out many years ago to develop some self-esteem from a tormenting bully. I’d discovered early on that our bodies are one of the few things we have control over in life. I’m now a former teenage national bodybuilding champion, editor of three fitness magazines, former IFBB (International Federation of Bodybuilders) Official, and have been a personal trainer for 20 years. I’ve also worked with some of Hollywood’s brightest talent.
What’s unique about your method in this book?
The uniqueness of Outdoor Physique is the fact that this is a book for people who don’t like the gym, want a change from the gym, and are more interested in waking up pain-free, as opposed to the circumference of their arms or bench press.
I incorporate functional fitness which isn’t just for a look (aesthetics) but rather training to enhance your motion and ability to navigate in real life. Here we’re not concerned with how much weight we lift, but rather how well we can move through a range of motion. I also focus on the the planes of motion which are the three major pathways in which we move/navigate through life.
For example, if you were to draw an imaginary line down the center of the body revealing a left and right side, the sagittal plane – this movement is responsible for forward and backward motion. If you were to draw an imaginary line separating the front and rear half of the body, the frontal plane – this movement is responsible for abduction and adduction toward the midline of the body. If you were to separate the upper and lower half of the body, this is the transverse plane, responsible for rotational movement.
The Partner Pushup
What are the body and mind benefits of your method?
Mentally, this is a departure from the gym and it’s often mundane routine. Physically, less impact on joints, less pain waking up, and I have more stamina for everyday things in life – from having to squat in the basement to bringing in groceries.
I’m my own client success story with this new workout – it helped to save my back from the many years of hardcore lifting.
How did you come to write Outdoor Physique and what’s the premise of it?
This is the third in my Physique trilogy. The first book, Peak Physique is an in-gym transformation for getting ready for an event – wedding, reunion, etc. The second book, Complete Physique, is an in- gym transformation for maintaining this lifestyle realistically and over the long-haul.
Outdoor Physique took me out of my comfort zone, the gym and was developed for those that don’t like the gym and also have differing goals – the major being living with less pain and needing better movement through life. This book is for any sex, age, level, and skill. There’s far more to bodyweight workouts than squats, pushups, and dips. And this book isn’t about hardcore running or hiking. It’s developed for nearly anyone.
What’s the format of the book?
After a full and thorough explanation earlier in the book, the reader is carefully taken through the three phases. Phases 1 and 2 are 4 week programs each that ultimately get the reader ready for phase 3, which is a life program. And there are plenty of pictures taking you through the journey.
The Ham Sandwich
How would Outdoor Physique suit businesswomen who travel often and who want to stay in shape on the road?
It would suit them quite well, because as it says in the title: “No gym. No membership. Just you.” Additionally, the word “portable” is in the title for a reason. All she would need is the book and her body, for she is her own gym. The book can be fully implemented right in her hotel room. And performed in pajamas if so desired.
A condensed version from one of the workouts might look like:
Mobility Movement:
Clam Shell Stretch, 15 per side
Step and Twist, 15 times per side
Then:
Shove-Offs, 15-20
Hip-Up, 12-15 per side
Diagonal Mountain Climber, 50
Repeat Twice, then:
Elbow Bridge, 15-20
Thumbs-Up, 12-15
Squat with Transverse Press, 12-15 per arm
Repeat Twice, then:
Military Press, 10-15
Side Triceps Extension, 12-15 per side
Diagonal Lunge, 12-15
Cardio Boxing (optional)
Beginner Yoga Sequence (optional).
What nutritional tips would you supply to match your program and for the businesswoman who travels?
Nutritionally, we’re talking about fairly frequent, small meals/snacks throughout the day. We’re emphasizing foods that are not or less processed. Less breads and more energy-packed foods like raw nuts (if not allergic). We’re talking about knowing that a healthy option can be ordered at nearly any establishment. And, we’re talking about the fact that results are less contingent on duration of workouts, but rather consistency in both quality training and eating.
What’s next for you Hollis?
Well that is a question I’ve debated for some time now. For Outdoor Physique is my 13th published fitness book, and the final volume in my Physique trilogy. On a more personal note, this book was made during a very tough time in my life – I lost my parents. And this book is dedicated to them. They appear at the back of the book.
I’ll say that while my literary mission is now complete, I absolutely love making books and helping others. I’m sure that will continue.
Photography courtesy of Hollis Lance Liebman
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