Getting in shape while backpacking?

[wolf116]

I've been living out of a backpack for over 5 months now and I'm not looking at changing that anytime soon. This lifestyle is phenomenal for me.

One problem. My physique is starting to decline.
I'm quite slim from tramping with a massive pack and general activity like swimming but I'd like to put on a little more muscle.
My diet has to be healthy and extremely frugal. I can only eat max 3 meals a day because my day is never planed for where I'll be or what I may be doing next. Every meal is basically: canned fish, eggs, rice, vegg and a piece of fruit.

Monday, Wednesday and Friday I jog to the closest park and do pushups, chinups and crunches. What am I missing? I wish I could do squats and I was thinking about doing them with by backpack on but it's not a good look.

Does anyone have experience with this sort of thing, Getting in shape with no weights whatsoever? Or any suggestions on better body weight exercises, diet or a better routine?

 

[RMM]

I'd give you this advice:

Get your backpack and do tramps that take you up hills and mountains. Set yourself a strong pace with more frequent breaks. Eat like a freaking horse both breakfast and dinner, and have predominantly readily available carbs during the rest of the day as you walk with the backpack to avoid eating at the muscle.

While I was backpacking the South Island in February I used to have a huge breakfast heavy on protein (either the full bacon/eggs/sausages/hash browns/mushrooms "Kiwi" breakfast, or a bigass omelette with cheese and other fillings, AND a chocolate milkshake), lived off fruit and One Square Meal bars the rest of the day as I went wherever (often up and downhill), and then had a big dinner at 7 pm-ish, again to the tune of heavy protein and big portions. In that month I lost around 4 kg of fat but my squat went UP - as I discovered to my delight once I took the gym routine back.

As far as weights-free workouts, I'd start here: http://www.bodyweightculture.com/

 

[Drum&Bass]

Does anyone have experience with this sort of thing, Getting in shape with no weights whatsoever? Or any suggestions on better body weight exercises, diet or a better routine?

Every weekend me and my girlfriend hit the parks and give piggy backs to each other for miles. She also sits on my shoulders and I do deep (olympic) squats with her. Lots of unconventional stuff you can do with another partner that is EXTREMELY effective in getting strong !

 

[wolf116]

Cheers man, BTW I was in the south island February. Amazingly beautiful.
I guess I can't get away from massive eating but it's really not an option for long term travel as it's far too expensive.
But if I put the effort into a proper bodyweight routine I think i'll be OK.

 

[wolf116]

Every weekend me and my girlfriend hit the parks and give piggy backs to each other for miles. She also sits on my shoulders and I do deep (olympic) squats with her. Lots of unconventional stuff you can do with another partner that is EXTREMELY effective in getting strong !

Oh wow that sounds like heaps of fun! Just I don't have a partner. Kind of impossible with my lifestyle.

 

[RMM]

I guess I can't get away from massive eating but it's really not an option for long term travel as it's far too expensive.

If you're sticking to the same place for a while, see when the local farmer's market is: You should be able to get big quantities of fresh eggs there at good prices. Buy dried beans in bulk; beans/lentils/chickpeas are a great supplement for a budget diet, cheap and good source of both carbs and protein - and when dried they don't take as much space/weight relative to what you get after you soak them. If you can find some farm work, you may be able to get payment in sheep on top of regular cash, a friend of mine gets half a sheep per forthnight, though that's not exactly portable for a backpacker