Well, it's been a long time between posts indeed - and for that I apologize. Just too much going on this last month as it were; the main thing being that life being the strange animal that it is, I've ended up moving from the plains of India to a tiny country in the Gulf of all places - to Oman, specifically. The reasons for this move are beyond the scope of today's email, but it was a heck of a move regardless, which ate up pretty much every spare minute my wife and me had over the last month.

And lest you think the title of this email was a mistake, well, no - it isn't - I fitted in a fantastic trip to the Himalayas as well. That's something I make sure to do every year - I simply can't stay away from the mountains.

So, whats all this got to do with exercise, you might ask?

Well, plenty,  if you think about it. Look, the first thing is that there's been a lot of travel going on as of late, so I haven't had the chance to work out daily - and when I do work out here, I don't have a pull-up bar at hand. Neither is there a local park I can go and do pull-ups in. So, I do the best I can with other exercises. Nothing can quite replace the thick bar pull-ups I did before, but I think I'll live until I find a way around that problem.

And no - I don't skip my workouts just because there's no pull-up bar around - there's plenty of other things you can do for an excellent workout. See Fast and Furious Fitness for more on that.

And what if you'd want to skip your regular workout altogether - and do something different for a few days?

Well, you can - and thats what I did on my recent trip to the mountains in India. It was a five day trip, and ALL I did was walk  up and down the mountains (trek would be a better term) daily. And believe you me, trekking the steep Himalayas is not something to sneeze at, especially if your doing an average of 8kms or so a day, most of that up steep dirt tracks through the jungle. I guess you can say I slept like the proverbial log at night - whew!!

On that note, know that walking hills is one of the best things you can do for your overall health and fitness, so if you have access to hills around you, make sure you incorporate hill climbs into your routine. And it doesn't end there - you can also SPRINT up the hills - only make sure you work up to a certain level of fitness before attempting hill sprints!

It was a great, great trip overall - stunningly beautiful mountains, great weather, good food - and getting in great workouts without even thinking about it. Double thumbs up overall.

Now note that I do NOT recommend skipping your regular routine all the time; especially not if your skipping it in favor of a less beneficial routine. Sticking to a routine and getting better at a few exercises is one of the hidden keys to lifelong health and strength, but if you need a change - or if you find yourself in a position to follow an equally beneficial routine for a few days,then by all means go for it.

And as for now, I haven't found any outdoor activites to do here in Oman, but then I'm only a few days old here. Give it some, and let's see what I can dig up!

All for now - I should be updating this more frequently now that I finally have acess to the Internet. In the meantime, have a great weekend ahead - and if you train, make sure to make it a great one!

Best regards,

Rahul

PS: Hill sprints are without exception one of the most powerful tools in your fitness kitbag, but you've got to be exercise due caution while doing them. Fast and Furious Fitness shows you how to work these into your routine - do so if at all possible, and you won't believe how quickly your body changes before your eyes!