Hi guys,

I'm hoping to get some suggestions for a workout routine while I'm on holiday next week. The hotel we're staying at has a very basic gym, and I want to put in an hour a day there, in the hopes it'll inspire me to start going to the gym at home.

According to the hotel's website, they have treadmills, stationary bikes and rowing machines (which I adore using, whenever I've had the chance before), as well as some free weights and Swiss balls.

We'll be doing a lot of walking on the holiday, so I'm not looking for something that will totally exhaust me and kill my muscles for the weekend, but I know that if left to my own devices I'll either spend 45 minutes on the rowing machine and then get bored, or will walk in, think it all looks too daunting, and walk out again.

Anyone got any suggestions? Basically, I want it to be a fun hour, that inspires me to continue!

The stationary bike may be a good idea, and switch off at maybe 15 minutes in, do some jumping jacks, high knees, and plank for 10 seconds? Then hop back on the stationary or maybe the treadmill?? Then off and do some weights? Sorry, just throwing ideas out there.

I think this is truly up to you though on what you do and deem fun.

You can do everything with a treadmill and free weights. I use nothing else. Good luck!

I think I would do a little of all of it. 1 hour--20 minutes on the treadmill-20 minutes on the bike--and 20 minutes of free weights and what-ever else.

I guess it's really not important how you break it up--or whether you just stay on one machine--the point is you're doing it.

I am more motivated when I have a predetermined workout than I am when I walk in to the gym and wing it. If you are like that, just start cruising the internet for ideas and put together a workout that is reasonable, mixes it up a little for you, and has some elements that you like. Some exercises you can choose from, depending on your specific issues and fitness level:

squats (look up different kinds and find one or two you like)
lunges
single leg deadlifts
bicep curls
tricep extensions
lateral raises
front raises
push ups
sit ups
bicycles
sprints on the treadmill (60 sec at a fast run for you, 60 sec rest)
walk hills
walk hills at intervals (2 min 0%, 2 min 2%, 2 min 4%, etc. see how high you can go)
some kind of interval on the bike (30 sec very fast pace, 30 sec rested pace)
varying exercises and intensities between machine (5 min run, 5 min med intensity bike ride, 5 min walk, 5 min row, something like that).

Hope that helps, but my biggest advice would be to walk in with a predetermined, reasonable workout in hand for you to follow. Good luck!

Just wanted to thank everyone for their advice! Particularly 20lbtogo, because like you I need to have a plan to be motivated! I wrote down your suggestions and took them with me-

And unfortunately the gym was closed! I was gutted as I'd really worked myself up to be motivated to go, and even woke up before 6am to get down there when it opened. So although I didn't get to work out, it did make me realise that I can be motivated enough to go to a gym, and I'm already looking around in my city for some places to check out and possibly buy a membership to!