Gyms on the road (Africa, north to south)

[bbevan]

Hi all,

I'm planning a north-to-south west-coast Africa trip starting this fall and one thing I'm wondering is whether I'll be able to find weight lifting gyms along the route.

I don't mean anything fancy- a barbell, bench, and a squat rack is all I need. Are weight lifting gyms "a thing" in African cities? Any other gym rats have experience in Africa?

Thanks!

[Blommetje]

Perhaps this:
http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2011...ile-traveling/

Also, I saw quite a few homemade gyms in Russia and ukraine. A bar, a spare wheel on both ends and go crazy. Pull-ups from a tree or playground.

Be creative!

[Lonerider]

Depending on where you plan on stopping there are a lot of things you can do, hotels, wild camping. I am not into going to the Gym but when we were on tour some of the guys used to exercise various parts of the body using a taught towel, held in each hand and stretched out, you will find it works, if you have a centre stand and on stable ground you could hook your feet under the bike to do the abs, there are however lots of exercises for abs that do not require the feet to be held at all. Press ups (push ups) you can do anywhere. If you have hard luggage take one off and do lifts with it. To finish....if you are like me and not an expert at riding off road, I find picking the bike up a few times a day enough
As Blommetje says, just get creative

Wayne

[Blommetje]

[bbevan]

Thanks for the tips. I'll search out gyms on the road and report back here. I've found that going to local gyms is a great way to explore a place (going to a neighborhood you might not otherwise go to, and of course the experience of the gym itself).

[Hannaah]

Certainly the bigger cities on your route will have a gym or two. How interesting when you say it’s a good way to explore the country in a different way – I had never thought about it like that before! But otherwise, for when you are in the country, definitely look up ways of working out without the need for weights. You can do great workouts using whatever you find outdoors. Be creative and it’ll be fun. Plus, often you will find some makeshift workout places in small villages where the guys go to hang out, with maybe a handmade bench. Keep your eyes open. Have fun!

[bbevan]

Having crossed from Morocco to southern Angola at this point, I can say that gyms are available in most major towns. Some gyms are more or less western style and aimed at the wealthier residents and expats, and a lot are improvised and/or completely run down (car gears instead of weight plates, decrepit equipment), but one can usually find something. I've worked out in almost every country and have enjoyed both types of gyms. The adventure in finding gyms is a great way to experience a culture as well. When you're on the street you're the foreign guy, but when you're in the gym you've got a big point in common with the other people in there and that can lead to great encounters.

Lifting for strength is what I'm into; if you're not, pursuing another hobby or sport on the road could be a great way to increase the depth of your trip. If you want to see what some of the gyms are like on the road (and my trip itself) check out my motogains YouTube channel.


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[bbevan]

The following article discusses the rise of nice gyms in Africa. Note that there are plenty of improvised gyms as well.

The Economist | Africa’s gym craze: Beerbelly busters
http://www.economist.com/news/middle...rs?frsc=dg%7Cc


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