Being a digital nomad is a privilege, but what I really want is to experience the world with my queen as a nomadic lifter, not just as a traveler. Flying through the skies, seeking out barbells, squat racks, and keeping the PRs rolling makes me eternally happy inside. It's cringe and it rhymes, but I'm deadly serious! Living a kick-ass life, traveling, seeking ultimate freedom, working (occasionally), and somehow still prioritizing training. That was the plan, so where to begin?

When I first mentioned my ambitious plan of traveling the world and continuing to train, people instantly doubted me. If you know a little bit about me, you’ll know those are fighting words – especially when my training is at stake. It only fueled my motivation to prove the naysayers wrong and crush all-time PRs. 

Chasing PRs

The pursuit of personal records remains a fundamental aspect of my training, regardless of the nomadic lifestyle. The bar needs to get heavier. While lifting at lighter bodyweights may be appealing, true PRs are achieved by increasing the weight on the barbell and gaining size. Authentic strength progress is measured by the ability to consistently lift heavier loads. Therefore, the pursuit of real PRs should be the ultimate goal for any lifter, regardless of their location or travel schedule.

My personal life hack is to Google search or Instagram “powerlifting/strength gyms in the _____ city” you're visiting. If you're still a weak and underweight novice, this may not be relevant to you, as a globo gym might suffice. However, in the pursuit of a 400lb bench, a good quality bar – not a crappy 32mm one – matters. A solid bench, not some rickety piece of junk with a gap between the headrest and the back support, matters. The same is true of squatting 500lb. Some places in Argentina had bumper plates so big I had to use bands to strap them together, as the clips wouldn't fit on the bar. Fearing the bar because it's heavy is one thing – being scared of the equipment and wondering if this is the rep that will take your life is quite another. 

Two Steps Forward, One Step Back

During my travels so far, I approached each country as a training block, typically lasting four weeks or longer. Although my programming has never included traditional blocks, I considered this an opportunity to start light and gradually build up. Sometimes, I was lucky: I could roll on my programming and progress uninterrupted from country to country. But this structure also gave me huge flexibility to tailor my training to fit the available resources and adapt to different environments, ranging from short full-body two-day linear progression programs in Utah (while visiting national parks) to comprehensive five-day upper and lower body splits in Norway, Bergen – an Eleiko Palace – a student gym within spitting distance of our Airbnb.

One of the most frustrating aspects of nomadic training is the unpredictability and inconsistency it brings. While I experienced incredible progress and all-time PRs in some places, setbacks were also inevitable in others. Places where we stayed for longer time periods, like 4 weeks or longer, always afforded greater progress. However, maintaining a long-term perspective and focusing on the big picture was key: understanding that occasional regressions are part of the journey, and that not all situations when traveling will allow me to train 3-4 times a week for 2 hours per session. In this race, patience and consistency are the unsung heroes. I know that slow and steady progress will eventually surpass any temporary setbacks. 

Time Off

Taking time off from training is necessary during certain parts of your trip. Balancing the desire to train with the need to fully experience and enjoy the places we visit is crucial. During short stays in cities with packed itineraries, dedicating several hours to the gym would be impractical. Accepting these limitations and viewing such periods as well-deserved breaks allows for a more enjoyable journey overall, and reduces burnout.

Ensuring access to kitchen essentials is crucial for preparing meals that support your training. Situations where you use a blunt knife that almost cuts your fingers chopping an onion or your morning eggs half sticking to the pan become a bore very quickly. Buy a chopping knife with a matching sharpener and travel food scales. Some things we've had to buy and leave, like non-stick pans and cheap Tupperware. For your own mental sanity, buy these items and batch-cook nutritious recipes such as ground beef pasta or chicken curry. This allows for convenient meals and ensures you stay on track with your dietary needs. Having scales to portion out your batch cook has proven vital when freezing quantities for future meals.

Undoubtedly, one of the most underrated elements of travel is a good quality bed. Not all mattresses are created equal, and the range of beds I've encountered during my journey is a testament to that. Securing comfortable and restful sleep is vital for training. Prioritizing a big quality bed is always a key feature we take very seriously when searching for places to stay. 

Life Experience

As I reflect upon my journey from the comfort of my current location, I realize how extraordinary the last eighteen months have been. Having experienced a digital nomad life in eight different countries and 9 different states in America, my experiences have far exceeded what most people would encounter in a lifetime. Some locations have been so great for digital nomadic travel we have returned to them for longer stays, for example, Tallinn, Estonia – we both think it is a beautiful and incredibly underrated city (please don't come here though – it's full, thank you). The average person (according to Google) travels to 10 countries. I'm currently at 26; my fiancée is at 30+. It's a real challenge to appreciate how blessed we both are, but sacrifices have been made on our end in order to make this work.

Before you book your next year flying around South America on Airbnb, let me press the pause button and give you some details on what we’ve had to sacrifice. Family: seeing relatives once a year is tough. Friends: missing out on social gatherings of all kinds is tough. Pets: with the air miles we’ve clocked up, it would be inhumane to have any pets and I would love a British Bulldog or Frenchie. That’s tough. Distance: being what feels like a million miles away from your hometown when you're tired or sick and no one speaks your language is tough. Airports: waiting around and doing the infamous TSA dance through security for every flight is tough. Change: becoming a new person who is constantly moving house is tough. But man, on the other side of these sacrifices, you will get a fantastic life experience that not even the rich and famous could relate to. So, what does all this mean? Life's good; in fact, it's almost worrying how quickly your body and mind adapt to this rockstar lifestyle. We are living our version of what we call a rich life, where what we value most is freedom, travel, and culture. At the end of the day, I'm still a city boy, always have been, always will be.

The beating heart of a city was my safe place, or was (I'm slowly becoming agoraphobic). I would rush into work alongside manic office commuters, bustling down into the tube and spilling out onto the streets, checking my watch aggressively. I've also had many drunk and disorderly nights that could easily have been featured on “Booze Britain.” I’m no stranger to a gay bar, as Rip mentioned. This comes with the territory of being a Londoner. Work hard and party harder. Or as Rusty said, being a "European" – whatever that means. Being a digital nomad is a process akin to acquiring strength; it's simple but not easy. Burn the boats and jump into this lifestyle head-on. You truly appreciate it only when you emerge from the flames that shaped you. Petty concerns like fear and the anxiety of embarking on this lifestyle are simply scared out of you because travel is hard, and that's good for the soul. All your worries fade away at 30,000 feet.

No long-term accommodation, no country too big or too small, no boss to report to, and no network of friends or family waiting in the arrivals gate. We move from one country to another; that's our new normal. This lifestyle demands that you pack only the absolute essentials in a manner that would make Marie Kondo proud. We are prepared for every season, with checked luggage weighing less than 23 kilos and a carry-on of 8 kilos – that's all our possessions. Having the ability to adapt to any environment and work anywhere is remarkably empowering. Going through the typical routine of work, home, gym, and occasional dinners out – it can easily lead you into a rut. It did for me, at least, but I think we're all guilty of this to a certain extent. How much of your city or hometown have you not explored? Let alone this entire blue planet. Obviously, not everybody has a job that allows remote working, so digital nomading may not be an option. Travel can also be expensive – although not necessarily as expensive as you think, if you’re strategic. For us, it’s actually cheaper than living in the UK. If you do have the opportunity to travel, whether you’re working or not, or even if it’s just for short spans of time, I strongly urge you try it.

Back in the day, only the wealthy had the ability to travel regularly to Europe and the rest of the world, eating exotic dishes, meeting locals, and experiencing different cultures that they would later describe to peers and loved ones, or document in books. Only aristocrats and royalty were able to do this – at the time, it was a privilege on a par with having your own en-suite bathroom. Most of you reading this now have a bathroom within spitting distance of your bedroom, but while you’ll take advantage of modern plumbing, many people still don’t take advantage of the greater accessibility of the wider world.

Claim your modern-day right to see the world and experience real culture. Touch it and speak to it; being social doesn't happen while staring at your phone, it's by engaging with real people. Google, BBC, and Fox News can't do anything like true justice to being there and experiencing it for yourself. Become well-traveled. I doubt traveling too much will be something you're going to regret on your death bed. Look, it's not a forever lifestyle for us, but honestly, I don't want this feeling of self-discovery to end. Wouldn't you like the freedom to choose how you live your life? I know I do. Choose strength, choose adventure, choose life.

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