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Capt. Joe West, Freelance, Charleston, South Carolina
First off, it’s extremely hard to stay healthy when traveling, since you have long hours and 90 percent of the people are on vacation. I focus on being healthy when at home by eating a lot of protein and working out nearly every day. On trips, I try to eat as clean as I can, whether cooking or going out to dinner. I got into weightlifting about four or five years ago at home and realized I needed another routine when I didn’t have access to a gym. No matter where you are in the world, you can always put on a pair of tennis shoes and go running for a couple of miles. It’s now my go-to. I hated it at first, but it’s been growing on me.
Anthony Hsieh, Bad Company, Palm Beach, Florida
Making time for workouts should be a part of life. It makes us better anglers. Just 30 to 45 minutes a day of cardio, stretching and resistance training—pushups, dips, pullups, situps—helps. Add a balanced diet, limit alcohol, and get proper sleep and rest. This is key for longevity and consistent success. Find a routine that works for you; early mornings work best for me, even when traveling and adjusting to time zones. When fishing remotely, I do two days of cardio and one day of resistance. On land, that ratio reverses. We currently spend 200 days a year on the water.
Capt. Cory Gillespie, Lunatico, Palm Beach, Florida
Trying to stay in shape and get quality workouts in during a traveling schedule can be challenging. Fishing almost every day, leaving the dock at sunup and coming back just before dark don’t leave a lot of time for hitting the gym. And some locations may not even have a gym. We typically travel with some equipment, such as weight vests, sandbags and jump ropes, which allows us to get exercise in while on the road. I believe that getting some kind of exercise in on a consistent basis goes a long way in keeping your head straight while you’re standing in one spot for 10 to 12 hours. Something as simple as doing 20 minutes of movement before heading out can help quite a bit.
Capt. Chris Donato, Benchmark, Kona, Hawaii
I bring a mobile TRX setup, which can be tied or hung anywhere, grab a circuit off YouTube, and go hard for a great workout to stay fit when traveling. In more-remote situations, I’ll do a workout circuit that fits in a stateroom or on deck, such as pushups, squats, burpees, crunches, bikes—any good combo to get your heart rate up. I’ll set a timer and go as hard as I can for 20 seconds, rest for 15 seconds, and then repeat for five sets. While fishing, I often do calf raises while waiting on a bite. The big thing is to do whatever you can to get in some kind of movement.
