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Marcus Filly explains how to kill your workout, no matter where you are

In a new video on his YouTube channel, former CrossFit Games competitor and functional bodybuilding coach Marcus Filly shares his best advice for getting the best results out of your workout when you're in a new and unfamiliar gym, so you don't have to compromise on your gains while traveling. The first thing he does is walk a lap to assess what gym equipment is available and where, so he can make a plan for how to arrange his workout, with major key considerations:

Firstly, what are the movement patterns you want to train in this workout? Depending on whether you're focusing on push, pull, squat, hinge, or core will determine which part of the gym you want to use, i.e. the squat rack, the bench etc.

Secondly, what are the key sections of your training? These can be as simple as warmup, strength, and conditioning.

Third, try to identify any equipment limitations or potential obstacles, like being in a busy gym where equipment might be taken up quickly.

"I'm going to think about which lift I really want to prioritise," says Filly. "There are often 2 to 3 lifts that make up the most intensive portion of a functional bodybuilding session... I want to be sure to hit them with full effort and focus, so it's worth waiting for equipment to open up in order to hit these properly."

In this instance, as he wants to spend the workout focusing on heavy lunges and rows, Filly programs a warmup which activates the hips and shoulders. "I have two options here, I can grab a couple pieces of equipment and head to a corner of the gym, or I can mix these in between my warmup sets for my main lifts, so I stay efficient while using the station that I want. Because no-one likes a bench hog."

In his main workout, Filly supersets his back rack lunges with rows in an EMOM (every minute on the minute) format, for the sake of speed and efficiency. When it comes to conditioning, Filly recommends seeking out a cardio tool like a bike or rower, ideally situated next to dumbbells or kettlebells, so you can combine weights and cardio for what he calls a "functional pump."