Tom Rowland | Dice Workouts for Travel Fitness | Tom Rowland Podcast Ep. 331

Tom Rowland, host of the Tom Rowland Podcast and star of Saltwater Experience, shares his proven system for maintaining fitness while traveling for weeks without gym access. Using nothing but dice and a deck of cards, Tom reveals how he structures workouts that keep him mentally sharp and physically ready during extended shoots where equipment isn't available. He breaks down the specific exercises he assigns to each side of the dice, explains why he always travels with both regular six-sided dice and a twelve-sided die for rep variation, and demonstrates how to create completely equipment-free workouts versus single-dumbbell routines when hotel gyms have limited options. If you've ever struggled to stay consistent with training while on the road, this simple system might change everything.

Why Travel Workouts Matter for Mental Clarity

Tom reveals something crucial that drives his commitment to maintaining workouts on the road: it's not just about physical fitness. When he's away from his regular training routine for more than a couple of days, he notices something happens to his thinking. He gets foggy, lethargic, and his mental performance drops noticeably. This mental fitness component is actually the primary driver for why he's developed such a reliable system for road workouts during his extended Saltwater Experience shoots. He doesn't necessarily expect to improve his fitness during two-week trips, but maintaining both his physical routine and mental sharpness is non-negotiable. Tom explains the full mental fitness connection at 2:15.

The Complete Dice System Setup

Tom walks through his exact dice setup, which he bought on Amazon for about two dollars. He uses blank wooden dice that he marks with exercises on one die and numbers on another. But here's where it gets interesting: he's evolved the system beyond just standard six-sided dice. He also uses a twelve-sided die for the rep counts, which gives him variation all the way up to twelve reps per roll. Tom mentions he's tried multiple approaches including using a label maker to mark the dice professionally, but the key insight is having different dice sets for different situations. One set is completely equipment-free for parking lot workouts, while another set includes exercises that require a single dumbbell if he finds a basic hotel gym. The specific dice exercises and his complete marking system start at 3:01.

Creating Equipment-Free Versus Single-Dumbbell Dice

Tom gets specific about how he designs two different dice sets based on what he might encounter. His equipment-free die includes exercises like burpees, push-ups, flutter kicks, squats, and even a joker side that means running around the block or parking lot. This ensures he can work out literally anywhere without relying on any equipment whatsoever. But he's also prepared for the scenario where a hotel has a basic gym with dumbbells. For that situation, he has a second die marked with single-arm press, goblet squats, kettlebell single snatch, and deadlifts—all exercises that only require one dumbbell. Tom emphasizes he never relies on hotel gyms having what he needs; he always defaults to the parking lot with just a towel and his dice. The complete exercise list for both dice types starts at 4:56.

The Night-Before Planning System

What makes Tom's dice system actually work isn't just the randomization—it's the planning ritual he does the night before. Tom looks at his schedule and determines exactly how much time he has available in the morning, whether that's ten minutes, thirty minutes, or forty minutes. He sets that time commitment in advance, then wakes up, grabs his dice and a towel, heads to the parking lot, sets the clock, and rolls continuously for that predetermined duration. Whatever exercise and rep count comes up, that's what he does, then rolls again immediately. This removes all decision-making from the morning and ensures consistency no matter how early his shoot call time might be. The dice live in his travel bag alongside a deck of cards, creating a zero-excuse system. Tom's complete morning execution strategy and time-blocking approach starts at 4:01.

Final Thoughts from Tom

I've been using this dice system for years now, and honestly, it's become one of my favorite ways to train even when I'm home. There's something about the randomization that keeps it interesting, and when you're on week two of a shoot in a random parking lot somewhere, that variety matters. I've gotten countless questions over the years about travel workouts, and I always come back to this: simplicity wins.

The beauty of this system is that it removes every barrier. You don't need to think about programming or what exercises to do. You just roll and go. And when you plan your time the night before, you wake up knowing exactly what you're doing and for how long. It's become as automatic as brushing my teeth. I keep these dice in my travel bag right next to a deck of cards, and between those two tools, I've never missed a workout on the road.

If you've been struggling to stay consistent with your training when you travel, grab some blank dice off Amazon and give this a shot. I'd love to hear what exercises you put on yours. Send me an email at podcast@saltwaterexperience.com and let's share workout ideas. This Physical Friday is short, but if you're someone who travels regularly, it might be one of the most practical episodes I've done.