Q/A with Personal Trainer, Businessman Anthony Molina
This post is actually one of the most exciting I’ve done and honestly should have been done long ago! Finally, my best friend, brother from another mother, former roommate, and training partner, Anthony Molina, and I finally found some time to do a Q/A post. Anthony is a big fitness inspiration for me and has taught me a lot about fitness, meal prep, and business in general. Not only that, he is a genuine guy with a huge heart and little time for bullshit. He is currently service sales manager with Textron Aviation, traveling around the US, and kicking ass selling private planes. For the past month, he has been bouncing around from hotel room to hotel room and living out of a suitcase, but still has managed to stay fit and lean. Below is an excerpt from our Q/A session we had. Enjoy!
1) CarryOnTravelFitness (COTF): Antho! Thanks for taking the time to respond to some of my questions. Without wasting any time, tell us about your position at Textron and where they have you traveling.
Anthony Molina (AM): Thanks for the love G! I’m honored to be featured on COTF. I work in business aviation (private jets) for Textron Aviation. The job is incredibly demanding to say the least. The clock means nothing. I work until the job is done or any time a customer calls. If I don’t, I lose the sale. It’s a lot like fitness if you think about it. You can’t let your life be run by the clock and what society deems normal. You have to be run by your goals, where you want to go, but most importantly, who you want to be. Time is the equalizer. As you know from our college days, I’ve always believed it’s easier to put the hard work in now than it will be to look back and realize you could have done and been more.
2) COTF: Walk us through an average day that you have on the road.
AM: Hahaha there’s no such thing! As you can imagine, with the type of customers who can afford a private jet, you have to remain incredibly flexible because they are used to getting what they want all the time.As far as being on the road, some trips give me time to prepare, others are at the drop of a hat. I either end up driving if the trip is reasonable to do in a car, or I fly. When I get there, I often rent a car and go straight to a meeting with customers until late at night when it’s time to check into a hotel.
I’ll be straight up with you and all of your readers. It’s hard as hell to stay on plan when your days are structured this way. The best advice I can give anyone in business like me, school, or any other stage in their life is this quote: “plan ahead, or plan to fail”. There is always going to be a laundry list of reasons why you can’t make it to the gym, eat properly, or sleep enough. However, all you need is one reason to make sure you don’t slip up on your workouts or diet. That reason will be different for everyone, but make sure you know your purpose behind your goals. If you stay focused on your purpose, you won’t give too much value to whatever hardship you’re dealing with today.
I always pack way more meals than I think I’ll need, a fully equipped gym bag with pre and post workout supps, and headphones...can’t go anywhere without some tasty jams lmao.
Anthony is always repping our alma mater, Texas Christian University (TCU) Horned Frogs.
3) COTF: Do you have any fitness goals at the moment or are you just looking to maintain while traveling?
AM: Shortly after starting this job, I suffered from a pinched sciatic nerve. It was the worst because it hurt like hell, and it’s hard to do anything that doesn’t make the problem worse. At the time, I was the biggest, strongest, and leanest I had ever been, so it was hard to accept having to take time off from the gym. However, if you do it right, fitness is a life-long lifestyle. You can always rebuild and get back to where you were. If you ignore injuries, you can end up crippled. I ended my competitive tennis career that way, so I knew what to do this time.
My main focus was maintaining my fitness while I travelled. I had to accept that I was going to lose muscle because I couldn’t keep eating the calories I needed to maintain my size without being able to lift with the intensity I had grown used to. So, I adjusted my diet, and began focusing on my yoga practice. By the way, I can’t thank you and Melinda enough for opening my eyes to the incredible benefits of practicing yoga. It does almost as much for my mind as it does for my body, and it’s changed my life for the better. With the crazy amount of time I spend in a car or on a plane, I began worrying about my health and the shortening of my tendons and ligaments. There are quite a few studies out there that show how detrimental that much sitting is for your health. With yoga, I help maintain and improve my flexibility, and release stress from work.
I once went to 12 states in just over a week, so setting a goal to build muscle or get super lean during those heavy travel periods is unrealistic. I’m all about realistic goals. Stretch goals are great, but if you set goals that are too lofty, you set yourself up for disappointment.
4) COTF: Do you have a fitness routine that you keep while you travel? Or do you fit in workouts when you can?
AM: Much like our college days, I’m all about hour of power workouts, meaning low rest periods, giant sets, supersets, and dropsets throughout the lift. This helps save time, increase intensity, and challenge your cardiovascular system. Plus, you always leave with a wicked pump haha.
I also incorporate tabata workouts when I’m on the road. These consists of 8 rounds of 20 second work intervals with 10 second rest periods between. These are my go to when I don’t have any equipment available because this style of training allows you to get a lot done in a short amount of time just like any form of HIIT workout. Plus, you reap the benefits of an elevated metabolic rate for many hours after your session unlike traditional cardio. Best of all, you can do it anywhere.
Just the other day, I pulled off into an abandoned parking lot next to a field so I could do a good old fashioned outdoor workout. One of the many reasons I’m excited you started COTF my man. If I can pull over in the middle of nowhere when I’m driving state to state, then anyone kind find time for a workout. You just have to get a little creative from time to time lol.
Anthony traveling in Scotland
5) COTF: Do you do anything differently fitness wise traveling than you would normally do at home?
AM: Yes and no. I truly believe in keeping the intensity high when you train. That means no texting, FB, Insta, or chatting to the hot chick that always seems to be on the hip abductor machine lol
The only differences in my workouts are because of a lack of equipment. If it’s leg day and I don’t have access to a squat rack, leg press, etc., you know I’m running hills/stairs, doing jump squats, or lunging. I just find ways to make it more challenging like making a lower body circuit to perform tabata style, or finding random objects to use as weights...water jugs, chairs, people...haha.
6) COTF: They say diet is 80% of the battle when one wants to stay lean. How do you stay on point with your diet especially when eating out much more than you would at home?
AM: Control your environment. Prep tons of meals and put them in a cooler or cooler bag. If you’re flying, avoid anything that has excess liquid because they will take your gains from you, and that’s a tragedy.
If you eat out, which I do often while taking customers out, don’t be afraid to be specific with your order. Tell them you want this and not that. Just be sure to be nice and tip them well when they get it right. You can even call ahead to avoid having that conversation at the table.
7) COTF: How does traveling so much affect your energy levels? Any advice (other than coffee!) to hack your energy levels and be able to workout on top of traveling and working?
AM: Haha you called me out there!! You know I love a cup of coffee to wash down my coffee! Thats a great question though. Traveling whoops my ass, and I know I’m not alone there. Changing time zones, early flights, hotel beds...it takes a toll. Energy supplements are great, but nothing beats a good night of sleep. As you know, I’m a demo rep for Muscle Elements, so I turn to their nighttime product AminoPM. It helps you get to sleep faster, get more REM sleep, and it helps with muscle repair. I stand by that product because it has a fully disclosed label and all natural ingredients to help you sleep. I know how to pick apart a label, and there’s nothing but good things in that tub.
8) COTF: Do you any tips for other travelers to make it easier for them to stay committed to their fitness while on the road?
AM: Incorporate HIIT into your life! You can get a killer workout in a very short amount of time, and the afterburn effect is great for staying lean, maintaining muscle, and even building muscle!
Prepare your food before you leave for a trip if possible. Real food beats protein bars or protein shakes any day, but if you don’t have another option, go with one of those meal replacements. Also, DON’T SKIP MEALS!!! People seem to think that if they just don’t eat, they will lose weight. WRONG! Fuel your body for the tasks you take it through. Reach for a quality protein source at every meal, watch out for hidden fats, and taper your carbs on the days when you aren’t doing the exercise to use them.
Overall, the key to success in fitness, business, school, or anything else, is discipline. That means when you really don’t want to do something you know you should do, you get it done anyway. You’re never going to be pumped up every day for all the things you have to get done: lifting, bills, work, you name it. Becoming disciplined enough to push through even when you don’t want to is everything.
Develop that discipline, figure out the why behind you do what you do, and keep sight of your purpose. You get those 3 things locked down, and you will be leaving the majority of society in the dust.
The best way to get there is starting right now. Face your fears, don’t be afraid of failure, and eliminate the “good enough” attitude that so many people out there embrace. In the words of a personal hero of mine, “if today you never say good enough, tomorrow, you will always have enough my friends”.
G, thanks for featuring me. It’s an honor, and I wish you nothing but the very best. Love you brother.
Thanks so much, Anthony! If you are looking to contact Anthony or have any more questions for him you can reach him at:
Email: anthonymolinafitness@gmail.com