Image credit: Michael Nagel
It’s freezing outside, it’s freezing when you exercise. Your home gym isn’t isolated. Your gym manager doesn’t heat the gym. But that doesn’t stop you. You decided to stop making excuses not to exercise because it’s too cold.
Here’s how to exercise in cold weather. This guide is aimed at strength training & weight lifting, but you can use the tips for other sports too.
Be Confident. Cold weather is easier than hot weather: no headaches from the heat, no sweating. The first 5 mins are the hardest. Once warmed up, you won’t feel the cold anymore. Remember this.
Warm Clothes. Wearing a sweater adds inches to the bar, making it harder on exercises like Front Squats to put the bar correctly. I remove my sweater during worksets, and put it back on between sets.
Try also a woollen hat to avoid sinus & ear infections from the cold weather.
Warm-up Routine. You can’t injure a warmed up muscle as easily as a cold one. Warm-up sets are a start, but you can do more than that and the 5 min cardio. Some ideas:
- Dynamic Stretches. Leg swings & side leg swings, body-weight Squats, body-weight lunges, lateral lunges, shoulder dislocations, etc
- Barbell Complexes. Empty barbell. 3x Hang Power Clean, 3x Front Squat, 3x Push Press, 3x Overhead Squat. Repeat for 3 to 5 sets.
- Body-weight Exercises. Jumping Jacks or better, Burpees.
Remember: the goal is to raise your body temperature, while warming up joints & muscles. Don’t get yourself tired.
Rest Less Between Sets. Load the bar & do your next set. This quickly gets you warmed up. If your workset is 5×5 100kg on the Squat, do this without resting:
- 2×5 20kg
- 5×40kg
- 3×60kg
- 2×80kg
Then move to 5×5 100kg taking 1 min rest between sets. If you struggle to get all reps, take 2-3 min rest & walk between sets to keep warm.
Hand Care. Gloves don’t work for weight lifting: they add inches to the bar, making it impossible to grip the bar correctly.
- Warm-up Your Hands. Rub your hands between sets, clap them. Your body temperature will warm-up the cold bar.
- Hand Cream. Cold weather makes your skin dry. Dry skin gets chapped, irritated & red. Use hand cream before going to bed.
Don’t Rationalize. Never rationalize that it’s too cold, that you’re going to get sick or whatever excuse you can find. Make a decision & stick to it.
- Set a time to exercise
- Eat one hour before exercising
- Dress for the gym directly after eating
- Prepare your gym bag
- Review your training journal: last workout, today’s workout
- When it’s time to exercise: get up & go to the gym
Just do it.
I love exercising in cold weather. I find it easier than lifting in the summer to be honest!
How about moving to a warmer country? That would be extreme perhaps but one can dream….
I have a nice big heated basement, but no exercise equipment. I should buy some… Anyone know if the new bowflex is good? I ‘m thinking of buying it since its just one machine. I dont want to make my basement a gym…
I still want to work out at the gym, but when i don’t have time would the bowflex be a good idea??
My gym is on the roof of a building. Sometimes in the middle of winter I open the window, take my shirt off and train like that.
Reply to Denis! Do not get the bowflex! You could get a rack, Bench, bar and weights for much cheaper price! And these things will be 1000X more effective at upping your strength, conditioning, whatever. Bowflex is garbage!! Nobody in the history of time ever got fit from using it. Denis, I guarantee you those guys in the commercials got jacked from using barbells and dumbells, not a bowflex.
@O
Same here.
@Denis
Listen to Alex. No bowflex. Get a power rack, bench & barbells. Check out this home gym guide.
okay sounds good no bowflex… Im super soar right now. SHould i rest or keep on training? I don’t mind the pain, but just wonder if thats a sign to slow down or something?
Soreness decreases as you get stronger. Stick to your routine, workout as planned. Best solution for soreness is to train the muscle again.
I love running in fresh snow. Lovely.
Too bad the gym owners turn up the heat when it’s cold outside. I’ve had them turn it off twice already, because working out in a room that’s too warm is not productive.
Just pack a sweater and long pants if need be and just go get it done ! (oh and a cap)
In the February Edition of Runner’s Magazine, it includes a few articles about running in the cold. It’s a really great read and it’s helped me prepare myself more for the cold weather.
I don’t know if you can read these articles on line for free, but I’ll list the name of the articles and you can do a search if you’d like:
10 Cold-Weather Essentials
The Cold War
Best In Snow by Brian Metzler