Are you feeling the cold right now and are you second guessing your alarm when it tries to get you out of bed for those super early a.m. workouts? Well here’s a few tips to help you roll out of that nice warm bed, gear up, and get your backside to the gym!
Think and act like a professional athlete!
If working out is your profession then you need to work out! It’s your job! If you don’t do it then who will? It’s work. Yeah, it’s also a tonne of fun … but if you have the mindset of a professional then the first thing that you need to do is be where you’re supposed to be, and be there on time. So don’t make excuses. Be on time every time and get it done.
Keep your immune system firing on all cylinders and boost it where you can.
This includes resting when your coaches say rest and focusing on post workout recovery. Don’t over-train at any time but especially not when the weather gets chilly. Over-training will not only fry your central nervous system, it will send your immune system into a nosedive. And of course make sure that your nutrition is on point. The cold weather tends to bring out little nasties that leave you sniffling and lethargic. Let’s not go there! Bullet-proof your immune system!
Prepare mentally and physically
Get your gear ready the night before. Load up your car, ready for action as soon as you roll out of bed. Don’t take an iPad detour or switch on the tele for an overnight news update. Know exactly what you need to do as soon as you hear that alarm go off … and time yourself from the time you wake up to the time you leave the house. How long does it take to go from horizontal at home in your bed, to horizontal on the bench press? See if you can beat your exit time on your next workout day.
Don’t overdo the layers
Don’t pile on the layers before you leave the house! Your warm-up is meant to get you warm … at the gym! The cold temps mean you need to work harder to push the blood to your capillaries to adequately prepare for your workout. So cold weather training can lead to awesome gains simply because it forces you to work just that little bit harder.
So now you have no excuses! See you in the gym 💪