Fast and Furious Fitness

Dear Reader,

The summer’s well and truly upon us (and it’s just begun!) in terms of rising temperatures, and heat waves for many of us. And today’s post is going to be about training in the heat (which most serious trainees will be doing), and how it affects your body, and consequently, the results you achieve from your routine.

Now, before I get into this - I’d like to preface my statements by saying weather (clement or not) is NOT a reason to skip training (or to start training, for that matter). Sure, you may change things up a bit i.e. you might choose to train at a cooler time of the day in summer, or you might choose to add more indoor work in in place of climbing a hill if it’s stormy weather outside - but the bottom line still is, and remains, train no matter what.

On to the subject matter of today’s post - I’ve always said training in the heat makes one tougher, and gives one greater “focus”. The very act of not quitting when the sweat is dripping off you, and your heart is pounding like a sledgehammer makes you mentally tougher, and the focus developed thus benefits you in all aspects of life, physical or non-physical.

That said, the heat does take a toll on one’s body, and makes some of the tough exercises even tougher. So for instance a set of Sumo squats (a toughie) may take longer to complete in a hotter environment than a cooler one - and even longer if it’s really hot AND humid where your training. Same goes for all other physically taxing activities - and this in turn takes a toll on your body, demanding a) more recovery time and b) more energy to be spent during the workout. Also, most of us are not training “full-time” i.e. we have jobs to keep, lives to lead, and we need all the energy we can get for those endavors as well.

So if it’s real hot where your training, you might want to consider training during a cooler time of the day, if just to conserve energy for workouts to come, and (more importantly) your entire day ahead. Also, it is easier to improve in some of the tougher exercises in a cooler environment than a hotter one. . . purely because the heat and humidity saps you quicker than any exercise will.

The “pro” to the heat though is that if you do well when it’s hot - then you’ll do EVEN better when it’s cooler weather! Trust me, if you can bang out a record number of pushups in the heat, you will be banging way more out in pleasant weather - simply because your body has adapted to doing pushups in a tough environment, making the second instance (doing them in an easier environment) a cinch.

Of course, if you enjoy training in the heat, then by all means do so - but if you find yourself getting fatigued after your workout (more so than normal), then you may want to consider either working out at a different time of the day, or perhaps choose a cooler environment.

So, pros and cons to both - but end of the day, one thing remains constant - and that is - TO TRAIN, no matter what!

Bottom line - do what works for you, and produces results - and you’ll be all the better off for doing so.

All for now!

Rahul

Yes, folks, you read that right. Long and slow workout, instead of the fast and furious routine I advocate. Yes, I said those words - long, and slow. But before you start wondering whether or not I’ve gone completely off my rocker, let me explain.

I’ve been having to train in less than optimal circumstances over the past couple of days. There has been stuff going on around here, both in my personal and work life, and let’s just suffice to say that the heat’s the least of my concerns right now.

Today, I was training in a room hotter than usual, and that, combined with the other stresses and the rising temperature, made it far tougher than usual. I started my workout with the right intentions, but as soon as I made it up from my first squat, I knew I wouldn’t be doing a quick ‘un today. I would either get it done slowly and right, or, I wouldn’t be doing it at all.

So instead of stress over the fact I was going slowly, I decided to try and actually enjoy the slow movements. I changed my routine up as well - a squatting exercise, then a back exercise, then legs, then back and so forth - as opposed to legs first, and back later, and then pushups. However the speed of my workout was such that it allowed me to recuperate between exercises, and thus I was able to hit all body parts with the same intensity that I do normally. I just rolled with the heat though, and went a bit slower than usual.

This didn’t make it easier. After each leg exercise, the heat really “sank in”, and I was feeling like I was breathing fire in. But, I didn’t give in, and finished eventually. Did the best I could do, and I’m proud of myself for having done so.

And now, I’m sitting here completely exhausted from the events of the past few days, and my workout. And the only thing I feel is a sense of deep satisfaction at having battled through the odds, and “getting it done no matter what”. OK, other things as well, but that is the overwhelming feeling that is sweeping me right now.

This is hard to explain if you haven’t actually been there, and done it, so I am not going to attempt to. But some of you out there that are reading those know what I am talking about. Brothers (and sisters) in battle we are, and shall remain.

Speaking of which, it’s back to the battle of life for now.

Until next time - TRAIN, PERSEVERE and get her done!

Rahul

Dear Reader,

Summer’s fast-a-approaching where I currently am (actually way too soon), and I’m starting to hear people use the old cop-out “It’s too hot to go train outside today”, or, “man, it’s just too hot to exercise today”.

Baloney. Heat is NOT an excuse - and there are many reasons - but let me point out something that should work for all. Do you stop eating, sleeping, perhaps drinking a beer or two, during the hot weather? No? I didn’t think so. Then, why would you miss a training session because it’s “too hot”?

Training in the heat makes you mentally tougher, and also gets you fitter in a lesser amount of time. Flash-rewind back to a few years back. I used to live in China, where a part of my daily exercise routine was to climb a pretty steep hill (I’ve covered this in a post as well on hill climbs and how they get you fit). And for a short period of time, I actually did this (due to time constraints) at 12 noon. That’s right, 12 noon, and it was the middle of summer in a sub-tropical part of China.

I must have literally been the only one crazy enough to climb at that time (and no I’m not suggesting you do it either), but my point is, it’s not how hot it is. It’s how hard you battle through it - I literally felt (and sometimes feel these days as well) as if I was breathing in FIRE instead of air!

I could literally hear my heart pounding against my rib cage during those long, hot, summers when I climbed. These days, I exercise indoors, but follow a pretty intense routine as you know, so the result is the same for the most part.

I often use the hot weather to keep “track” of how fast I finish my workouts. If my heart stops pounding at a certain rate during the workout - I’m slowing down and need to pick up. Simple as that, and it works like a charm. Is it tough? Yes. Can it be done, and does it yield results? Again, YES!

And the gains you make while training in hot weather will transfer over manifold when training in more optimum weather. Do something in tougher conditions, and repeating it in easier conditions is a cinch.

Couple of things to keep in mind while training in the heat: Stay hydrated all times (very important), and also make sure to focus on each rep, completing it in perfect form. It’s easy to slack off and try and rush through the reps due to the heat - this is something I have to fight a lot of times myself as well.

Bottom line - the heat (or cold, for that matter) is NOT an excuse. Stick to your regimen in all types of weather - your body will thank you for it!

All for today. Write in with comments if you have any!

Rahul