Close Ad ×

Muscle & Fitness logo Muscle & Fitness

  • Workouts

    Workouts

    • Workout Routines
    • Workout Tips
    • Fitness
    • Athlete/Celebrity Workouts
    • Exercise Videos
    Find Exercises Targeting…
    • Abs and Core Exercises
    • Arm Exercises
    • Back Exercises
    • Chest Exercises
    • Leg Exercises
    • Shoulder Exercises
  • Nutrition

    Nutrition

    • Healthy Eating
    • Lose Fat
    • Gain Mass
    • Supplements
    • Performance Nutrition
    Healthy hot dog
    Healthy Eating

    Fire Up the Grill and Put a Healthy Twist on National Hot Dog Day

    Bartender and mixologist making a gin cocktail
    Healthy Eating

    Gin Up New and Exciting Ways to Enjoy this Spirit, According to One Cock...

    Masterchef contestant Christian Green healthy Cajun Honey Garlic Salmon recipe
    Healthy Eating

    Try Christian Green’s MasterChef-Worthy Cajun Honey Garlic Salmon

    Joshua Bailey serving his Fourth of July sweet potato fries
    Healthy Eating

    Indulge Guilt-Free for the Fourth of July Weekend

  • Athletes & Celebrities

    Athletes & Celebrities

    • News
    • Interviews
    • Women
    • Pro Tips
    • Behind-the-Scenes
    • Videos
    Sheena Ohlig on Femme Flex Friday
    Interviews

    Sheena Ohlig Talks About Her Transition from Women’s Physique to Bodybui...

    Person playing pickleball and holding a pickleball paddle
    Pro Tips

    Pickleball: Learn the Basics Behind America’s Fastest Growing Sport

    Crossfit athletes competing in the 2022 Crossfit Games
    News

    Day 2 Wrapup of the NOBULL CrossFit Games 2022

    Flex Wheeler interview from the hospital on The Menace Podcast
    Interviews

    Flex Wheeler Shares Health Update on 'The Menace Podcast'

  • Features

    Features

    • Active Lifestyle
    • Muscle & Fitness: Fit to Serve
    • Gear
    • News
    • Opinion
    2022 NoBull Crossfit winners hugging the crowd
    News

    Who Won What? History Was Made At The 2022 NOBULL CrossFit Games

    Crossfitter Dukic at the crossfit games 2022 riding a bike
    News

    Who won? CrossFit Games 2022 Endures Chaos During ‘Bike to Work’ Event...

    Top crossfit athlete planninng to compete in the 2022 NOBULL CrossFit Games
    News

    2022 NOBULL CrossFit Games Preview

    FlexiSpot Office Bike Sit2Go chair
    Gear

    Can an Office Bike Be Your Solution to Hours Behind Your Desk?

  • Flex

    Flex

    • Olympia
    • Athletes
    • Nutrition
    • Training
    • Videos
    Kamal Elgargni pointing into the crowd
    Flexonline

    Kamal Elgargni Explains Why He's Entering the Open Division

    Wellness-NY-WOS 2022
    Flexonline

    Why a Wellness Division Makes Sense for Bodybuilding

    Bodybuilding round table with King Kamali
    News

    King Kamali Joins Bodybuilding Roundtable on 'The Menace Podcast'

    Donna Salib sitting on the edge of garden box
    Flexonline

    IFBB Pro Donna Salib Went From Bodyslams To Bodybuilding

  • Hers

    Hers

    • Workouts
    • Nutrition
    • Supplements
    • Athletes & Celebrities
    • Features
    Female wrestler Brandi Rhodes working out with battle ropes exercise
    Hers Athletes & Celebrities

    Brandi Rhodes Is Balancing Business, Motherhood, and Wrestling

    Kayla Blood wearing her Monster Truck Jam Uniform
    Hers Athletes & Celebrities

    Kayla Blood Dishes on Ditching MMA for Monster Trucks

    2022 Ms. Bikini International Champion Lauralie Chapados performing her shoulder workout routine
    Hers Workouts

    Get Shoulders Like Lauralie Chapados with Just 4 Moves

    Jennifer Jacobs Performing a 20-min full body resistance band workout
    Hers Workouts

    Regarding Your Health, It's OK (and Necessary) to Prioritize You

  • Muscle&Fitness+

    Muscle&Fitness+

  • Olympia

    Olympia

    • Olympia
    • Buy Tickets
    The 2021 Mr. Olympia bodybuilders
    News

    2021 Olympia Saturday Night Recap: It Was a Ramy Repeat

    2021 Mr. Olympia Top 3 winners Brandon Curry, Big Ramy, Hadi Choopin
    News

    BIG RAMY WINS THE 2021 OLYMPIA!

    Female bodybuilder and 2021 Olympia Winner Whitney Jones
    News

    2021 Olympia Friday Night Recap: Shaw Repeats, Jones Reclaims Olympia Ti...

    Big Ramy Wins the 2020 Olympia
    IFBB

    Big Ramy Wins the 2020 Olympia!

Subscribe to YouTube Subscribe to the Newsletter Terms of Use Privacy Policy Cookie Policy Accessibility Statement Manage Cookies
  • Workouts
    • Workout Routines
    • Workout Tips
    • Fitness
    • Athlete/Celebrity Workouts
    • Exercise Videos
  • Nutrition
    • Healthy Eating
    • Lose Fat
    • Gain Mass
    • Supplements
    • Performance Nutrition
  • Athletes & Celebrities
    • News
    • Interviews
    • Women
    • Pro Tips
    • Behind-the-Scenes
    • Videos
  • Features
    • Active Lifestyle
    • Muscle & Fitness: Fit to Serve
    • Gear
    • News
    • Opinion
  • Flex
    • Olympia
    • Athletes
    • Nutrition
    • Training
    • Videos
  • Hers
    • Workouts
    • Nutrition
    • Supplements
    • Athletes & Celebrities
    • Features
  • Muscle&Fitness+
  • Olympia
    • Olympia
    • Buy Tickets
  • Resources & Highlights
    • Topics
    • Videos
    • Podcasts
    • Contact
    • Terms of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Cookie Policy
    • Accessibility Statement
    • Manage Cookies

Stay Connected

Success!

Thank you for signing up. Your information has been successfully processed!

I want content for...
Facebook Twitter Youtube Pinterest
Open menu button
Open search bar button
×

Search M&F

Featured Articles
Lean Muscle
Healthy Eating

28-Days-to-Lean Meal Plan

With the right plan and the right discipline, you can get seriously shredded in just 28 days.

Read article
Kate Upton Attends the 2016 Vanity Fair Oscar Party
Women

The 20 Hottest Female Celebrities

Talented stars, killer physiques.

Read article
Bench press record holder Bill Gillespie breaking the world record at age 62
Pro Tips

The 'Dos' and 'Don’ts' of Bill Gillespie’s Record-Breaking Bench Press

At age 62, "Big Bill" shares his wisdom to dominate one of the ultimate strength marks.

Read article
The 50 Best Female Fitness Influencers on Instagram
Girls

The 50 Best Fitness Influencers on Instagram

Follow these fit women we're crushing on for inspiration, workout ideas, and motivation.

Read article
Workout Tips

6 Need-to-know Tips for Surviving Winter Training

Make training during the winter easier with these tips and pointers.

by Lee Boyce, CPT
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
Tips For Winter Training Survival
EXTREME-PHOTOGRAPHER / Getty
View Gallery

6 Need-to-know Tips for Surviving Winter Training

Close gallery popup button
1 OF 7

1 of 7

Tips For Winter Training Survival

EXTREME-PHOTOGRAPHER / Getty

The Need to Know

Training isn’t easy during the winter. There are many factors (the ones that go beyond adding holiday pounds from family dinners) that can stymie a lifter’s progress. Here are some tips and pointers that can help you survive the tribulations of winter training.

2 of 7

Tips For Winter Training Survival

CasarsaGuru

If You’re Gonna Bulk, Make it Intense

That sounds like it goes without saying. But you have to remember that the best way to encourage blood flow, sarcoplasmic hypertrophy, and a super-pump is to limit rest intervals and focus on complete muscle exhaustion. That’s going to come from high-lactate training methods that don’t involve much rest time. Training methods like ladder set training, 8×8 training, and German Volume training are just what the doctor ordered for low-rest, high-lactate methods.As a bonus, the lactate production can help with elevating your testosterone, and also be responsible for burning plenty of fat. The take-home point is to work lots, and rest a little. 

3 of 7

Tips For Winter Training Survival

Geber86 / Getty

Running Outside? Change Your Cardio to Long Runs.

The last thing you want to do is head out into the cold and go sprinting or pushing the prowler with an insufficient warmup. When temperatures drop, it takes that much longer for working muscles to heat up, and for the joints to release fluid for lubrication. It’s best to play it safe and take things slow and steady. Go old-school and structure your workouts with cardio runs on off days, and treadmill incline walks following your workouts themselves. 

4 of 7

Tips For Winter Training Survival

Steve Bonini / Getty

Train the Squat MORE Than Once Per Week

Not only will this help with additional weekly calorie burn, but it’ll also make you both bigger and stronger. Period. You can train the squat pattern twice weekly by doing two full legs workouts per week, or you can make more of a strength focus by squatting heavy for less volume each day. Lately, I’ve personally been employing a daily max squat to my routine. I’ve found that it’s helped my muscular development and also made me much more comfortable squatting in the neighborhood of 400lbs. Instead of reading my explanation, check out what I mean in the video below:

5 of 7

Tips For Winter Training Survival

Marjan_Apostolovic / Getty

Beware of Seasonal Affective Disorder

It sounds crazy, but weather can affect our mood and our motivation to do things like be active, train, and play sports. It may be common to see someone feel lethargic on a cold or rainy day, but sometimes this can be taken to the next level. According to the Canadian Mental Health Association, some people are vulnerable to a type of depression that follows a seasonal pattern. For them, the shortening days of late autumn are the beginning of a type of clinical depression that can last until spring. This condition is called Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD. If you notice a trend from season to season that’s more than noteworthy, it may be something that goes beyond shaking it off and toughing it out. Talk to your doctor to determine if you need treatment or medication.

6 of 7

Tips For Winter Training Survival

Mariha-kitchen / Getty

Carb up and Drink up

Logic would tell us that it would take longer than normal to warm up the body during cold weather. That means warm-up routines would be more elaborate, and the body will be using up its glycogen stores earlier in your workout—even if you’re in the gym and not outdoors, the cold state the body will likely be in when you’re on your way to the gym is something that can really cause the muscles to cool off. With that said, we need to make sure our glycogen stores are completely topped up before hitting the iron or track. Have plenty of carbs before a tough workout.Cold weather can also have an effect on our thirst; it may not be as evident that we need to drink and are dehydrated, because, though we may be sweating, the temperature isn’t sweltering. Be cognizant of this and make it a point to keep yourself hydrated during your session. As a general rule, try having 250ml of water (1 cup) every 15 minutes of your workout. 

7 of 7

Tips For Winter Training Survival

Geber86 / Getty

Take up an Indoor Sport

Join a men’s league for basketball or volleyball, or get into a squash club. The added activity, calorie burn, and cardio training will help to keep you conditioned and athletic during the winter season. Plus it’ll serve as a great interim to your weight training workouts, which could begin to feel redundant when there are few other options for exercise. Plus, you get to sharpen your game.

Back to intro

The Need to Know

Training isn’t easy during the winter. There are many factors (the ones that go beyond adding holiday pounds from family dinners) that can stymie a lifter’s progress. Here are some tips and pointers that can help you survive the tribulations of winter training.

If You’re Gonna Bulk, Make it Intense

That sounds like it goes without saying. But you have to remember that the best way to encourage blood flow, sarcoplasmic hypertrophy, and a super-pump is to limit rest intervals and focus on complete muscle exhaustion. That’s going to come from high-lactate training methods that don’t involve much rest time. Training methods like ladder set training, 8×8 training, and German Volume training are just what the doctor ordered for low-rest, high-lactate methods.

As a bonus, the lactate production can help with elevating your testosterone, and also be responsible for burning plenty of fat. The take-home point is to work lots, and rest a little. 

Running Outside? Change Your Cardio to Long Runs.

The last thing you want to do is head out into the cold and go sprinting or pushing the prowler with an insufficient warmup. When temperatures drop, it takes that much longer for working muscles to heat up, and for the joints to release fluid for lubrication. It’s best to play it safe and take things slow and steady. Go old-school and structure your workouts with cardio runs on off days, and treadmill incline walks following your workouts themselves. 

Train the Squat MORE Than Once Per Week

Not only will this help with additional weekly calorie burn, but it’ll also make you both bigger and stronger. Period. You can train the squat pattern twice weekly by doing two full legs workouts per week, or you can make more of a strength focus by squatting heavy for less volume each day. Lately, I’ve personally been employing a daily max squat to my routine. I’ve found that it’s helped my muscular development and also made me much more comfortable squatting in the neighborhood of 400lbs. Instead of reading my explanation, check out what I mean in the video below:

Beware of Seasonal Affective Disorder

It sounds crazy, but weather can affect our mood and our motivation to do things like be active, train, and play sports. It may be common to see someone feel lethargic on a cold or rainy day, but sometimes this can be taken to the next level. According to the Canadian Mental Health Association, some people are vulnerable to a type of depression that follows a seasonal pattern. For them, the shortening days of late autumn are the beginning of a type of clinical depression that can last until spring. This condition is called Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD. If you notice a trend from season to season that’s more than noteworthy, it may be something that goes beyond shaking it off and toughing it out. Talk to your doctor to determine if you need treatment or medication.

Carb up and Drink up

Logic would tell us that it would take longer than normal to warm up the body during cold weather. That means warm-up routines would be more elaborate, and the body will be using up its glycogen stores earlier in your workout—even if you’re in the gym and not outdoors, the cold state the body will likely be in when you’re on your way to the gym is something that can really cause the muscles to cool off. With that said, we need to make sure our glycogen stores are completely topped up before hitting the iron or track. Have plenty of carbs before a tough workout.

Cold weather can also have an effect on our thirst; it may not be as evident that we need to drink and are dehydrated, because, though we may be sweating, the temperature isn’t sweltering. Be cognizant of this and make it a point to keep yourself hydrated during your session. As a general rule, try having 250ml of water (1 cup) every 15 minutes of your workout. 

Take up an Indoor Sport

Join a men’s league for basketball or volleyball, or get into a squash club. The added activity, calorie burn, and cardio training will help to keep you conditioned and athletic during the winter season. Plus it’ll serve as a great interim to your weight training workouts, which could begin to feel redundant when there are few other options for exercise. Plus, you get to sharpen your game.

Topics:
  • Build Muscle
  • Diet
  • Strength Training
Author picture
Written by Lee Boyce, CPT
Related Articles
Frank Sepe explaining his workout to build a big back
Workout Routines

Build Your Back Better with This 'Sleeveless'-Approved Workout

Group fitness class performing resistance band workouts
Workout Routines

These 3 Band Workouts Can be Done Anywhere, Anytime

Stay up to date

Sign up below to receive our newest workout routines, recipes, news stories, and offers from our partners

Success!

Thank you for signing up. Your information has been successfully processed!

I want content for...

Follow us

Facebook Twitter Youtube Pinterest

More news

Muscular man performing banded exercises using a resistance band to improve his deadlift
Workout Tips

Try These 3 Resistance Band Exercises To Help Improve Your Deadlift

The list of benefits of adding bands to your workouts keeps growing. Here are three more.

Read article
Overweight man running on a treadmill in an empty gym
Workout Tips

This Weight-loss Specialist Shares Her Best Tips To Lose Weight

Angela Fitch, MD, explains why losing weight is so hard and how you can change that.

Read article
Muscular-Man-Putting-Additional-Plates-On-Barbel attachments
Workout Tips

These 6 Barbell Attachments Should be in Every Weightroom

As training technology keeps getting better, it’s time your gym keeps up with the times.

Read article
All Workout Tips
  1. Home
  2. /
  3. Workouts
  4. /
  5. Workout Tips
  6. /
  7. 6 Need-to-know Tips for Surviving Winter Training
Muscle & Fitness logo
  • Workouts
  • Nutrition
  • Athletes & Celebrities
  • Features
  • Recipes
  • Topics
  • Videos
  • Exercise Videos
  • Podcasts
  • RSS Feed
  • Muscle&Fitness +
  • Buy Olympia Tickets
  • Archives
  • Sitemap
Facebook Twitter Youtube Pinterest

Newsletter Signup

Success!

Thank you for signing up. Your information has been successfully processed!

I want content for...

Muscleandfitness.com is part of A360 Media LLC Fitness & Health Network

Contact Us Terms of Use Privacy Policy Cookie Policy Manage Cookies Accessibility Statement

JW Media, LLC

Copyright 2022 JW Media, LLC, parent company of Muscle & Fitness. All rights reserved.