Winter Training.
Last Updated on Tuesday, 30 November 1999 00:00 Thursday, 20 November 2008 11:00
We're fast approaching the middle of winter and for many that means both a break in their normal fitness and diet regimes. There are two distinct strands to winter training, characterised best as 'crash n burn' and 'eat and lift'.
The former allows the body a complete rest from its fitness regime while relaxing the dietary requirements. The latter sees a bulking phase with fewer but heavier lifts. Most people pick'n'mix between the two extremes and there is much debate about what exactly should be done but there are a few simple guidelines most people can agree on:
Weight Lifting - At some stage during the year, your body will need a break from the demands of constant lifting. Some people take two weeks to a month off to recuperate, others adjust their training routine for a month or two. Lets get real here - It's probably taken you a year or two to pack on the muscle so you are not going to lose it all over a week or two. Probably the most common form of winter training involves heavier but fewer lifts on an adjusted lifting routine. It'll increase the poundage on your lifts but allows you a greater recuperation time. Taking a complete break for a week or two is also a great way of curing all those strains that build up over time leaving you refreshed when you do return to the (iron) bar.
Diet - Bulking is a common pastime during the depths of winter, packing on the extra mass needed to grow. Whilst it is ok to relax the diet during winter we would recommend avoiding a complete collapse of you diet. A piece of chocolate, the occasional burger and some pizza are all fine. Gorging yourself with super size meals twice a day will rapidly earn you a spare tyre of blubber fat around your waist which you'll need to work extra hard to burn off later. Therefore when bulking, eat more of your normal diet - extra lean meats, carbs and proteins and do a healthy bulk which will allow you gain muscle mass rather than just fat.
Cardio - Some people adjust their level of cardio to suit their lifting and dietary regime. If you have failed and are gorging yourself silly on fattening foods, increase the amount of cardio you do. That way, when winter ends at least you won’t have as much work to do. Others decrease the cardio in tandem with the lifting in order to take that well deserved break. Remember that cardio is not just for burning fat - it’s also good for the body in exercising the heart and lung muscles too. Take advantage of the winter weather also - driving sleet and rain may preclude you from going for your morning jog but it's a great opportunity to learn jump rope or skipping or getting reacquainted with the rowing machine you haven’t used in two years. We all have our own preferences for cardio but like any exercise take the opportunity winter offers you in order to vary the routine.
We've all heard it countless times - You should be doing X, Avoid doing Y, Begin doing Z. Unfortunately there is no magic one size fits all routine for people when it comes to getting in shape. Most people have their own individual exercise regimes which work best for them, following the general outlines but adjusting them to suit their own needs and goals. Whether you decide that winter is the time to crash and burn or lift and eat, it's a great opportunity before January comes around and the summer training schedule kicks in.
