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Thread: How do you northerners train in winter?

  1. #16
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    F**k the out door winter training.
    I like that idea.
    There is a great streak of violence in every human being. If it is not channeled and understood, it will break out in war or in madness. ~Sam Peckinpah

  2. #17
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    I live in Seattle so I feel you pain. We have wonderful summers and I take every opportunity to train outside. But in the winter it just sucks and I always end up gaining weight.

    But staying in shape in the winter is just this simple: join a gym. Make sure it's relatively inexpensive and doesn't have big join up fees. Find one that has an aerobics studio that isn't used very often and make sure you can use it to practice kung fu. This is the only way to get a consistent work out during the winter. I've tried running and training outside in the winter but ultimately the weather will screw up your routine plus I always seem to get a cold.

    I go to the gym almost everyday on my lunch hour. I alternate between running and lifting weights every other day. This is in addition to my kung fu training (3x a week) and Taiji (1 x a week.) I expect to be in awesome shape when summer roles around.

  3. #18
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    Jan 1970
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    Raleigh, NC, USA
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    I'm in North Carolina now, but grew up and lived in the north until 3-4 years ago. I'm surprised nobody has mentioned the #1 winter exercise: shoveling snow! If you have a weak back, you won't come next spring. Just be sure to stop and take a breather every few minutes. Every year, at least one guy drops dead from a heart attack while shoveling snow. Granted, he's usually over 50 and it's the only exercise he gets all year, but you can't be too careful. Although if you don't have a driveway you won't get the full benefit from this chore.

    Light outdoor sparring is also a hoot in winter. Open hand strikes become stinging b1tchslaps that'll make your eyes water. Also, as previously mentioned, the slippery surface forces you to develop a good stable root and footwork.
    Last edited by Starbuck; 10-30-2002 at 06:02 PM.

  4. #19
    Haha! Starbuck is correct on both counts! Shoveling kicks my ass.

  5. #20
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    Hmm ... my landlord put a snow shovel by the front door. I have a feeling he's going to ask us to do some shoveling this winter! (We do some of the maintenance in return for a good-sized break on rent.)

    OK, so any tips on shoveling? That shovel doesn't look like your standard dig-a-hole-in-the-yard model.

    I also found out this week -- working out in the cold stings your lungs like crazy but I could have worked out for hours without sweating, if I had the time. Winter may not be too bad.
    There is a great streak of violence in every human being. If it is not channeled and understood, it will break out in war or in madness. ~Sam Peckinpah

  6. #21
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    told ya cold air kills your lungs! (in a good way though)

  7. #22
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    Okay, some of you might disagree with me, but here's my take on it. This comes from camping/training with minimal gear through an arctic blast(though in the MO area, but still nasty), and general outdoor practice:

    -Cold air is NOT good to get deep in the lungs, so do not get huffing and puffing too much unless you're young and crazy. This WILL raise your likelihood way up of getting sick.

    -Push ups or anything else like that need to be done indoors.

    -Stretching should be done indoors, and will go much quicker that way.

    -Sparring in the cold is higher risk than elsewhere for obvious reasons(you will be tighter, no matter what, because that is what cold does).

    -Start with many layers, and remove as need be.

    -Anything that requires extended duration of more than your shoes touching the ground is risking losing a lot of body heat, which increases your risk of getting sick.

    -I've yet to experience a temperature at which I could not do chi kung comfortably. However, the more wind, the more skin I need to cover.

    -Sitting on concrete is trouble. Don't do it.

    -Dress for the season, and workout slower. Most body heat is lost through the head, so wear a hat.

    I HAVE to be at class throughout winter, as I'm a senior student. We train outside, so this is what I do to keep well.

    Most of the times I see people get sick or get sick myself, they either underdress for the cold, or get huffing and puffing too much cold air.
    I would use a blue eyed, blond haired Chechnyan to ruin you- Drake on weapons

  8. #23
    Huffing and puffing cold air will by no means get you sick. You may get cold-air induced athsma, but you will not get ill.

  9. #24
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    Semantics. Asthma, sick, what's the difference, functionally? Pushes the envelope for a cough too. Granted, it won't spontaneously 'create' a virus or anything, but it will make you less able, and is effectively the same as being sick.

    "Most of the times I see people get sick or get sick myself, they either underdress for the cold, or get huffing and puffing too much cold air."

    'Too much'

    "-Cold air is NOT good to get deep in the lungs, so do not get huffing and puffing too much unless you're young and crazy. This WILL raise your likelihood way up of getting sick."

    Again, 'too much'.

    I'm not saying there should be an absolute ban on aerobic activity in the cold, but there's a point that's too much.
    I would use a blue eyed, blond haired Chechnyan to ruin you- Drake on weapons

  10. #25
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    So ... going for a little jog in the cold (like 1 mile or so) would be OK, but running until you're ready to fall out would be detrimental -- you get weak, your immune system weakens, and it opens the door to viruses. Something like that?
    There is a great streak of violence in every human being. If it is not channeled and understood, it will break out in war or in madness. ~Sam Peckinpah

  11. #26
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    Jan 1970
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    Representing The Summit Set, Co, USA
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    Originally posted by SaMantis

    OK, so any tips on shoveling?

    Usually, I start with a medium/tall stance and step into your shoveling swip, keeping your rear leg mostly straight. You will then be in something a lot like a bow stance. keep your back straight and use your front leg to help lift the weight on the shovel, slidding your rear leg in as you lift. Wah-la, shoveling and stance training. with this method you will be very unlikely to fall down while you are shoveling. This is the way I shoveled all last winter and it worked well for me. Being a snow plow driver shoveling is a good portion of my job.

    This may be the completely wrong way of lifting snow but it worked for me.

    btw, we had 10 inches of new snow this morning!
    I am nothing.

  12. #27
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    SaMantis: Well, perhaps my response to Ford was too involved. I have a deficiency in my briefness gland which prevents me from saying something like "Who wants asthma symptoms, either?"

    Yeah, I have nothing against jogging in the cold, or sprinting, I just keep wary of that point of exhaustion that opens me up to sickness.

    Ford, sorry if I came on a little strong with the semantics bit.
    I would use a blue eyed, blond haired Chechnyan to ruin you- Drake on weapons

  13. #28
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    That's cool, KC Elbows,

    Qi dup, LOL on stance training! I'll keep the info in mind this winter.
    There is a great streak of violence in every human being. If it is not channeled and understood, it will break out in war or in madness. ~Sam Peckinpah

  14. #29
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    Boston
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    Smile Followup:How do you northerners train in winter?

    OK, I've been able to workout indoors most of the time, plus I do stairs at work. Yesterday I tried a workout in the snow for the first time.

    Big difference! Basics were extremely tough, forms were nearly impossible. Couldn't do anything at full-speed. My feet were either sliding around or getting jammed in packed snow. By the end of the hour I was just putting together line drills and working on balance.

    Worst thing was that the leaves are off the trees, so all my neighbors could see me flailing around in the backyard. Oh well.

    Anyone else working out in this weather?
    There is a great streak of violence in every human being. If it is not channeled and understood, it will break out in war or in madness. ~Sam Peckinpah

  15. #30
    **** that snow was heavy. I had enough of a workout shovelling out.

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