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Other/Mixed Training When Freezing: Post Yours

Other strength modalities (e.g., Clubs), mixed strength modalities (e.g., combined kettlebell and barbell), other goals (flexibility)
Well… speaking from the perspective of a guy who has spent at lot of time doing ‘hard’ things in +40C all the way down to -40C and who once spent 3 months in the hospital from frostbite and the subsequent loss of 2 toes…

there is often times a very fine line between bada$$ and dumba$$

There are risks in anything we do. Understanding those risks, and really accepting the consequences are highly individual…

(I could post the pics… but they are probably a little too graphic for this site)
Haha, I made a bet with myself that this one was coming. Thanks Brian.
 
This morning 0 deg C here in the U.K.
Wrapped up warm with a few layers for kettlebells and TRX on the patio, and a little Indian clubs to finish.
Had to wear gloves for kettlebells which are stored in my shed, just too cold to hold with bare hands.
New product idea:. Kettlebell handle warmer.
 
New product idea:. Kettlebell handle warmer.
Easy, tin foil around handle, place tea light candle on top of ball of kettlebell under handle, light candle and wait……
Disclaimer - I have not tried this for real, and as an engineer would worry about rapid heating of cold cast iron. Please do not sue me if your kettlebell handle shatters/explodes.
 
Hypothermia isn't fun. I got a case of it when in an air-conditioned bathroom when I got COVID (the all fluids leave your body through both ends and fever sweats type of covid). So surprisingly easy to do. I've gotten mild frostbite on my ears just going for a 40-minute walk, so now have to keep my ears covered in even mild cold. Once you do it once, it gets easier to do it again.

In my cold weather safety training, I was told that exposure does help reduce the chances of getting frostbite... But once you get it, it greatly increases the chances of it happening again.
Like many things in the first responder world, I'm unsure if it is a tradition passed down or an actual medical phenomenon.

That said, when working out in the cold, I find just covering fingers, toes, and ears works pretty great. So my outfit is basically pants, t shirt, hat, gloves, and shoes when shoveling snow or doing outdoor swings. Be mindful when you are getting cold and don't be a tough guy.
 
My cold weather experience is mostly biking to work. On my first couple of cold weather rides, I had to stop after just a mile or two to remove a layer or two, because I was burning up. Then I figured out the right number of layers. One decent balaclava under my bike helmet was all I needed for headwear. I didn't have to pull the bottom part of the balaclava over my mouth as much as I thought I would - in fact I had trouble breathing when climbing up a bridge or hill. On the other hand, if I didn't cover my mouth and nose, I had congestion triggered cold air. I found that using saline nasal spray before riding out alleviated the congestion.

I once tried working out on rings, attached to the monkey bars outside my office building, on a late afternoon/early evening when it was 22F. I got in maybe a rep or two, but could not control the trembling of the hands caused by the cold. Maybe if I got better gloves or mitts... but I didn't care to try anymore after that.
 
I'm thinking a cloth bag filled with rice, with a velcro closure. Microwave the bag, wrap it around the handle, use the velcro to fix it in place.
I did this the other day when i forgot to bring my bells in. Just use a couple if old socks filled with rice, nuke em and put em on the handles. Sucks the heat out super fast though needs to be done a couple of times.
 
I did this the other day when i forgot to bring my bells in. Just use a couple if old socks filled with rice, nuke em and put em on the handles. Sucks the heat out super fast though needs to be done a couple of times.
haha I guess it’s a good idea and works!
 
Easy, tin foil around handle, place tea light candle on top of ball of kettlebell under handle, light candle and wait……
Disclaimer - I have not tried this for real, and as an engineer would worry about rapid heating of cold cast iron. Please do not sue me if your kettlebell handle shatters/explodes.
I've got to try this!
 
This is my year-round gym for the past four years. When the bells are extremely cold I will use cotton gloves for the first few sets. After that they seem to be warmed up enough that I don’t notice.
Last winter was the first that I took a few kettlebells to my shop for about a month of the coldest spell we had. Shop has a kerosene heater but I can’t stand the fumes when I need oxygen as in kettlebell practice, so shop was still unheated.
So far this year southern middle Tennessee had been pretty mild temps with only a few days below freezing.
Today was perfect at about 40* Fahrenheit.
 

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I did this the other day when i forgot to bring my bells in. Just use a couple if old socks filled with rice, nuke em and put em on the handles. Sucks the heat out super fast though needs to be done a couple of times.
Generally, if I forget to bring the bell in (and it happens often enough), I'm still going to have a "pre-heating" of the garage on really cold days. If I set the KB in front of the space heater for 15 minutes or so, it will take enough of the cold out of the bell that I'll be able to use it without a problem.
 
Here’s one from a few years back when I lived and worked on a livestock farm. I kept my 32kg in one of the barns and did C&P alternated with pull-ups off one of the rafters twice a day while I waited for the giant water trough to fill. That was pretty much the extent of my training during that time along with swings and TGU inside the house with my 24kg. It was a very physical job, moving the big round hay bales, moving animals, carrying feed buckets, etc.
I always do at least some of my training outside year round.
 

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its the worst. 0F outside with full sun and no wind? t shirt and shorts. Slight breeze? I'm going to need a bomber hat, gator, choppers, hoodie, coat, long johns, sweats, pants, wool socks, and winter boots.
In Vietnamese the term "cold" is called "trung gio", which means "hitting by the wind". We really careful about the wind, sun or rain, hot or cold
 
Garage gym was cold enough tonight that I was blowing frost the entire workout.

Moderate to high volumes of BSQ always give me a big appetite, but doing them in the cold makes me even hungrier!

My technique is always a bit off when I have to wear the fleece during the warm up sets -- the thickness of the jacket dulls the sensation of of the bar on my traps, which gimps my shoulder bracing a little due to reduced proprioception.

The good part is that once I get warm enough, I can take the fleece off and just wear the long sleeve tech fabric shirt.

Bad part -- ice cold bar on traps!
 
It's in the single digits now (Fahrenheit)... The tiny space heater doesn't do much but it makes it bearable and I go inside between sets if I'm not hurrying through anything. Last night I put the cone grips on the pull-up bar and did 10 minutes of pull-ups. I think I got 24 total (sets of 1 or 2 throughout). 10 minutes was about as much time as I cared to spend out there. Today will be very cold, but with the amount of shoveling it looks like I'll have to do, I might just take the days off.
 
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