Well it’s not coming, it’s fucking here. In fact I’m not sure it ever left – the weather has been this miserable all year. But what is coming is darker mornings and evenings, colder starts and a distinct drop in our motivation to train. It’s ok, we get it. You wake up and its dark and cold, you finish work and its dark and cold and the thought of a warm drink, the sofa and whichever TV series is going to replace Game of Thrones is far more appealing than burpees, barbells and looking at me for an hour. But don’t do it. Don’t sack of training through winter – come spring you will regret it, I guarantee it. The winter, ie now, is the time to train for next year. Before long the shorts will be back out, the tops off and the beaches calling. Hibernating all winter will not make you a happy camper next year. In order to help you keep on track this winter here are our top tips for training through the miserable months!
Prepare: Motivation will be at an all time low first thing in the morning and straight after work. It will be highest the evening before so take the time to book into your class, pack your gym kit and prep your food then. Committing to your training the night before will help you stick to it the next day. If you have to go home after work to get your kit, chances are you won’t make it out again!
Set a goal: Having a goal or something to train towards is one of the best ways to keep your training on point over the winter. Sign up for a competition, an event or publicly set yourself a PB you want to achieve and use it as the focus for your training.
New kit: Literally the last thing I would normally encourage anyone to do (I still train in a t-shirt I have had for 15 years!) but having some new stash to hit the box in is a big motivator. Treat yourself to some new shoes, those lifters you wanted, a new pair of leggings or maybe more appropriately a new gym hoodie and come show it off.
Buddy Up: Accountability goes a long way with fitness. Chances are you’ve got a buddy who you regularly see/train with in classes. Set up a Whatsapp / Facebook chat and keep each other in check. Don’t book out of a session without running it by your training buddy and chances are they’ll convince you to get your arse to the box! Obviously pick wisely – you don’t want every ‘I can’t make the box tonight’ message to be met with ‘Cool fancy a beer instead!’.
Nutrition: Fuck it it’s winter so you may as well bin off eating well right? Fuck no!!! Eating well and training hard go hand in hand. Keeping up one will help you keep on track with the other. Taking the ‘I’m going to be wearing a coat and or cardigan for the next 5 months so fuck it i’m eating what I want’ approach is guaranteed to make you slack off in your training too! Don’t do it! Chat to Coach Jess if you need some pointers on your food intake, she’s a wizard!
Social Media That Shit: Now social media is full of enough bollocks already, I know. And the thought of my news feed being filled with a hundreds of ‘can’t wait to hit the box tonight’ and ‘whoop whoop chicken salad and green beans mofos’ posts makes me shed a little tear. But, just like buddy-ing up, posting to social media about your fitness goals, habits and sessions will help to keep you accountable. It might loose you a few Facebook friends, me included, but no worries, they’ll be back!
So boom, there you have it! Some solid tips to help you keep on track this winter. Combine the above with the fact that our coaching team will be doing all we can to keep you motivated this winter and you’re sure to hit next spring fit as a fiddle!!!