View Full Version : Training when it's cold...
Seeing that a lot of you guys are from Scotland I was wondering any bad experiences you have had from not warming up or warming down before and after lessons.
It's been pretty cold here (Oz) lately and I have a new venue that is cold as buggery. Some students have been getting cramps after the lessons when driving home from a class.
Any thoughts?
stump
30-Jul-2002, 12:58 PM
Hi Jim
I suppose it all depends on what you're used to. I'm used to training in fairy cold weathers back to when i played football as a kid and I guess it's the same for a lot of the UK guys on here. It's not something i've ever specifically had a problem with, but it shapes your training as you pointed out a good warm up is very important especially in cold weather.
Personally I've found a lot of issues training in the heat during the Summer.
To answer your question our classes normally spend a fair amount of time working on stretching, but doing so very gradually because of the colder weather and the possibility of torn muscles.
I've never had a problem nor have i heard of any problems with cramps specifically relating to cold weather. If you run pretty intensive classes could it be your students aren't taking on enough fluids? I'm sure you've thought of that one so sorry i can't really shed any light.
all the best
Colin
Yeah, Colin its strange you mention the fluids too, I never drink at all during lessons but they all take water and I never cramp. I guess it is conditioning and what you're used to.
I used to specialise in tutoring only not with large classes so I thought that I may have been doing something out of the ordinary.
The summer classes are pretty intense too but that's okay because you can slow down and discuss things when it's too hot, but when it's cold you start to freeze to death.
One thing though, why do you have fairy cold winters? Are there elves and stuff?
:P
stump
30-Jul-2002, 01:22 PM
One thing though, why do you have fairy cold winters? Are there elves and stuff?
lol
fairy cold winters are specials winters that don't cause cramp to MA students......
...and what do you define as cold in Australia....is that when it's only 85 in the shade????? :)
Brrrrrr
Where I am we have snow too... More like ice though. Got down to -1 last night, Guinea Pig almost froze to death. Gotta hate that.
stump
30-Jul-2002, 01:55 PM
Sorry to disappoint you Jim but that's what we call MILD weather up here.....
....just enough to ruddy your cheeks, not enough to kill your livestock!!!!!! :)
Ruddy cheeks? RUDDY CHEEKS? What would I want ruddy cheeks for? This is Orstralya? What's a man want with ruddy cheeks? Or a frozen Guinea Pig for that matter...
stump
30-Jul-2002, 02:05 PM
What you do with your frozen guinea pig is your own business Jim..
(ahem)
;)
I sense a visit from the moderator about now.......
Silver_no2
30-Jul-2002, 03:47 PM
Hooray for Stump!!!! He put his post on the site an hour and a half ago and the eagle-eyed, authoritarian, dictatorial, school-teacher-like, Melanie hasn't moderated it yet!!!! :D
Authoritarian, dictatorial, school-teacher-like....is it getting warm in here? :Angel:
KarateKid1975
30-Jul-2002, 03:55 PM
(Ahem). I'm not the moderator, but I'll get back on topic :D
You guys/gals are talking about cold and it's 90 here (NY, USA)! :p Anyways, in the winter, I tend to do more warm-ups to warm the muscles BEFORE I stretch. More than I would in the summer, that is. Then I would ease into stretching carefully.
As far as cramping, I get cramps if I eat less than two hours before class. My legs get crampy if I don't stretch enough. I try not to fill up on fluids just before class (causes cramps), but I will gradually take in fluids, and have a bottle of water handy during class. After class, I definitely hit the water to avoid cramps.
stump
30-Jul-2002, 04:31 PM
still waiting the full brutal power of her moderatorship to swing into action any-time now....
...anytime.....now?????
......... :Angel:
Silver_no2
30-Jul-2002, 05:25 PM
When playing water polo we always used to make sure that we had plenty of salt in our food as it, apparently, helps to prevent cramps.
In terms of training in cold weather....coming from a rugby background (ie winter sport - have played in snow/ice etc) it's never been that much of an issue for me. I might make the warm up a bit longer but nothing would change too much. I think that the important thing for me is to warm down properly and take on plenty of fluids. As long as I did that I tend not to suffer too much beyond the expected pain of playing in the front row :D
Anyway....back to that moderator...hmmmm....chazz....I mean Melanie...I mean Melanie...doh!:D
Three hours twenty and counting
Melanie
30-Jul-2002, 07:58 PM
Erm...it seems that someone wanted to hear from me? Not sure why...can't see anything wrong with this thread meself...
You guys make me out to be some sort of ogre :(
Silver_no2
31-Jul-2002, 08:19 AM
Originally posted by Melanie
Erm...it seems that someone wanted to hear from me? Not sure why...can't see anything wrong with this thread meself...You think it is normal for people to want to do things with a frozen guinea pig?!?:confused: And they call me strange...well, I am...but that's not the point!!!!
You guys make me out to be some sort of ogre :( Not at all Melanie! What we said was that you were "eagle-eyed, authoritarian, dictatorial, school-teacher-like"....is it getting warm in here again?...ahem...anyway, if that is what you refer to as an ogre then shame on you! You should spend sometime looking at yourself and realising that you are not an ogre.....lets do it together.....it's definitely getting warmer in here!! :Angel:
Well the salt increase and fluid levels don't seem to be having too much beneficial effects here. So far this week I've had 2 students pull out because they were going to vomit! But that was probably the flu catching on...I hope :)
Freeform
03-Aug-2002, 05:45 PM
Right, in my Judo club we try to drink water with just a little drop of diluting juice in it. Its suposed to speed up the absorption of the water and contains the salts and sugar that you lose through training. (Although a little Fluffydoc in my ear has just told me thats b******s).
As to the cold used to train in a church hall and we only payed the minimum rent so they wouldn't turn the heating on for us in the winter (stingy ... oops I'm not gonna insult the church!) Anyway we did half an hour of circuit training at the start of the session (2.5 hr sesh) to warm up.
Now I have money and can affor to train in proper, well heated halls, sure the training made us hardy but damn if I'm going back to that!
Thanx
fluffydoc
05-Aug-2002, 07:52 PM
Originally posted by Freeform
Right, in my Judo club we try to drink water with just a little drop of diluting juice in it. Its suposed to speed up the absorption of the water and contains the salts and sugar that you lose through training
Your body is designed to absorb water quickly anyway, more so when you're lacking it. Taking an isotonic drink (which I assume you're aiming for with the diluting juice) will only make a difference if you're working a a very high level.
A quick look at my own bottle of diluting (yes I know I'm sad) shows it contains 45 kcal/ 100ml and you're using maybe 20ml so 9 kcal in your drink. That's about as much use as peeing in an inferno compared to your energy expenditure in a class. It's a comparable situation for the salts.
I try to go to training in a reasonable state - eaten recently but not within the last 90 mins, adequately hydrated etc. then just drink water in the class. I can imagine everyone who trains with me laughing at that last statement - I did say "try"!
Personally I think it's a heart muscle problem.
:)
fluffydoc
12-Aug-2002, 09:30 PM
Originally posted by Jim
Personally I think it's a heart muscle problem.
:)
Why?
Heart Muscle = sooky, nancy boy, etc.
:)
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