Training in Hell
By Keith Scott on Jun 9, 2008 in Fitness, Hard-Core Training, Personal Training, mental toughness, motivation
Its going to be 99 degrees today in New Jersey, with a heat index of 106. That is pretty hot. I spent 13 years in Arizona, so I am used to heat. It doesn’t really bother me at all.
I have a full load of clients today as well. I know that by 12:00 Noon it will be close to 90 and I will start to hear the complaints that it is too hot, too humid, and too uncomfortable to train. I will get excuses that range from, “the heat is getting to me, so my workout is not going to be very good” to “I am just way to tired from the heat and humidity to train today.” I am ready for them.
When I was in high school, I used to train at a local gym in South Jersey. My friend and I trained there all summer long, getting ready for 2-a-day football practices and the long season ahead. The gym was in an old warehouse, and it did not have air conditioning. None. They had a few fans, but that is about it. We never once complained, or even really noticed.
When we got to the gym and it was in the middle of July, the temps were in the 90s and the humidity was about 95%, we just drank more water and trained even harder. The heat didn’t matter. I had some of my best training sessions ever in those conditions.
The gym I work in these days is air conditioned. We keep it at 67 degrees. We have fans everywhere. It is cool inside. The humidity still creeps in, and it gets a little sticky inside, but in general, its comfortable. Still, today, I will get complaints, cancellations, and bad training sessions from clients. They have already made up their minds that its just too hot outside to train inside.
Personally, I like training in the heat. I get better lifts, make better gains, and feel like I get a much better session. I don’t do as well when it is cool and “comfortable.” It is a mindset.
The next time you see the weather and decide that it is just too hot to train or workout, change your mindset. Drink more water, but whatever you do, get after that session and have fun training in hell. You might like it more than you think.
