Lifting in the snow?

Shangrilah

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Hey all,

I live in Canada and we get quite a lot of snow in the winter up here... Problem is I lift in my backyard cause the floors in my house aren't very solid. I wonder if anyone has some words of wisdom regarding lifting weights in the cold/snow? Standard stuff, squats/deads/benches.

I'm mostly thinking you'd need a lot of warming up so your joints stay warm? What do I do in minus weather (celsius, sorry)? Also, obv. can't squat deep with snowpants on lol
 
You will need gloves. Probably long johns under your sweats, silk is best, but the regular kind will work. wear your coat it wont inhibit you. wear a stocking cap. If this is a new thing, lower your weight and your rest periods. Dont worry, you will adapt. The weights will go back up.

didnt I just do this in another post a minute ago?
 
Bundle up and stretch/warm up a lot

^^the guy above seems knowledgeable. dropping the weight at first like he says probably isn't a bad idea.
 
I lift in the winters out in my shed. I just bundle up like crazy. I warm up a lot more than I normally would by jumping rope, heavy bag work, etc. The first year I wore gloves which sort of sucked. Using gloves for deadlifts makes grip much more difficult. This last winter I never used gloves. The bar was freezing cold, but it was manageable.

Are you in a shed, under a covered porch, or what?
 
I'd probably warm-up real well, drink a real good got cup of coffee (or 2) before the workout, and if you can while you workout. Not only coffee will help you with your lifting, but it'll keep you warm.
 
I lift in my garage, which isn't heated. It gets damn cold in there. If you're lifting inside of a shed or something, a small space heater works wonders. But, I still need to bundle up when using mine from mid-January to mid-February. I don't use gloves, but I have a huge stash of those hand warmer things. I'll hold one of those in my hands between sets and such. Makes the cold ass bar warm up a little faster.
 
Up until i moved a few months ago, I lifted in my garage, where it was hot as hell in the summer, and literally FREEZING cold in the winter, and here is what I have learned.

Layers- Dress in them. Long Johns under sweat pants and, goofy though it may sound, shorts over top of your pants. The shorts, while looking ridiculous, have a few advantages, namely keeping your hips and groin extra warm, because you do not want them to tighten up between sets. Additionally, where a T-Shirt overtop of a long sleeved shirt or rashguard, and tuck them both into your pants, and throw on a sweater over top.
As a personal preference, I hate wearing a hood when lifting, so I always wore a hat. Gloves are also a must. I suggest something like a thin cotton glove underneath leather work gloves. The cotton will keep your hands warm, the leather does a good job insulating, and gives you a solid, no-slip-grip on the bar.

Feet- I lift barefoot. So in the winter, I lifted in two pairs of socks. One pair of normal cotton socks, one pair of wool. I had a few layers of wood underneath my feet, which helped prevent the concrete floor (or the frozen ground, if you are outside) from taking my heat. Additionally, I kept a pair of flip-flop sandals nearby, which I would put on between sets or if I stepped off my platform.

Liquids- I ALWAYS had a thermos of hot tea and a cup with me. If I just took a cup, even an insulated one, it would either be to warm to drink, or get cold before i was halfway through. Having a good amount of warm fluids really helped.


Now, if you are actually going to be OUTSIDE, and not in a structure of any kind, you are going to want to either get a cover for your platform, if you have one, as it will take very little ice to make it dangerously slippery.
 
I think lifting in the snow or cold .Would test one mental capacity.
You should do alot of warm ups and wear proper clothing.
 
Honestly, I hated lifting when it was cold out, because I hate being cold, but when I was down there and actually doing it, it was a lot nicer then lifting in the heat.
 
Don't lick or kiss the bar after a huge PR...
 
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