Fightstore loves the Christmas season. But it does get hard for people training and trying to stick to a diet/routine throughout the dark months. Fightstore had Santa in the office this year. Check out his video and our article below!
We've been fairly lucky in England this year. September was somewhat an indian summer and temperatures have been relatively mild until recent weeks. However, as November closes and December looms, it seems like the dark nights are here to stay. As the popular HBO show game of thrones frequently spouts, “Winter is coming.” Or rather, winter is here.
The darkness, rain and the cold that make British winter so miserable also impact anyone training in combat sports. MMA, Muay Thai, Boxing, BJJ. You name it. We all have to attend classes. Usually for most people, a class will be in the evening. To recall a familiar scenario I tend to stumble on: You've just finished work, it's 17.10 and when you woke up at 8.00 this morning it was as dark as it is now. You've missed the day, you're hungry. But your class starts in an hour and you suddenly don't really want to go. Here are some tips to counter that situation.
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Wrap up warm as soon as you leave work
I've lost count of the amount of times I've left an office or room to head to training and forgotten to get the right amount of layers on. I head home freezing cold, teeth chattering and hands shaking at my steering wheel. Before I drove, getting the bus like this was even worse.
By the time you're home you're way too cold to rush off to training so you spend time by your heater and end up missing training all together. An easy way to counter this is to just not allow it to happen. As soon as you leave work/school/university etc for your commute, get appropriately protected from the cold.
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| Revgear Hoodies are a good idea to stay warm |
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Get an energy source into your body
Lunch was at 12.30. It's now the end of your day and you have a very narrow window to get to training. But you're hungry and tired and you know you can't eat a big meal before training. The answer is to get something that isn't heavy on your digestion but fuels you for the coming workout.
The key here is to not let hunger demotivate you. Instead, have a protein shake and a banana to get some fuel in your body without overly bogging you down with a full meal. Instead, save your evening meal for after training when your body's metabolic rate is up.
A range of products is available at http://www.fightstoremma.com/gym-equipment-1/nutrition.html
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Don't make excuses
Yes, it's cold. Yes, you're hungry. But if you're following this guide you'll be a lot less of both. However, the darkness and weather certainly diminish your desire to train. But trust me on this, drag yourself to training and you'll walk out feeling better.
Exercise releases endorphins that boosts your system and gives you a sense of well-being. You'll be pleased you trudged through snow, rain, mud, ice or whatever inclement weather is currently beating you down. You'll start to feel better that you bothered at all, knowing there are people who would have quit and hidden away in their warm homes.
Train throughout winter so you can feel the privilege of summer. Treat winter like you're in a cocoon, ready to emerge into the better season with a huge improvement. You'll be ready to swap board shorts for Vale Tudos and rash-guards for bare chests.
Stay gritty and dedicated throughout the bad weather and reap the rewards as the sunshine emerges.
Stay warm, eat small, stay positive and get yourself to training!
Craig Thomas Boyle
