Heat Training/Strength Training
One of the advantages of my outdoor/garage gym is that it is not air conditioned–thus, it allows my body to adapt to weather conditions as the seasons change. In the winter, I get used to working out in gradually cooler weather (it’s never really cold in Florida, is it?). In the spring/summer I get to work out in gradually warmer, hotter and more oppressive weather. The outdoor gym allows me to make the adjustments gradually. But, once I’ve started to adjust, I need to step it up (just like I need to increase the weight/difficulty of certain exercises). So, today, I’m going to do my strength training workout in the heat of the day–starting at 1pm.
I didn’t do any serious strength training (just lots of paddling, swimming, a sprint triathlon, and some hiking) while in St. Maarten, but I was inspired to find myself an event to train for (still looking) and to buckle down and kill my training. So, I’m starting with a killer:
1. Slosh Pipe Overhead Walking Lunges
2. Pull-ups
3. Web Mountain Climbers
4. Tire Whack with Sledgehammer
5. Atomic Push-ups
6. Web Horizontal Row with Heavy Backpack
7. Log Drag Bear Crawl (killer!)
8. Web Hamstring Curls
9. Sandbag Curl and Press
10. Sandbag Walking Lunge (remember, I love lunges)
11. Sandbag Twisting Throws
I’ll report back when I’ve gone 3-4 times through the circuit.
Kip Koelsch Author 
So, I’m back after a nice cold shower and a recovery shake made from Hammer Nutrition Recoverite, fruit and ice (mmmm!). Wow, quite a day to do the heat workout–not a lick of wind and nice, harsh sun. I made it through three sets of everything and added a fourth set of Atomic Push-ups and Pull-ups just because they are such great exercises. Here’s a little commentary on some of the highlights:
Slosh Pipe Overhead Walking Lunges: A great exercise, but I’m to the point to where I have to trim a few shrubs and trees in the yard to get in enough distance…and/or it’s time to make a slosh pipe that is somewhere between the one I’m using and The Beast lying by the side of the garage.
Tire Whack with Sledgehammer: Unlike a lot of folks, I’m not using a huge tire (it’s still out east after the Squiggy Adventure Race) that won’t budge when you hit it. I’m using a smaller tire that will slide a little with each whack to the side. I whack and slide the tire a certain distance and then reverse it and swing the sledge hammer from the other side. This is a great exercise for rotational strength and power–great for my kayaking/paddling.
Log Drag Bear Crawl: There are photos of this in my last blog post. This time I was dragging two logs behind me. Yup, on the last set of drags I could taste a little vomit in the back of my throat.
Sandbag Curl and Press: I changed this and used my short slosh pipe and did a one arm curl and press motion while standing on the opposite single foot. Then, I switched arms and feet. I just didn’t seem to have a sandbag that was the right weight–something to work on.
Sandbag Twisting Throws: Because of the importance of rotation in both kayaking and swimming, I wanted to add another rotational exercise. I was standing with feet shoulder width apart and the sandbag extended out slightly from my body. I’d rotate to one direction and throw the bag as I twisted explosively in the other direction.
Try some of these on your own, or contact me for a personal training session in my garage/ghetto/outdoor gym.
I forgot to mention some great products from the folks at Hammer Nutrition that can help you deal with the heat. If you are doing any workouts outside in the heat, try:
Endurolytes–electrolyte capsules or powder
Liquid Endurance–glycerin and more to help pre-hydrate your muscles.
I’ve used both regularly and for racing and they have helped me deal with extreme heat. http://www.hammernutrition.com.