I wanted to post this general tip which I believe can save some guys from the hassle and pain of unnecessary injuries, and also give the arc of weightlifting over the course of a year a more natural and enjoyable shape.
There is a difference in the way our bodies respond to exercise in the fall and winter months when it's colder and when it stays dark for a longer time. This is the time of year when it's easier to get an injury from weightlifting, and also the time of year in which injuries are slower to heal.
Part of this is simply a function of temperature -- when it's not as warm, the muscles, joints, tendons etc are also colder, which makes them stiffer and tighter. Although you can stretch and warm up, over the course of the fall and winter your muscles and joints are probably going to be a little tighter than they are in the summer.
Another part of this has to do with natural sunlight and vitamin D production. Almost everyone has more sun exposure in the summer months when it's warm outside and there is more light every day. Again, you can supplement vitamin D, but even so your stores of D are almost certainly going to be higher in the spring and summer. Vitamin D contributes to endogenous test production, and to keeping your body supple and limber.
Finally, the fall and winter months also tend to be associated with more stress, both from work and during the holidays season (in the US). Stress makes your muscles and joints tight and tense, and more injury prone.
The upshot from all of this is not that you shouldn't work out hard in the fall and winter months -- you should still work out hard and consistently. But it's just that you should not work out AS HARD in the fall and winter as you do in the spring and summer. If in a July lift when you're loose and feeling great you can sometimes err on the side of enthusiasm, and go for a higher weight or try to bust through a sticking point, in a January lift you should always err on the side of safety, slightly lower weights and rigorous form. It's about not always going for that extra rep or extra set or higher weight, and sometimes doing a workout which is pleasant, rather than savage.
Your goal should be to get through the fall and winter while having maintained or slightly increased your strength, and without injury. Then, when the spring and summer months come around again, you gradually dial it up and use the warmth and light to take your strength to the next level.
SLEEP is the weightlifter's best friend in the fall and winter. Take advantage of the fact that it's dark for a longer part of the day to get that extra sleep, and deeper sleep, and preserve and build your strength in that way. Get some profitable hibernation genes turned on.
Not only is this a smart way to run your weightlifting year, it is also an enjoyable one. It's a natural way to vary your workouts to prevent monotony. After a fall and winter of still working hard, but placing an emphasis on safety and prudence, you will be hungry for the next strength breakthroughs when the summer months come around. You will be physically and mentally rested and ready.
All of this, of course, applies more the older you get. For very young guys (early twenties) the risk of injury is lower and the healing process is much faster than for guys who are a little older. But even young guys can benefit from dialing it down a little in the fall and winter, and up a notch in the spring and summer, and enjoying this natural cycle.
Work out hard but safely through the fall and winter; sleep like a champion; stay injury free; and get ready to tear it up when the warm months roll around again. Your body will thank you for it every time.
There is a difference in the way our bodies respond to exercise in the fall and winter months when it's colder and when it stays dark for a longer time. This is the time of year when it's easier to get an injury from weightlifting, and also the time of year in which injuries are slower to heal.
Part of this is simply a function of temperature -- when it's not as warm, the muscles, joints, tendons etc are also colder, which makes them stiffer and tighter. Although you can stretch and warm up, over the course of the fall and winter your muscles and joints are probably going to be a little tighter than they are in the summer.
Another part of this has to do with natural sunlight and vitamin D production. Almost everyone has more sun exposure in the summer months when it's warm outside and there is more light every day. Again, you can supplement vitamin D, but even so your stores of D are almost certainly going to be higher in the spring and summer. Vitamin D contributes to endogenous test production, and to keeping your body supple and limber.
Finally, the fall and winter months also tend to be associated with more stress, both from work and during the holidays season (in the US). Stress makes your muscles and joints tight and tense, and more injury prone.
The upshot from all of this is not that you shouldn't work out hard in the fall and winter months -- you should still work out hard and consistently. But it's just that you should not work out AS HARD in the fall and winter as you do in the spring and summer. If in a July lift when you're loose and feeling great you can sometimes err on the side of enthusiasm, and go for a higher weight or try to bust through a sticking point, in a January lift you should always err on the side of safety, slightly lower weights and rigorous form. It's about not always going for that extra rep or extra set or higher weight, and sometimes doing a workout which is pleasant, rather than savage.
Your goal should be to get through the fall and winter while having maintained or slightly increased your strength, and without injury. Then, when the spring and summer months come around again, you gradually dial it up and use the warmth and light to take your strength to the next level.
SLEEP is the weightlifter's best friend in the fall and winter. Take advantage of the fact that it's dark for a longer part of the day to get that extra sleep, and deeper sleep, and preserve and build your strength in that way. Get some profitable hibernation genes turned on.
Not only is this a smart way to run your weightlifting year, it is also an enjoyable one. It's a natural way to vary your workouts to prevent monotony. After a fall and winter of still working hard, but placing an emphasis on safety and prudence, you will be hungry for the next strength breakthroughs when the summer months come around. You will be physically and mentally rested and ready.
All of this, of course, applies more the older you get. For very young guys (early twenties) the risk of injury is lower and the healing process is much faster than for guys who are a little older. But even young guys can benefit from dialing it down a little in the fall and winter, and up a notch in the spring and summer, and enjoying this natural cycle.
Work out hard but safely through the fall and winter; sleep like a champion; stay injury free; and get ready to tear it up when the warm months roll around again. Your body will thank you for it every time.
same old shit, sixes and sevens Shaft...