I just moved from Florida to the northeast, and while the summer up here wasn’t bad for training, I’m worried about how crappy weather like today’s rain (not to mention snow, later) will affect my training schedule.
When it’s cold and rainy like this I just want to skip my evening KF class and go straight home.
How do you all stay in shape through winter?
that reminds me, we should workout sometime.
oh but for your question, i love the winters here. running and boxing in the snow does a good workout for the legs, and the cold air really does a number on my lungs.
where do you do kf? do you know a boxing gym in boston? i live in chelsea right now, but it looks like i’ll have to move dec 1. i’ll probably be moving to alston or brighton, but i’m mad cause i have 3 gym bags in my back yard and i wont be able to use those once i move…
i left you a message a while ago, but you probably didnt see it.
I think we should workout together sometimes, i need the support and movivation. i really havent worked out since the summer and i feel like a fat slob now
Well, I don’t really live in the north, but we still get a decent amount of snow up here at 10,000ft. This morning it was 8 degrees. Personaly I like to do a lot of hiking in the snow. We used to hike out Loveland pass, Vail pass, or Housier pass once a week. Usually spend a lot of the morning walking and shoveling. I can’t see myself getting to into snowboarding this year however. I’m not even getting a pass. Doing forms in th snow was cool for a little while, until inches of snow turned into feet. That doesn’t bother me to much considering I don’t do forms anymore. My heavy bag hangs on my pourch which is still fun to swing at in the winter. It is hard to get motivation in the winter, but you get used to it. Did you ever see Rocky 4?
I go to the Wah Lum school in Chinatown, very nice club. But I got spoiled down in Orlando because the school there held classes twice a day and there was always tons of practice room, bags, etc. Plus the weather is usually nice, even on cold days.
Meeting for an outdoor workout or something like that would be cool, PM me and we can discuss details.
Qi dup, LOL on the Rocky 4 reference! I’ve got a tree limb down in the lot behind my apt., maybe I can pull that through the snow!
The winter sucks for doing any outdoor forms or sparring but there is still a lot you can do inside. Take a cramped living room or bedroom and shadow spar. Think about tight quarter areas and figure out ways to use your kung fu in a cramped situtation.
You can always run outside. Do your forms chopped up inside or just work the basics. That’s pretty much what I do. Work on stances. Tight quarter footwork. All the strikes and kicks. That should at least keep you building your foundation during the winter.
Of course you should still have classes to attend to that can keep you doing the things you miss out on at home.
yeah, we just train inside 
you dont need all that much room to practice wing chun, for one
and the weight room i go to is nice enough to be indoors as well. if i feel like running/swimming theres an indoor pool, and treadmills and stairclimbing.
i also love skiing in the winter and thats real good for your legs
aside from the skiing the main thing about training in the winter up north is the word “indoors”
We workout outdoors all year round. Mind you, the new england(or even chi-town) winters are harsher, but it’s cold enough as it is.
Working out when it’s cold guarantees that you will not stop practicing.
nothing hellps your sets like doing them on ice. Perfect stances are a must
Originally posted by SaMantis
I’ve got a tree limb down in the lot behind my apt., maybe I can pull that through the snow!
Yes, deffinatly. And be sure to eat quite a bit of lightning and crap a reasonable amount of thunder.
No problem – there’s a good Mexican restaurant at the end of the block, I’m sure I could produce a lot of thunder after dinner there! 
Thanks for all the info, everyone.
Stances on ice … hmm… do you think Shaolin’s Wheel of Life tour would be even more exciting done on ice? 
no problems! Its a better training opportunity. Look at the outdoor challenges
Stances on ice. Bring whiskey to keep you warm and get drunken styles down. Practice throws onto snowbanks. Got to get arm moves good to work through heavy coats. Sensitivity gets better becuz U have to reach through the coats. Elbows get better becuz they haf to be stable against slippy ski coats. Kicks have to very stable. & U Got to get the qiqong right to keep you warm.
plus no one laffs @ your ninja outfit! LOL
There was sumbody awhil back who wrote about tibetan styles in the same way. like their crane style was wide open becuz of the coats? anybody know? or (similar) old tai chi was like that becuz of armor, so it’s like this too? any thots?
Hey SaMantis,
I’m in Boston too. Basically you just have to toughen up your spoiled warm climate body. Just train outside to help you body acclimate. Don’t overdue it at first or you may develop cold-weather induced asthma. Holding stances is a good way to warm your whole body up in the cold. After that, keep your body heat up by staying active.
Anybody done any mountain biking on snow covered trails? I think I might give it a whirl this winter.
Yeah it’s crazy. Just stay off the environmentally sensitive trails.
I am a native New Yorker. I train indoor. F**k the out door winter training. This isn’t a Rocky movie or Best of the Best movie. I don’t want to die from the cold or worst get sick. Maybe I am a punk compare with some nutts out there. More power to them. I guess fighters who came from warm climates aren’t as bad asses as those from the cold mountain. lol.
My advice be smart and train indoor and stay warm. I workout inside my gym and inside my kwoon. I hate the cold and I think running outside is good if you have the proper gear. Good luck with the training.
Bao
F**k the out door winter training.
I like that idea.
I live in Seattle so I feel you pain. We have wonderful summers and I take every opportunity to train outside. But in the winter it just sucks and I always end up gaining weight.
But staying in shape in the winter is just this simple: join a gym. Make sure it’s relatively inexpensive and doesn’t have big join up fees. Find one that has an aerobics studio that isn’t used very often and make sure you can use it to practice kung fu. This is the only way to get a consistent work out during the winter. I’ve tried running and training outside in the winter but ultimately the weather will screw up your routine plus I always seem to get a cold.
I go to the gym almost everyday on my lunch hour. I alternate between running and lifting weights every other day. This is in addition to my kung fu training (3x a week) and Taiji (1 x a week.) I expect to be in awesome shape when summer roles around.
I’m in North Carolina now, but grew up and lived in the north until 3-4 years ago. I’m surprised nobody has mentioned the #1 winter exercise: shoveling snow! If you have a weak back, you won’t come next spring. Just be sure to stop and take a breather every few minutes. Every year, at least one guy drops dead from a heart attack while shoveling snow. Granted, he’s usually over 50 and it’s the only exercise he gets all year, but you can’t be too careful. Although if you don’t have a driveway you won’t get the full benefit from this chore.
Light outdoor sparring is also a hoot in winter. Open hand strikes become stinging b1tchslaps that’ll make your eyes water. Also, as previously mentioned, the slippery surface forces you to develop a good stable root and footwork.
Haha! Starbuck is correct on both counts! Shoveling kicks my ass.
Hmm … my landlord put a snow shovel by the front door. I have a feeling he’s going to ask us to do some shoveling this winter! (We do some of the maintenance in return for a good-sized break on rent.)
OK, so any tips on shoveling? That shovel doesn’t look like your standard dig-a-hole-in-the-yard model.
I also found out this week – working out in the cold stings your lungs like crazy but I could have worked out for hours without sweating, if I had the time. Winter may not be too bad.