Summer is officially here! It’s finally time to put away your jackets and get outside. (Weeeeell, SOME days in Victoria are warm enough for that, anyways!) Summer offers extras hours of daylight, and with it the opportunity to spend even more time enjoying outdoor activities. For many, this means even more time doing physical activities and playing sports in addition to your usual workout schedule. So, it’s important to remember the potential dangers that also come with exercising in hot conditions. As long as you know the dos and dont’s of working out in the heat, then you can fully take advantage of all the fun of summer!
What you should do:
* Drink plenty of fluids, because it’s extremely important to stay hydrated. **Important News Flash**: If you’re thirsty then you are already dehydrated! Hence, you should drink before you feel a need to. Be sure to drink consistently throughout the day (stick to non-caffeinated beverages, preferably water). Also, drink 15-20 minutes before beginning your workout and religiously during and after the exercise.
* Eat regularly. Although the heat can decrease your appetite, it’s important to eat normally. Be sure to include lots of fruits and vegetables, because aside from being nutritious, they also tend to help with hydration.
* Wear light, breathable clothes. If your activity produces a lot of perspiration (which we all know it does!), consider clothing that is designed to wick the sweat away.
* Wear sunscreen! Even if you exercise early in the morning or late in the evening, if the sun can reach you then you can get burned. Not only is a sunburn bad on the skin and potentially dangerous, but it also hinders your body’s ability to stay cool.
What you shouldn’t do:
* Don’t adapt the “no pain, no gain” motto when you’re out in the sun. When it comes to heat stroke, ignoring your body’s signals could be dangerous. Heat-related illnesses come with warning signs. Be sure to learn how to recognize them and what actions to take.
* Don’t forget to drink plenty of liquid when swimming. Just because your body is surrounded by water does not mean that you are well-hydrated. As with any land exercises, you need to regularly replenish lost fluids when having fun in the pool/lake/ocean.
* Avoid overly strenuous physical activity during the hottest part of the day, which usually is between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.
* If you want (or need) to be working out in very hot temperatures, don’t do it until you become acclimated. Try to spend only a few increasing minutes per day in the hot conditions for the first while, and then add time gradually.
* Avoid extreme changes in temperature. Don’t hop from being extremely hot and sweating excessively right into an ice cold, air-conditioned environment. Try to cool your body down slightly before exposing it to the extreme temperature variation.
Whether you have to exercise outside or do it for enjoyment, following the above tips will help you stay cool and safe during the dog days of summer. So, don’t spend the season cooped up; get out there and have some fun!
Today’s Workout:
Buy In –3 Rounds of 10 pvc shoulder dislocates, 10 jump squats (light bar), 10 pushups, 10 double crunch
WOD – “Strength Day”
This WOD has TWO parts:
1. Front Squat 4 x 1, working up to around a 1RM (20 min)
2. Push Press 4 x 3, working up to around a 3RM (20 min)
Add your best squat to your best push press for your score
Cash Out – Tabata Row: 8 intervals of 20s work, 10s rest. Record your lowest metres traveled in any one interval as your score
*** REMEMBER GYMNASTICS STARTS AT 6:30PM****
WOD: 1 min L sit, (25) strict pullups, The push up 5
Ok, games predictions. For the men, I’m predicting that Mikko will win again and my dark horse is Spealler. For the ladies, I’m going with Kristin Clever and Iceland Annie as my dark horse pick.
I’m really looking to Chris Spealler’s performance since he’s pretty much exactly my size and weight.
Great picks Sean, Annie and Mikko are ridiculously strong and well rounded.
For those that don’t know how to watch the games, check out the live stream: http://live.crossfit.com/
I hate to jump on the Mikko train, but I think he will win again; look at his stats on the live site- he is unbelievable. Dark horse: OPT. I heard at regionals that he has been living like a CrossFit monk. Personal favourite: Rob Orlando.
Girls: Clever is a MANIAC, but she’s kinda small… I’m gonna have to go with Annie. Her accent is so cute. Dark horse: Jasmine Denver; no idea who she is, but she has sick stats.
Clever and Spealler destroyed the first workout. Only 11 girls finished it under time, wow.
Affiliate and masters competitions were sick too. I’ll be glued to the broadcast all weekend except when I’m training :-).
I just watched that, Clever is clearly a short, tiny asian non threatening looking terminator.
Should be super interesting to see how the rest of the weekend plays out.
Those masters though? F-ING incredible shape.
I predict Khalipa and our Victoria friend Connors with comeback wins!
Please forgive my ignorance, but what is this ‘Masters’ portion to the Games this year? I’ve been trying to get more info on the Master’s athletes and the premise on the Games site, but no dice…
Usually Masters means athletes 40 and over, sometimes 35 and over. Not sure what it means at these games.
Hmm, actually all the Masters men are 50 and over, maybe that’s what it is.
Yes, masters is 50 and over for the games. They don’t look over 50, but they are :-). I hope when I’m 50 I can perform like they do.
Second workout announced. I think Mikko and Spealler will kill this one. Not so good for Khalipa and Orlando, but third is good for those guys.
1200m run, 63 swings, 36 pull-ups
800m run, 42 swings, 21 pull-ups
400m run, 21 swings, 12 pull-ups
Third workout, after finishing that workout, you have 90 seconds to establish a max shoulder to overhead.
Second workout should be a good one for Garth to get back into it too. He’ll kill the runs.
The whole ‘no sound’ on the feed thing drives me crazy! Wish I could hear it…
Works fine for me. Try the latest Google Chrome.
I just watched the double Helen, and saw who I’m *almost positive* was Garth Prouse take it! Except it looked like he kinda crapped the bed on the 90 second Jerk… From dead last in the first WOD to very first in the 2nd? Most interesting. We’ll see how his score is affected by his Jerk.
** Remember, I was watching it without sound, so I was having to guess based on lip reading and facial recognition! Ha! **
Garth only won his heat, not the workout. He was 7th in the workout.
I know, silly. But to come first in a heat after being dead last in the last WOD overall is a good improvement. Too bad people will be talking about his fail in the Max Overhead for awhile.