Tips for Training in the Heat

As I've mentioned, I live in the tropics (Philippines) and train in a gym with no air conditioning.  Here are a few tips for training in the heat:

1. Stay Hydrated
This is the key to surviving a hot training session.  What I do is freeze about a fourth of a 1.5 liter bottle.  I fill the rest with water before hitting the gym.  This way I have cold water to drink throughout the whole training session.

2. Keep Sessions Short
Generally speaking, I limit my training sessions to an hour--sometimes only 45 minutes.  I can usually to about everything I need to in this amount of time, and that's about as long as I can stay before I'm completely drained.

3.  Bring a Towel
This, of course, is for wiping your sweat that's in your eyes or making your hands slippery. .  It's also a courtesy to other gym members--wipe your sweat off the equipment you've just used. 

4.  Use Chalk
As I've mentioned before, chalk is an inexpensive way to keep a good grip on the bar (see my article on weightlifting chalk).  I've found this to be especially helpful when I'm sweaty.

5. Go Home
I'm not saying you should give up just because you're a little tired or sweaty.  But if you are really feeling sick, go home and fight another day.  I had to do this a few weeks ago.  I finished five hard sets of squats and I felt as though I would faint.  After resting for a few minutes, I decided not to do the other exercises I had planned.  I simply had nothing left.  I probably would have put myself at risk for injury if I had continued.