Frankly, unless you are lucky enough to live in the West Indies for example and go on great bike rides, training in January, it's really not the most pleasant time of the year (even the worst with December), rather, it is the period where we will define our training plan. In addition, there are actually very few races (the Cross Ouest France has just been canceled, there are still some interesting trails in the mountains, and the Trail des 2 Baies at the end of January which is a very nice race), so no objectives short term. But fortunately, there is a very important parameter to take into account: A successful season, in spring and summer, depends mainly on one thing: respecting your winter training plan. In short, the high-intensity VMA outing that we are going to do on a January morning at zero degrees will definitely come in handy later! Especially since the treadmill is somewhat monotonous after a while, especially when you run six days a week in the same corner of your basement, same average intensity and even more so if the runs are longer than 13-14 km/h in critical endurance.
And honestly, when the weather is really too harsh, there are always indoor machines. But there is also swimming which offers a stimulating aerobic workout and allows you to work other muscles with, for example, series of 400 meters that work the legs well interspersed with a recovery period, and all other indoor sports (the squash or badminton for cardio, rowing for strength/resistance, etc.) which offer an interesting alternative to cycling or running outdoors.
If you run less in winter, you can dedicate more time to strength and muscle development. This type of training reduces the risk of muscle, joint and soft tissue injuries. Strong, fatigue-resistant muscles generate more power for longer, which will benefit you, over any distance, whether you are a beginner, intermediate or advanced.
On a physiological level, when temperatures are colder, the body does not need to cool down as much. This results in less sweating and lower fluid loss, therefore requiring less regular rehydration. Conversely, a longer warm-up will be necessary to avoid muscle injuries, but also great care must be taken during the recovery periods.
Ultimately, winter is not such an uninteresting season for athletes. It is possible to continue your outdoor outings but at a slightly different pace. As we are forced to reduce our time outdoors (darkness, temperature, etc.), we practice indoor sports that we would not usually do and which allow us to use other muscle fibers. Finally, winter and January in particular can be a recovery time. Even if you cannot remain inactive for 10 full days, you can opt for an "active" recovery, with home trainer sessions, swimming followed by spa/jacuzzi in nautical centers, a good massage (at your osteopath, it's is January, you start from scratch with your Mutual, it must at least cover one session), a sauna, a hammam... January can hardly be a month for the amateur athlete where he will improve his speed and resistance, but it is probably the month where the athlete must take the most care of his body by making it recover intelligently.
Last little point: we rarely change our habits during competition periods, so January, the winter preparation period, is also a good time to try new products, and see if the effects are positive, and if digestion is easy, whether you are in a period of muscle strengthening or building up a body to develop maximum power,
In January, at Stimium, we saw a boom in our sales, but not linked solely to sports practice, rather linked to… sales (our anaerobic threshold for us, in terms of sales)! Our best sellers in January are the bodybuilding range , probably linked to all athletes who make winter a period of intensive training and in particular muscle strengthening. Thus, our proteins ( C Whey Iso Hwy and Veg Pro ) are among the best sellers, among experienced athletes as well as for people at a beginner level. But the product we sell the most in January is our Pre Work Out , probably because the endurance specialists who used it during the summer and fall saw the extraordinary potential of this product, both on endurance sessions as well as bodybuilding or cross fit work or even for the cyclist, the ideal product to perfect your physical condition. We also sell very well a small reference, ProBar , either for people going skiing, or for people who take it as a snack after the holidays to try to lose weight, in addition to a home session. In our health range, we sell very well our Vital LLR and MVM vitamins, also KG , our Ginseng, for its action on immunity and our Omega 3 for cardio and heart rate. Finally Hydro Off and Thermo Shape have found their customers, with regular sales which is very reassuring about the real and beneficial effects of these drainers and fat burners, which must be associated with a balanced diet.
