Workout: 150 Double Unders to Finish

Warmup: 

• 30 Press-Ups
• 30 Air Squats
• 30 Back Extensions 

Workout: 

• Deadlifts: 5 sets of 3 Reps (at 85% of your 1 Rep Max)
• Take a 3 minute rest between each set, to ensure recovery.

Finisher: 

• 150 Double Unders

Road Test: Vibram Five Fingers in Cold Weather

 Road Test: Vibram Five Fingers in Cold Weather

I woke up today to several inches of snow in London.  It is not often we see snow in London, or indeed have temperatures below 0°C.  So I've taken this opportunity to test my Vibram Five Fingers under these conditions.  I went for a sprint and did some running drills in the snow, it was -3°C with several inches of snow covering.

There is only one shoe in the Five Fingers range that was designed to be used in cold conditions down to -4°C/°25F.  The Flow.    

The Flow is a more robust version of the Five Finger KSO.  These have a 2mm protective upper layer covering the entire foot and providing insulation against the cold with a neoprene lining (neoprene is used in the manufacture of wetsuits).  The sole uses Idrogrip which provides better traction than the usual sole and also works better in icy conditions. 

The tests were a mixture of real-world (and just useful to know): 

• standing in the snow for a few minutes with feet completely immersed;
• sprinting from a standing start (to test traction);
• running in fresh and settled snow;
• just walking;
• running at speed and attempting to stop suddenly (not so sure about this one)!
• comparing the shoe against the FiveFinger KSO with toe socks;
• comparing the shoe against a trekking shoe;

In terms of traction the Flows worked better than expected.  They do offer pretty decent anti-slip protection in the snow, just as well as a pair of trekking walking shoes that I used for comparison.

For thermal insulation, there were no issues.  My feet didn't feel numb at all during my activities or whilst stationary for several minutes (my hands however were starting to feel numb after short periods).  I also tested without any toe socks. 

I am a fan of the Vibram Five Fingers, and feel confident that for cold weather conditions the Flows are more than adequate for any outdoor training I will do this winter.  I have tried the KSO's with toe socks at about 3°C/38°F not something I would want to endure for too long.  The Flows really are the best choice for cold weather.

Of course common sense dictates being careful what you do whatever you're wearing, as you will never quite know what is underfoot...

You can read my original review of the Vibram Five Finger Flow's here:

Testimonial: Iain and Another Pair of Jeans?

Testimonial: Iain and Another Pair of Jeans?

I have always had an active background, from a young age I studied karate and jujitsu and played football for the school or was out exploring the world near my village in Scotland 

Through my teens and twenties, I continued my jujitsu practice, attained my teaching qualifications, and competed nationally whilst playing local level at Rugby Union. I even became a qualified fitness instructor to pay my way through my IT degree. Fitness was a huge part of my life.  By the time I was 22 my weight had gone up to an athletic 12st (76kg/168lb).

For the period covering my late twenties\early thirties I let things slide as I established myself in my job and juggled raising a family with my otherwise hectic schedule. I still trained three times a week but lost my six pack, acquired a beer belly (affectionately called 'one keg’), and watched as my waist decided it liked the number 36 instead of 30. My weight rose to 13st. (82kg/182lb)

My training was the conventional bodybuilding split-routine.  Getting bigger and fighting in MMA and white-collar boxing matches.  The direct consequence of my weight now hitting 14st 7lbs (92kg/203lb) and being 5’7” (170cm) was that you not only meet much larger lads in the fights but my waist was straining, my body fat was increasing, my neck had gone up to 18.5” collar and clothes just wouldn’t fit me properly.  The photo below helped me re-evaluate things.

I started training Aikido again in Jan 2010.  I also discovered a different approach to training.  My first session with Darryl and my friend Denton was quite an eye-opener. I didn't realise how little body-building had prepared me for a functional body-weight\movement based workout. Dead hang chin-ups, burpees, jumping chins, crocodile walks, farmers runs and the 'medicine balls of death' all conspired to make me not only wish I had a stunt double but that I really should take a keener interest in the workout methodology that he was championing. It was the shock therapy I needed to change my lifestyle for the better.

I did further research and undertook further sessions I realised this type of training and eating philosophy was the way to go. It is here where I owe much to Darryl. I have almost entirely followed the exercise workouts he posts on his website and taken his advice on Paleo nutrition.

The results speak for themselves - since then I’ve dropped to 12st 1lbs (76kg/169lb) and now have a Body Fat% of 13.  My waist is now 30” for the first time in forever and I feel as strong and as healthy as I ever have.  

The only difference is that I’m now 37 instead of 27.

Iain Russell Age 37 – December 2010

Workout: Low to High

Low Intensity: 10 mins

Concept 2 Row (Warmup) - Minimum 2000m

Medium Intensity: 10 mins 

Farmer's Walk (using Kettlebells or Dumbbells)

Push Up Variations

Crocodile Walk

Bear Crawl

Crab Walks

Chest Carry (carry Kettlebells/Dumbbell racked at chest height)

High Intensity: (Repeat Circuit below for 15 mins)

8 Pull-ups

20 KettleBell Snatches

20 Kettlebell Step Ups

20 Dead Hang knee raises

20 Air Squats

20 Burpees