.png){kind=spacer}
.webp){kind=spacer}
Every year around October, we hear the same thing from people thinking about starting CrossFit: "I'll wait until it cools down." In Perth, that means waiting until about April. Six months is a long time to put off something you want to do. Summer is a perfectly good time to start, as long as you train sensibly in the heat.
Here is how our members at TandEm CrossFit in Balcatta get through a Perth summer, and how you can too, whatever your fitness level.
The biggest thing you control is when you train. On a 38-degree day, the 5am class and the 5pm class are two very different experiences.
Plenty of people move to morning classes for summer and back to evenings in autumn. That is fine. What matters is that you keep coming.
A litre of water gulped in the car park will not do much. What helps is drinking steadily through the day, every day, so you arrive at class already topped up. If you train at 5am, that means drinking well the evening before.
Bring a full water bottle to every session and sip between rounds, not just at the end. If you sweat heavily, an electrolyte drink can help replace what you lose. If you have a health condition that affects your fluid or salt intake, check with your GP first.
Every workout at TandEm is scaled to the person doing it. That applies to the weather too. On a hot day your coach might shorten the workout, reduce the reps, build in more rest, or swap a run outside for the rower.
That is not taking it easy. It is coaching. You still get the training effect, without spending the rest of the day flattened. The goal is to leave the gym feeling like you worked hard, not like you need a lie-down in a dark room.
Pushing through a tough set is part of training. Pushing through a headache, dizziness, nausea or cramping in 36 degrees is not. If something feels wrong, stop, tell your coach, get into the shade and drink some water. Nobody at TandEm will think less of you for sitting out a round. We would much rather see you back on Wednesday.
Light, breathable clothing that you can move in. A singlet or loose t-shirt, shorts, and a pair of flat, stable training shoes. Bring a small towel and, if you are heading to work afterwards, a spare shirt. Leave the heavy cotton hoodie at home until June.
The temptation in summer is to train less. It is too hot, you are busy, there is a barbecue on. We understand. But we recommend a minimum of three sessions a week, all year round, and summer is no exception.
Training fewer than three times a week means your body never gets the chance to adapt. You stay constantly sore, you do not see progress, and motivation fades. Regular training also helps your body get used to working in warmer conditions, so the first hot week of December feels harder than the fifth. Consistency makes summer easier, not harder.
After a morning session, a cold drink and a proper breakfast go a long way. The Wooden Spoon Café shares our premises on Erindale Road and serves whole-food meals with paleo and gluten-free options, so you do not have to go far.
Every new member at TandEm starts with Fundamentals: three one-hour sessions with a coach, booked around you and outside regular class times. That means you can schedule them for the cooler parts of the day, learn the movements at your own pace, and join classes once you are ready. No one is thrown into a hot afternoon workout on day one.
By the time autumn arrives, you will have months of training behind you instead of a plan to start.
TandEm is at 2/76 Erindale Rd, Balcatta, and we welcome members from right across the northern suburbs, including Scarborough, North Beach, Marmion, Stirling, Innaloo and Osborne Park.
Ready to start this summer? Book your free fitness consultation and we will talk through your goals, find times that suit you, and get you booked into Fundamentals. You can also call us on 0402 324 368, email info@tandemcrossfit.com.au, or find us at 2/76 Erindale Rd, Balcatta.
.webp){kind=spacer}