I’ve done CWI only - same as Mitch, didn’t like it. I’ve used hot tubs and saunas only - I find them somewhat relaxing but that’s about it For the last month I’ve been contrasting (immersion on both) and anecdotally, I feel like my recovery has improved. Tbh I think it’s mostly psychological - taking time out of each day, being away from my phone, life stress etc. It provides a good reset and I always feel refreshed after. Will be keeping it in my weekly routine purely for stress management

@mitchellhooperstrongman

3 ай бұрын

Psychology definitely has stronger evidence than physiology when it comes to cold. Love it for the attitude of resilience.

@ghosthero0806

3 ай бұрын

@@mitchellhooperstrongmanI imagine that's a large part of why it's beneficial for some people, being able to remove stress and anxiety from your life has fantastic health (and strength) benefits

@scoobtoober2975

3 ай бұрын

What temps and types have you tried.

@shaneflowers

3 ай бұрын

@@scoobtoober2975 I’ve had cold tubs anywhere between 3-10 degrees C. I currently have my contrasting hot (40) and cold (~8)

I prefer cosy therapy. Log fire, hot bubble bath, furry slippers. Leave it there.

@bountyhuntermk2520

3 ай бұрын

Your wife post that for you? Take 30% off that you wet wipe

@spencerdunn6933

3 ай бұрын

You and Mitch both apparently

@DanDavisHistory

3 ай бұрын

​@spencerdunn6933 yeah and joking aside I do prefer heat - steam room / sauna, hot tub - for recovery too. Cold shower just to wake myself up sometimes but that's all.

@spencerdunn6933

3 ай бұрын

@@DanDavisHistory I loved heat from day one. I still haven't found anything on earth to motivate me enough to do cold water. It's just not in my DNA.

@mitchellhooperstrongman

3 ай бұрын

Dude I’m with you!! 😅😅

I started cold showers 2 months ago and I'll never go back. The energy boost and mental fortitude I get from it is awesome

@mitchellhooperstrongman

3 ай бұрын

That’s awesome! How long do you do them for?

@kappaferret6052

3 ай бұрын

@mitchellhooperstrongman 3.5 minutes is just enough time to make me start shivering. It's actually helped a lot with my previous caffeine addiction and energy levels after waking up. Instead of needing a cup of coffee and 30 mins to wake up, I just spend a few mins in the shower, and I don't miss caffeine at all

@williamwall9241

3 ай бұрын

I've been taking cold showers consistently for over three years now, and i haven't looked back. It's helped me most mentally. Keep it up.

@scoobtoober2975

3 ай бұрын

I've skipped coffee several times at various lengths One time one month long. I've been cold shower one off for over a year. but 4 months straight today. 3-4 min. Love it. our water is around 48 degrees lately. Colorado. i'll try not to skip for life. Love it. It is mind changing for sure.

@unsupportedultra

3 ай бұрын

Same. I run 5 miles every morning and have a 3 to 5 min cold shower afterwords and I always feel way more alert during the day vs on days that I still run but don't finish with a cold shower.

there's something to say about the way Eddie communicates when he's serious, he made some very valid points about performance. Thanks for the series Mitchell, awesome stuff!

@mitchellhooperstrongman

3 ай бұрын

He’s not given enough credit for how smart he is.

@dylanpritchard4981

2 ай бұрын

@@mitchellhooperstrongmanAgreed! It would help if he didn’t say such insane stuff sometimes haha

Seeing Eddie pull that shit makes me wanna lift something everytime

@mitchellhooperstrongman

3 ай бұрын

Same. Huge inspiration!

@romanstingler435

3 ай бұрын

I just hit my new deadlift PR today :)

@s.renee.j

3 ай бұрын

@@romanstingler435congrats! keep up the hard work 🙌

Honestly. Cold therapy is the one of the reasons I go to Costco now. After a hard workout, I pop in the produce freezer and just take a couple laps to heal up and walk out. Maybe do another round. Head out and get myself a chicken bake.

@mitchellhooperstrongman

3 ай бұрын

😂😂😂

Great to see Eddie has an actual sauna and not just a warm room.

Love this series, mitch. Really informative, honest and non biased. Im guessing sleep is #1.

@mitchellhooperstrongman

3 ай бұрын

Thank you!! That’s a good guess 🤐

@MichaelBrown-wx6zq

3 ай бұрын

Kinda hard to say non biased since Mitch didnt spend any significant length of time with a cold tub. Kinda get the feeling he really doesnt like the experience of this one so tried to avoid it. Still love ya bud, hooe you find an mma fight soon

@HashBrownDoyler

3 ай бұрын

This certainly is biased

@Gndlf_TheOrange

3 ай бұрын

@HashBrownDoyler looking at the research etc I mean. He's objective enough in each videos to take away his personal opinion and see what the science says.

@HashBrownDoyler

3 ай бұрын

@@Gndlf_TheOrange he literally says he hates that cold, can’t get more biased than that.

I feel like Eddy has the best opinion on this “I’d try it” For me I heard about it and tried it after exercise (just an average dude). Hated it, didn’t suit me at all. But what I did learn is I liked slowly turning the temp down during my showers after exercise. The warmth in the beginning helped relax my muscles and the cold at the end helped me get right back to my normal day to day stuff with less soreness because I was studying a lot. Basically just cooling down so I could get to work faster. Maybe a minimal improvement to joint aches. Strict adherence to suggestions isn’t always the best thing. But I like that you can try something and find a way to make it work for you.

@mitchellhooperstrongman

3 ай бұрын

I have a lot of time for just trying things. Where it comes to recommendations I am much more careful, but I’ll try anything for myself! Do you do cold therapy?

@muneeb-khan

3 ай бұрын

@@mitchellhooperstrongman that’s a really great point given the direction you’ve take your KZread channel. I tried straight ice cold showers because that’s what I had access to but hated it. I still like just turning the temp down in increments during showers after a workout. And technically anyone following RICE for injuries or swelling is doing a localized cold therapy.

@travisshivers6720

3 ай бұрын

So I have tried cold showers cold air out of hot tube and ice bath nothing comes close to ice baths hard to explain the feeling, drive and mood you get from it was addicted to the lunch energy drink a day to get over the hump now no need. I don’t think you gave it a full good test you become adapted to the cold I’m not saying it’s fun but the feeling you get after becomes addictive. Power to you you are obviously a top athlete and very smart don’t think you dug deep enough on this and did the easy way out to give this a fair shake. Keep up the good videos

Not first, but commenting for the algorithm in the warm comfort of my home, nowhere near cold water.

@mitchellhooperstrongman

3 ай бұрын

I feel that 🥶

I believe that the cold exposure increases circulation by training your vasculature. It expands and developed your vascular fitness which gives a tangential benefit to your overall recovery through more expanded circulation. For instance, I have healed my Renauds by doing controlled hand exposures to very cold water every day for a few weeks. It is no longer necessary and my cold hands aren't an issue like they were before.

@mitchellhooperstrongman

3 ай бұрын

Medical conditions definitely add another layer to the conversation!

@lxMaDnEsSxl

2 ай бұрын

wow, never thought of cold hands could be treated with cold exposure. makes sense

Great video Mitch. I just tried it this week for the first time. Obviously no verdict on physical benefits, but it was a fun social experience. 10-12 guys rotating through a 170(F) sauna and a 35(F) plunge. Great conversations and camaraderie. That alone was enough to keep me coming back.

@mitchellhooperstrongman

3 ай бұрын

So many benefits that aren’t directly physiological

I look forward to this series every sunday after church. Thanks for keeping us updated with the science and hard results. You're making a huge difference in the community.

@mitchellhooperstrongman

3 ай бұрын

Ah that’s great to hear! What a Sunday routine 😃 what do you think will be #1?

@wealthycow5625

3 ай бұрын

@@mitchellhooperstrongman Just a guess, but I'd say probably one the basics - good diet, good sleep, or good daily mobility exercises/movement.

Been doing cold showers for 5 years now and I can honestly say that it has improved my life in many ways. It is worth it.

@mitchellhooperstrongman

3 ай бұрын

That’s awesome! How has it improved your life?

Incredibly based final take The nuance and usage of scientific evidence and critical thinking, analytical thinking, and consistent logical thinking for one of the most widespread myths in the fitness world and go against it was so refreshing to see

I think the mental side is probably the biggest. Like you said getting over it and training to do uncomfortable stuff can add up and cold water js probably one of the most effective ways regarding duration and costs. I did it for 1 year and the 15 first seconds were always the same struggle. I just became better in enduring it.

Absolutely love this series. Thank you!

@mitchellhooperstrongman

3 ай бұрын

Glad you like it! What did you take away from this episode?

@calebgodard4554

3 ай бұрын

@@mitchellhooperstrongman This one, to separate psychological from physical benefits of cold water. I really like cold water and it makes me feel great, but that doesn't mean I'm gaining strength or muscle mass from it. Cold water can be good FOR me because it makes me happier, more focused (or whatever else) but it's important to separate that from physical benefits, or lack thereof

I'm starting cold water therapy tonight. I'm excited to see what, if anything, it does for me and my training. Thanks for the information Moose. It was awesome to see the actual statistics on it.

Love these videos! Super awesome

Strengthening resilience mental and emotional state is definitely a huge positive towards any strength related/personal challenge. Well put in explaining the empirical evidence! Emphasis on heat therapy through movement, nutrition, and sleep, personally, exhibit the greatest aids towards performance in mental state and in the academia/work/gym setting. Love and aloha from the islands🤙

@mitchellhooperstrongman

3 ай бұрын

Aloha! Thank you for being a member and thank you for your input! 😀

This series is awesome Mitch! I am so looking forward to more episodes! I myself have tried it and I personally think that hot/cold therapy hasn't helped me as much physically but rather mentally. I had to force myself to go to the cold and it also took some time so I dicided to just leave it... (for now) LHBK❤

@mitchellhooperstrongman

3 ай бұрын

LHBK! I really appreciate your support. Have you got your merch yet? LHBK.shop

A lot is self belief. If you buy into your process, you will get results. Maybe not the most efficient results. if you physically/mentally not enjoying part of your routine, it will be more beneficial to put your effort into something else, even if the science says otherwise.

@mitchellhooperstrongman

3 ай бұрын

Agree! Even science is an art, when applied. Do you like the cold?

@stronghold07ptx85

3 ай бұрын

@@mitchellhooperstrongman I don’t think my body responds well to cold. I don’t enjoy it.

Bought a cold plunge during the winter which went down to 1 degree Celsius, has been great for recovery, sleep, energy levels and the mental battle is great! Will miss it come summer

@mitchellhooperstrongman

3 ай бұрын

Cold showers are popular!!

You’re so consistent! It’s inspiring, looking forward to learning more from the man himself.

@mitchellhooperstrongman

3 ай бұрын

One episode per week!! Thanks for being a member!!

I had a lot of questioning about cold therapy and you answer a lot of them, thanks mitch! I too suffer from joint pain when getting cold shower. But it help me sleep a lot

@mitchellhooperstrongman

3 ай бұрын

That’s great to hear! Are you going to continue doing cold therapy?

Complete anecdote - I have found the back and forth between hot and cold to be particularly helpful. Cold by itself does not feel physically therapeutic to me. But going back and forth between hot and cold, multiple times, makes me feel extremely relaxed and more recovered than I would typically expect the next day.

@mitchellhooperstrongman

3 ай бұрын

Thank you for sharing!

The use of nothinguburger here makes me happy

@mitchellhooperstrongman

3 ай бұрын

😇😇

I had some experience also with the hot and cold therapy, it's a big thing here in Iceland, especially with athletes so I did it a lot for maybe 3-4 years or so. I was doing it maybe 2-4 times a week. But about a year ago I decided to test how I would feel if I stopped doing it and I actually felt better! felt my recovery was better, I overall felt stronger training whereas I felt very weak and loose usually if I trained after doing hot and cold the evening before. That was a clear sign to me to stop doing it and I haven't looked back. The psychological effects though were great but that's about the only thing, feeling more relaxed and almost like more clarity in the mind. But I don't miss much. But great video Mitch! Looking forward to the next one :D

@mitchellhooperstrongman

3 ай бұрын

Thanks for sharing!

I started contrast showers 7 years back (starting with scalding hot and ending with cold) and I've fallen in love with it. I don't know about the physiological effects but it has a very relaxing effect and resets my mind, particularly after heavy lifting. I figure that activating the parasympathetic nervous system whenever I want is a valuable tool in my toolbox.

When working musical festivals sauna followed by cold shower 3 times in a row definitely puts me in a calm relaxd place that gives a good nights sleep. Not to long I'm a wimp in the heat of the sauna. Mentally i do find the cooling down after the hell that is the sauna a nice boost

@mitchellhooperstrongman

3 ай бұрын

Would be a really good way to wind down after a stimulating day, for sure!

I enjoy your logical/non-biased take.

@mitchellhooperstrongman

3 ай бұрын

Thank you! What do you think will be #1?

I used to do cold showers into sauna right after my workouts to help deal with pain and to relax as quickly as possible so I can sleep earlier. I found it very helpful in those aspects and because of that it helped my recovery quite a lot. Also, just knowing I'd have the relief of Hot/Cold after the workout made it easier to push harder in training.

@mitchellhooperstrongman

3 ай бұрын

Thanks for sharing!!

Localized contrast therapy is much more effective than full body immersion in my opinion. Anecdotally, when my lower back is fried from a heavy week or block of training, doing contrast showers with the water focused directly on my lower back dramatically reduces soreness and fatigue. It’s like night and day. It also makes a big difference on my shoulders when they get cranky.

@mitchellhooperstrongman

3 ай бұрын

The thing about inconclusive evidence is that it works wonders for some people! Thanks you sharing.

I do cold shower everyday 3 to 4mins I personally believe help my bad shoulder i had last year and i just feel energizer and i like to win the personally battle with myself to get it done mentally Great work keep it up man

@mitchellhooperstrongman

3 ай бұрын

That’s awesome dude! I’m glad your shoulder healed up 😃

Love a 15 min cold plunge a couple times a week. Helps with my inflammation, stress and sleep. Always first thing in the morning pre workout and warm up with Sauna after the plunge.

@mitchellhooperstrongman

3 ай бұрын

That’s awesome! Thanks for sharing. Do you think I gave cold therapy a decent shot, for a cold therapy novice?

@keithmurphy2552

3 ай бұрын

@mitchellhooperstrongman I think as you get older you might find some more benefits with the cold therapy. But you have to prioritize your time and you know how to listen to your body.

I used to train and go home. Nothing else. Started going to the sauna after the gym. My recovery increased doing it. I could burst myself and go back the next day with little fatigue. Never liked cold showers before. Started them and I feel better after. Stopped them from seeing it stops inflammation and muscle growth. No noticeable difference after stopping

This is a great video, and a great series, because it emphasises how proportional all of these interventions are. People are looking for a panacea, but compared to the big three - diet, training and rest - none of these interventions will scratch the surface. I have contrast showers myself, but I honestly feel they're in opposition to my strength goals. I have them completely separate and exclusively for the psychological benefits and only because I'm not peaking for a strength contest. If I was preparing for a powerlifting show, or a strongman comp, I would honestly cut them out.

@mitchellhooperstrongman

3 ай бұрын

Thank you for seeing this for what it is brother. What do you think will be #1?

@hefudgedafrog

3 ай бұрын

@@mitchellhooperstrongman Haven't been able to find a list of the 12, but in terms of what can be gained by optimising 1 thing - I'd say sleep. You can recover with a marginally suboptimal diet, you can make gains with a marginally suboptimal training program but I have a feeling the difference between suboptimal and optimal sleep will be huge. Particularly with strength athletes, most having undiagnosed apnea and with the CNS beatdown you guys take.

I remember seeing a video by Jeff Nippard a while back talking about this and he reffered to articles saying that it does show signs of reducing inflamation BUT can negatively impact strenght and muscle gains.

I have found that with age, I have less want to continue my goals. When I use cold exposure therapy, I am training my abilities of fighting through adversity and delaying gratification.

@mitchellhooperstrongman

3 ай бұрын

Love that!

From my understanding Wim Hof has proved in a hospital study, that deep breathing and meditation can very effectively improve the immune system, by being injected with a disease and battling it 'on command', which is of course relevant for health and thereby performance, but not directly corelated to strongman training. But you probably need to add the breathing to your regiment, if you want to test it. Also i would have guessed that both winterbathing and going sauna would have a lot of proven health benefits respectively. Surprising that you could find so little. I heard from somewhere here on youtube that sauna, makes your body cool itself, while cold water, makes you body heat itself. So since you sleep better cold you should go to or at least end on a sauna, to make your body start cooling down, and icebath in the morning to make your body warm itself up for the day. Don't have a source on it at all though : - ) my personal experience is that i fixed my really severe forearm and wrist pains by hot cold treatment, where i did deep breaths, but mostly just because the way it shocked me when i got cold, not because i was following a method. I would sauna and then go bury my arms in the snow, and rub the snow on them. Maybe you could try putting your hands in snow, when you stand outside?

@mitchellhooperstrongman

3 ай бұрын

Could do! I’ll give that a try. Great idea! 😊

When submerged in cold water it clears your mind of anything bugging you, nothing matters except coping with the situation, it can be a good mental reset, beyond that I'm doubtful

@mitchellhooperstrongman

3 ай бұрын

Mental reset 100%!

I really love this series, and all of your work. I am very glad that, especially as Brian Shaw steps away from strongman, someone is stepping up as a source to spread fitness knowledge with the world and represent the sport. I did feel that this video left a little to be desired in specificity. There are many different ways to practice cold therapy or heat therapy (independently or together). The difference between a 3 minute ice bath and a 15 minute ice bath is very important, and should be practiced as so. Some people may do cold and hot back to back while others do cold in the morning and heat at night. This video touched on how there are a wide array of claims of the benefits, but did not specifically credit that to the different styles of cold/hot therapy. I do not know that you should have explored all of the possibilities, but I do think specifying what style you were ranking (and what benefits you were looking for from that) would provide more context for your rating, and I would have liked to see you suggest the methods you did not explore in the video. Additionally, it may give viewers the motivation to look into more methods. I feel like you did do some of what I have suggested here, but it felt like maybe this should have been a direct talking point. I feel like Dr. Andy Galpin did a great breakdown of the multiple uses of cold/hot therapy in his recovery episode on the Huberman podcast (not that one person saying it makes it fact). Regardless, I can't wait to see what this Sunday's episode is on, and thanks for the videos.

@mitchellhooperstrongman

3 ай бұрын

What is your best recovery tip?

@parkergilfour8321

3 ай бұрын

I am a big fan of active recovery in whatever way you enjoy. For me it is paddle boarding@@mitchellhooperstrongman

Thats some nuanced stuff right there

The theory on the cardiovascular benefit is that the cold causes capillary vasoconstriction. When you warm up it causes vasodilation and this increased blood flow mimics exercise and benefits the cardiovascular system. I'm not sure how much empirical evidence there is for this benefit and how it compares to exercise, or if the effect is additive if you are exercising.

@mitchellhooperstrongman

3 ай бұрын

Yeah I don’t understand why you need to constrict to then dilate and just talk about the effects of dilation. I’m on the same page 👍

I do daily cold showers and cold water swims once a week. Felt alot better since doing it

@mitchellhooperstrongman

3 ай бұрын

What have you noticed, specifically?

@tankshed8489

3 ай бұрын

Suffer alot with lower back pain and stiffness. I've changed a few things but the cold seems to help that the most

Im with you. Great for reducing stress once a moon, but that's about it.

@mitchellhooperstrongman

3 ай бұрын

Psychological benefits are definitely possible!!

After a long time reading into this, I reckon contrast therapy is AMAZING for recovery during a tournament or if you have to work hard day after day or after injury, terrible for training regularly if you want to get better/faster/stronger/bigger/adapted. I often train in the gentle cold. Having cold hands in particular has been shown to increase max reps, theorised to be because it creates the perception of reduced core temperature which can in turn reduce perceived exertion. I do cold water therapy in particular for fun but also when I have downtime or towards the end of a deload because I enjoy it and for getting myself ready to hit the ground running for the next training session. Sauna's just for relaxation if I come across one (though strictly speaking that's the potentially valuable bit for strength and growth, but I can't be bothered to re-read the mechanism to explain it 🤣).

@mitchellhooperstrongman

3 ай бұрын

Thank you for sharing!

I think most of the benefits seen come from the overall lifestyle change that many adopt alongside it, not from the cold water therapy itself. I hate it and don't see the point if it possibly hinders my tendons ability to heal.

@mitchellhooperstrongman

3 ай бұрын

I think that’s a good take!

Thanks to a youth spent doing everything that could possibly hurt me (yes kids, when people tell you that you'll feel it when you get old they're telling the truth) - I show the evolutionary path from walking in an unsteady hunched over manner to upright every single morning. Ankles, knees, back (lower, mid and upper) leave me struggling to straighten out when I wake up, then over 30-45 minutes of forcing my body into physically painful positions, I become a modern day man and can stride in an upright position. Then it's time to hit the gym and destroy myself some more. Another message to the kids - once you've damaged yourself so much that you always hurt - you'll never stop forcing more pain upon yourself. In the pursuit of improving this I've tried many things, some more successful than others. Hot and Cold is one such thing - and my results are as follows: Cold by itself - sucks, makes me hurt more, stiffens me up more, extends the 30+ minutes it takes to feel somewhat normal to over an hour. No benefit noted. Hot by itself - great relief from stiffness and minor aches. If I had a sauna at home, I could pop in it first thing in the morning and get moving quicker. Hot/Cold combined - one nullifies the effect of the other.

In past when preparing for Canadian powerlifting championships I used contrast showers in the mornings. I found that I got ready for my day easier. The back and forth between dilating and constricting the blood vessels in the shower and the adrenaline from cold was a great warm up. Always thought would be nice to be able to do that before training. I tried cold showers and cold immersion before sleep but the cold gave me such a adrenaline rush I could not sleep after. I will not do any cold before sleep as actually wakes me up rather than help me sleep.

@mitchellhooperstrongman

3 ай бұрын

Interesting!! How’d you go in the Canadian powerlifting champs? 😀

@icixie

3 ай бұрын

@@mitchellhooperstrongmanfew medals as a master, most notable 2023 93 kg M1 champion and 105 kg bench only champion. Got invited/qualified for strongman nats as a master few time, I plan to attend this year.

I love the cold, and I love hot-cold therapy. Like Wim I'm the type of person to spend an hour wandering around in the Canadian Winter in shorts and sport bra "just because". I use hot-cold shower therapy twice a week, helps me feel alive and alert. Doesn't do anything performance wise but I'm not an athlete, I love lifting heavy and I don't combine that with cold simply because I want my muscles to adapt. Bottom line it's a personal thing, if it makes you feel better in any way it's for you, if not you're likely not missing anything.

Contrast showers have helped my recovery at 49 years of age. Also has helped fighting off the illnesses my wife (teacher) brings home from work.

@mitchellhooperstrongman

3 ай бұрын

That’s awesome!

So glad you dont just go along with everyone else mitch. I respect you for that ..

@mitchellhooperstrongman

3 ай бұрын

For better or worse, that’s how I’ve always been. Just trying to do my bit to promote the science!

@deanoloughlin6129

3 ай бұрын

@mitchellhooperstrongman your an awesome athlete love watching you on KZread and in competition. Big love from the UK 🇬🇧

I've been trying going hot and cold in my shower for a little while now. As someone that does have problems sleeping I've found it does help with that, which helps almost every other part of my performance. The reason is started was for injures (I race/train for motocross, so I do a good amount of cardio and weight training) and cold therapy helps my aches, pains and swelling

@mitchellhooperstrongman

3 ай бұрын

If sleep is improved, that’s a massive benefit. How long do you normally sleep for?

@alexirving2173

3 ай бұрын

@@mitchellhooperstrongman I try for more then 8 but happy if i get more then 7 most nights

Mitch, before shelving the cold therapy you may wish to check out a podcast by Andrew Huberman interviewing Susanna Soberg. Soberg did her PhD work on cold therapy. Huberman is a neuroscientist knowledgeable in benefits of cold/hot therapies.

@mitchellhooperstrongman

3 ай бұрын

I’ve heard him chat on it, but I just can’t find the research to support using it!

@shunkawaste

3 ай бұрын

@@mitchellhooperstrongman Thanks, Mitch. Here is the youtube link to the interview I referenced: kzread.info/dash/bejne/qmeByaatitLcm9Y.html. Soberg also published a book titled: Winter Swimming which is a pretty good read explaining the bodies physiological and hormonal responses to cold. The first few chapters are a bit slow (background stuff) but you can skip that. She determined, thru her research, that the therapeutic threshold for cold exposure is 11 minutes/week, so easily doable.

I would love to see/watch a longform podcast style at the end of this with some experts/panelists talking about specifics to your modalities and to perhaps challenge some of your conculusions

@mitchellhooperstrongman

3 ай бұрын

that would be awesome! Who would you include?

I’ve experimented with cold showers after heavy exercises for 12 months, and the biggest benefit I would say is recovery post exercise. I was never sore and I felt like nervous system fatigue was better managed.. Now there is other research that says cold exposure right after exercise is not so great for hypertrophy, so I went back to hot showers post exercise. There is definitely an underlying mechanism that improves recovery with cold exposure. Another noticeable effect was the improvement in mental focus throughout the day. It provided a stimulant effect, so I would not suggest cold therapy late at night/before bed.

As a mental health tool, I think cold water is great. As a recovery tool, I think it is something that might help some people, depending on goals, perhaps on medical conditions etc. but overall isn't really something to use.

@mitchellhooperstrongman

3 ай бұрын

Agreed! Do you use it?

@graemegourley7616

3 ай бұрын

@@mitchellhooperstrongman I do on occasion. I find that sometimes after a really intense workout a brief cold shower, followed by an equally brief hot shower seems to help dissipate the stress of the workout... If that makes sense.

I have personally felt it has helped me with recovery I have only used hot/cold showers going back and forth 3 or 4 times 1-2 min each probably only 40F - 130F water I have always done it at night before bed, had a massive noticeably difference is sleep quality. I only do it really in the winter cause the water just is not cold enough in summer lol. Also Mitch made it very clear in this video he hates cold water. I think all things will effect people differently and is hard to really know what is helping with what, best just to try it and see it yourself and how it effects you.

Nice to see a Strongman take their success and actually try and produce high quality content. This is good stuff Mitch!

Mitchell hooper seems like a legit down to earth person. Sharp and humble, a good representative for the sport and lifting community. I’ll root for him coming up this season with all the upcoming comps. I think he beats Thor. I think Thor might hit some higher numbers on some lifts but hooper looks much more athletic and mobile.

@mitchellhooperstrongman

3 ай бұрын

Thanks Evan 🙏 here’s to hoping!

As far as recovery would probably be time better spent eating another meal, doing active recovery like walking, getting a massage, or taking a nap lol I remember Matt Wenning said when he broke his world records he was sleeping 10-12 hours a day with a 30-60minute nap in the afternoons on top of that

@mitchellhooperstrongman

3 ай бұрын

I agree. What do you think will be #1 on the list?

Thanks Mitch. I tend to agree with your assessment. I have been doing in regular +3 times per week for a year. I can't say I notice any physical difference, but 100% notice a mental difference. For me it is a perfect start to a stressful day. Do something that shocks the system and something that you naturally fear. Like you I used to hate the cold water, not anymore and FYI cold showers are a greater challenge then the plunge.

@mitchellhooperstrongman

3 ай бұрын

Ive heard that about cold showers! How long can you last?

@paddyguitarhero

3 ай бұрын

@@mitchellhooperstrongman couple of mins and I get really bored of it, I'm always outside on the deck with a garden hose and shower head. WhenI plunge after sauna, I'll cold shower first. Good luck next week, rooting for you.

We have a sauna and a cold plunge tub in our basement, got the sauna a year ago and the plunge 6 months ago. Having tried both of them (in combo, and individually) as companions to weightlifting for a while now, I've found that the sauna has a noticeable impact on my ability to recover day-to-day from heavy weight training. The plunge doesn't seem to do much, other than maybe help a little mentally just from having to focus your mind while I'm in there. I only do the sauna nowadays, plunge just feels like an overpriced luxury item

@mitchellhooperstrongman

3 ай бұрын

What is your #1 for recovery?

I’ll use cold showers about every week to clear all the soreness from last weeks training. Seems to reset some things psychologically, better mood, activates that go-getter mentality. Definitely don’t use it everyday as that might be counterproductive

@mitchellhooperstrongman

3 ай бұрын

Love it!

I am pro cold therapy for 3 main reasons: vasoconstriction causing increase vital organ perfusion incl. brain. Secondly, sleep aid, whether evidenced or not, anecdotally. Lastly, and possibly most importantly, because it is affordable (even free), which may be all the average athlete may be able to afford. Thanks for the videos. Here's a moose dropping 💩

@mitchellhooperstrongman

3 ай бұрын

Thanks for the moose dropping! What is your cold therapy protocol?

I am doing cold water imersion for about 7 years. Cold showers always, sometimes in the winter I go to the local river. I believe that I get sick far less then before. I do not know about recovery because I train 4-5 times a week for years and rarely have DOMS. And one thing I am sure is I tolerate cold more easily then others (it wasnt the case before).

@mitchellhooperstrongman

3 ай бұрын

What is your #1 reason for doing it?

@johnconstantine2220

3 ай бұрын

​@@mitchellhooperstrongmanKZread algoritam suggested me video called "how to never be sick again" featuring Wim Hof. That's how it all started. That was the no. 1 reason.

I will soak in water in my jetted tub that is around 64 degrees, which fills plenty cold to me, and I do notice positive effects . That's pretty tolerable, so I do 10 minutes of that then directly to contrast showers. Hot as I can stand for about a minute to cold as it'll go for about a minute. I'm like you. I don't like cold water, tho I do love cold air, but it seems to help my back more than heat alone. I tried not to jump on the fads and I realized everybody's body responds differently to stuff. Not sure how I'd respond with real real, but my joints don't feel stiff with just chilled water. And I've got one of those bodies that likes to tell you when it's pissed off! Lol for me I have less inflammation in my joints. I do seem to sleep better for sure.

@mitchellhooperstrongman

3 ай бұрын

That’s awesome info!

Hey Mitch, loving the content from over in the UK (not far from Eddie actually!). I've tried cold showers and my kids even got involved for short periods too. All of us found it invigorating, but it felt like more of a challenge for the mental side of things. I had injuries to my groin and back during this time and noticed no additional improvement. I also didn't find it to make me any more alert or awake during the day vs say regular sport and staying healthy, it's not to say I wouldn't do it anymore as I like challenges but I can't see it is benefitting me bar the mental side which I don't feel I need currently. Now on the other end of the scale, we have a hot tub which I try to get into 2-3 times a week. I find the warm water during some groin, hip flexor stretches really does help and I do typically sleep very well on those evenings. Again, no science I can point to but the hot water does indeed relax me a lot and I've felt after a hard day of work or training it to be very beneficial in how I feel. Good luck at the Arnold's!

I think where there is benefit from cold water therapy is more on the psychological side and maybe some placebo from the physiological side. I found that doing things I hate just gives me an extra edge mentally and I genuinely find it is easier to tackle life. From a physiological perspective, it feels quite nice post session and even if it’s placebo, sometimes feeling “good” is half the battle 😅

You probably won’t read this but after this series could you make a video on at home recovery guide. For a person getting into strongman without the fancy going to physio and stuff like that.

@mitchellhooperstrongman

3 ай бұрын

Good idea!

Yes getting in the cold does cause blood to retreat to the core of the body. But it, like you said constricts the blood vessels. Which means every vein in the body. When you get out of the cold and you’re warming up the already constricted veins help pull a lot of blood through them. I personally have a lot of experience with blood clots. And I’ve used hot cold to help. I do lots of other stuff. Take baby aspirin or a bit of whisky for the blood thinning effects. Drink hot chocolate for easy/quick absorbing iron. I know I’ve cleared a lot of blood clotting and I feel amazing. Also I don’t do ice baths or anything either. I’m Canadian as well so I just go outside for a bit lol. It, in my opinion has almost if not equal effect to Ice baths. I do occasionally have a cold shower at the end of my shower for 60 seconds. And I have experimented with way longer Ice baths & showers.

@mitchellhooperstrongman

3 ай бұрын

Medical conditions are definitely a different conversation!

A really good recent meta-analysis on the subject: "Throwing cold water on muscle growth: A systematic review with meta-analysis of the effects of post-exercise cold water immersion on resistance training- induced hypertrophy" They came to the conclusion that cold water immersion after training likely attenuates hypertrophy. The mental health aspects are still worth it for myself and I sometimes do it just to get that "natural high" it produces after a great training session.

@LukeBelardo

3 ай бұрын

Glad someone mentioned this I was sure I had heard something about it potentially impacting hypertrophy.

@mitchellhooperstrongman

3 ай бұрын

Yes, negative effects on hypertrophy!

I am a wim Hof instructor myself, I agree that for muscle recovery isn’t that much of a deal (it deals with the symptoms of inflammation but not inflammation itself) but it can help with soreness. I’m following some athletes myself and we found it a great tool to use it BEFORE the training as the temporary increase in adrenaline and testosterone leads to more energy in the first hour of workouts. Great content as always :)

Regarding your comments on circulation I believe that cold immersion 100% promotes better circulation. You are right that extreme cold exposure will restrict your circulation by bringing the blood back to your core as your body goes into self preservation mode but you are only thinking about that extreme instant and not the physiologic changes your body will make to minimize the effects of future cold immersions and your bodies ability to transition back to temperature in such situations. As soon as your core starts to heat up again your body changes focus to heating up your extremities by increasing its circulation and if you have continued/regular exposure to cold our bodies adapt to avoid going into that self preservation mode. Every Canadian undergoes this change in the winter with their body adapting to the cold by increasing their circulation and metabolism, the first cold weather always seems horrible and then as winter passes that same weather becomes t-shirt weather for many. As an ice fisherman I have really noticed these changes and for example scoop ice out of fishing holes with my bare hands because my circulation is good enough my fingers warm back up even in freezing temperatures. I have never done hot/cold therapy like this (have no reason to) but I do believe it would cause physiologic changes to your circulation, metabolism, nervous system etc. This treatment adds in stressors that your body adapts to deal with. You can easily see this adaptation in people that do or don't do hot/cold therapy (like how it is just a morning bath for Eddie while you are in severe discomfort). You can also see this adaptation in Canadians (and other northern populations) vs people that live closer to the equator and see minimal temperature fluctuations. Canadians adapt to changing temperatures extremely quickly whereas people that don't see these big temperature fluctuations really struggle with cold weather because their bodies have never learned how to adapt to it (and perhaps genetically they have less ability to do so). As an example when I visited northern Thailand in winter I was walking around in shorts and a t-shirt at night while locals were wearing winter jackets, toques and mittens. I think by not doing cold water treatment that you have not really given this a fair try yet. Cold air for short durations doesn't shock your system enough to cause the same physiologic changes cold water immersion does (just guessing it would probably only provide around 10-20% of the benefit). Cold air exposure for hours on end would have more similar effects but also has other negative side effects that probably negates the advantages (at least from a performance athlete's point of view).

You need to do it a couple of times before you start notice the benefits. Took me 2-3 months of cold plunging 3-4 times/w before I actually started to notice the benefits from itm

@mitchellhooperstrongman

3 ай бұрын

Noted! I did it every day, AM and PM for 2 months. Do you think that was a fair shot?

As a Finn going to sauna 2-3 times a week for my whole life it is funny to see this being such a elite thing to do :) Personally as person who does ice swimming I find that +Sauna to give me great blood flow afterwards, super clear and relaxed mind and huge imrovement on sleeping which is essential for active recovery. That being said it is also our culture which we are REALLY proud of so that also contributes to feeling like a man after swiming in a frozen lake or sea. And as you say doing things tha may feel uncomfortble while doing so will help with the daily grind. Putting yourself in controlled uncomfortable spot will defenetly mak you more gritty.

I did cold water during winter including swimming in cold water, and then as hot a shower as I could take after just one round of each. I did hate it but felt good after. I only did it on heavy work out days, immediately after training, and before eating, the inflammation that would make me stiff and sore was definitely less prevalent.

I dont think i have looked forward to sundays like i do now in forever

@mitchellhooperstrongman

3 ай бұрын

Awesome to hear! What was your biggest takeaway from this video?

@mattystewart8

3 ай бұрын

@@mitchellhooperstrongman personally, i took the mental aspects from it. I have done cold therapy and i too absolutely HATE it but as you said, if you do something you dont like every day it can make your day to day life a bit easier. I noticed when i did do it that i handled life a lot better, i was more calm and i could deal with people much more effectively. I cant see why it wouldnt carry over to the gym also, if i can put myself through that excrutiating pain of a cold bath for ten minutes i can certainly grind through that 1RM or get the last rep in an extremely heavy set. It wasnt about the recovery for me, i would do it in the morning so my sleep was already aiding in that. It was about pushing through barriers that my mind didnt even know existed. I felt like it was a huge waste of ten minutes of my life every day but everything, including my lifts, improved. If it gave me that extra nudge to squat my PB i dont see why it wouldnt for any elite athlete 💪🏻💪🏻 looking forward to this strongman season to see you compete 💪🏻💪🏻

I'm currently doing shoulder rehab at a full service clinic. They have me doing all kinds of stuff that I don't like. But it's light weight and I trust that they know what they're doing. But at the end of my session they(my girl) asks me if I want heat or ice...and I smile and say heat. So I finally told her that heat will always be my answer so if she thinks I should ice...just tell me. But hearing the King of Deadlifting(Eddie f'n Hall) talk about 1% here and 1% there to Mitch...really makes a lot of sense. Mitch is the best in the world...right now. But so was Martins not too long ago. I think hot cold therapy could really help athletes stay competitive for more years.

@mitchellhooperstrongman

3 ай бұрын

👏

It just makes sense that exposing your body to extremes both hot/cold would provide stimulus that you aren’t otherwise getting and your body would adapt in ways it otherwise wouldn’t. Simply said, hot/cold therapy does provide different physiological and physical gains that you wouldn’t otherwise get. So the question is, “should I do these things?”. Answer, “if you have the time, you can fit them in your regimen and they’re available to you then try it.”

When I was still using my whoop, my metrics were best when I did cold showers or baths on non-training days an hour before bed. Too close to bedtime was bad for me as well. (Again, according to whoop)

I think it's unnessesary stress, stress is high already usually, you might get a kick but that's like survival instinct, fight or flight kicking in, don't wanna go there too often, bring as many stressors down as possible instead I'd say.

@mitchellhooperstrongman

3 ай бұрын

I agree, all in all. What would be your #1 to reduce stress?

@Mayaillu

3 ай бұрын

@@mitchellhooperstrongman Something good to drink and eat and entertainment, I like coffee and mint chocolate lately :D

I think its more about getting over that mental hurdle of being in the cold water and the breath work,getting your mind use to being uncomfortable

Great post. You almost look small next to Eddie. LOL

@mitchellhooperstrongman

3 ай бұрын

LOL

Joe Rogan and Andrew Huberman absolutely shivvering in their boots after this one😂. I never thought cold therapy (even some hot therapy) was very practical for most people... need an entire room dedicated to it. "Let me go to my custom bathhouse and jump in my cold tub"

@mitchellhooperstrongman

3 ай бұрын

😂😂 wait you don’t have a customs bathhouse?

You ever check out that Vetta Nordic Spa up in Horseshoe Valley? Basically an amusement park for this stuff.

@mitchellhooperstrongman

3 ай бұрын

Not a big fan of that one, to be honest! I love Scandinavian Spa in Collingwood.

From what I've seen, stick to just heat in the off-season. Cold is great for performance specifically, but hampers hypertrophy etc. So only use right at the end and during comps.

@mitchellhooperstrongman

3 ай бұрын

Interesting take! I’m always weary of doing anything different during comp days

@pagit85

3 ай бұрын

@@mitchellhooperstrongman for sure, you're the pro! Might be worth considering sauna away from comps on its own though for the pseudo cardio benefits alone. Dr. Rhonda Patrick has a bunch of videos on it

This is gonna piss off a lot of people haha. Cold tubs are about as fad a fad as the fitness has had in recent history. Glad to see you and a few others sharing the truth instead of plunging full in (figuratively and literally).

@mitchellhooperstrongman

3 ай бұрын

We have a responsibility to bring light to the truth!

I didn't know it could be this relative,for me cold therapy would be by nature one of the best habits a human can have for overall health,hearing Mitch saying that he hates it and doesn't feel good is something i cannot relate to at all lol.For me it is completely non-negotionable to take a cold shower every morning right after waking up,i can clearly feel the difference in my energy and mood when i don't do it,and honestly i feel like a God after doing it.

@mitchellhooperstrongman

3 ай бұрын

That’s awesome brother! We all have our things 😃

@khauz9304

3 ай бұрын

@@mitchellhooperstrongman 👊 Love the content as always big man.

I'm standing outside and I am cold and probably scaring the neighbours 😂 great videos thanks 👍

@mitchellhooperstrongman

3 ай бұрын

Class! Now, question is how long are you able to stay out in the cold?

@PilgirmsMaster

3 ай бұрын

I'm lucky I've got a membership to a hotel that has a sauna and cold plunge normally 15 minutes in the sauna and 3 to 5 in the cold... But it's only 10 degrees C cold so not extreme 🥶

Sauna's are prevalent in countries where its usually cold AF for most of the year like Finland and Russia. I think the healing property is just that your not in the cold feeling like crap. Imagine how good it would feel to be in a sauna when you sleep in subzero temperatures. Also sport performance aside sauna's were used to induce vision quests/spiritual experiences.

10 min hot, 3 min cold, repeat 3x. The cold simulates the stress response. Learning how to breathe through the cold trains adaptation to the stress response that carries over to better performance in life and sport.

@mitchellhooperstrongman

3 ай бұрын

Good theory! Someone would have to take to researching that to see if it’s true 😀

@nietrelevant3338

3 ай бұрын

@@mitchellhooperstrongmanisn't that kind of what this study looked into: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4034215/ ? The main point of the study was that it seems like the human stress response can be trained, and influences how the body reacties to negative stressors such as endotoxins. I imagine that might be beneficial also with regards to the amount of stress you put your body through during competing.

Belief is probably more important then the actual chemistry and physics behind it. Reality is interesting.

@mitchellhooperstrongman

3 ай бұрын

100% agree

Looking forward to TENS/EMS

@mitchellhooperstrongman

3 ай бұрын

👀

honestly I think cold showers for psychological health is a double edged sword, it definitely freshens you up, but when I'm doing deep work projects, the shock and discomfort can interrupt my mental flow and memory.... Also the very least is I would have to end a cold shower with warm water, because one time I took a Long cold shower and was shivering very uncomfortably for 2-3 hours after. Whilst, hot shower only, it both helps relief stress, sleep better, and greatly helps with muscle soreness, -- especially if I massage my muscles with the heat! Hot working better than luke-warm. So for the past 1-2 years I've dropped cold showers all together, and instead use heat, along with pressing deep into my muscles with my hands.

Stone lifting MUST be number 1, elsewise they are unturned! 🤣

@mitchellhooperstrongman

3 ай бұрын

😂😂

I firmly believe that cold water exposure can have alot of bebefits for most people when it comes to both mental and physical well being. However, I do not believe that it has a big effect on recovery after training.

@mitchellhooperstrongman

3 ай бұрын

That’s what I found as well! Have you ever tried it!

Preach! 🙌🏻

Respect to the cameraperson who was cramped in that sauna with the two of you!

@mitchellhooperstrongman

3 ай бұрын

The real MVP