The other day our group Kettlebell class showed up to train on a cold, wet, nasty, and windy day. I was concerned it would make for an agonizing session. But to my delight, it was quite the opposite. I left that training feeling exhilarated and I could see that others had the same feeling. One member shot me a text after class saying how bummed he felt after we finished, having to immediately start his corporate day.

This caused me to reflect why?

What was it about training in the elements that made it so fun and rewarding?

I’ve known that cold water dousing and exposure to freezing temperatures is a part of physical culture. Beyond the adrenaline rush which may be reason enough, practitioners claim many benefits: from it being therapeutic, to immune boosting, to helping reconnect with nature. The iconic figure who popularized this movement was Porfiry Ivanov. In our class, we weren’t quite dealing with freezing conditions, but I suspect many of the same factors were at play, both mentally and physically.

Here are some of the reasons I came up with. I’d be riveted to hear yours as well in the comments:

1. Not to get all “Woo woo” on you but I think part of this is beyond what we can know through empirical means of detection. The rain especially has long been observed by many traditions as a direct experience of God’s Mercy. And maybe that is what is at the root of the empowering sensation that comes with training in the rain. In the strength culture, training in the elements is mystically referred to as helping one “become more connected with nature.” From my perspective nature is not an end by itself but a means to directly witnessing God’s Glory and Majesty. However you view it, there is a feeling of purpose, of connectedness that comes with training outside. This is magnified when the weather assumes a conspicuous presence on a given day.

2. Inspires Humility – The first part of learning is humility. Much of building true, holistic strength is being open to discovering our imbalances and frailties. “Discover the cause of your own ignorance,” as our teacher often says, quoting Bruce Lee. Submitting yourself to the cold and rain helps cure any self delusion you may suffer about the extent of your power. Being slowed by the winds and pelted by the rain was a stark reminder of my place in the universe. I felt Connected yet hungrier to never stop fighting to achieve a status of hardened conditioning.

3. Liberating - Remember as a kid when you walked home from school after a rainy day and instead of avoiding the puddles you were pulled toward them? When you approached the puddle you didn’t just pause to marvel, you cocked your leg and violently stomped in it. You knew your mom would be furious but there was something too primal to resist. It had to be done.

Deep down our nature laughs at how sterile and mundane we’ve made things. We’re dying for spontaneity, some wackiness, an ability to express ourselves. Training in the mud, getting wet, getting dirty, on a work day felt dangerous, especially in the context of the Silicon Valley. While everyone else was crawling along the highways, tuning into traffic news, sipping on their commuter mug, careful to avoid coffee from dripping on their starched clothing, we were doing Kettlebell relay races on the soggy turf, soiled, drenched, and ALIVE.

4. Reference for Self Worth – Many of us know intellectually that our thoughts are the major determinant in our results in the external world. Yet we’re haunted by certain short comings we’ve had in the past: perceived failures and times when we just didn’t “measure up.” Those references hold us back because our “intellectual” brain cites those times as valid excuses why we can’t achieve what we want to. However, when you get some momentum, start achieving some great things, you get on a roll. Success starts to begets success. We need success references to submit as evidence to our neural judge in order to convince him that indeed WE CAN do what we’re aiming to do.

This is one of the reasons I am so passionate about intense physical training. It offers you an instant, tangible, measurable opportunity for a killer success reference that your “neural judge” can’t mess with. So few people choose to push themselves intensely that by you choosing to do it, you give yourself an instant edge of confidence. Everywhere you go, you’ve got something on that other guy. If he feels entitled to pursue greatness, you have all the more right to it as someone who submits himself to such physical demands. Training in “nasty” weather takes this feeling up a notch. You walk around the rest of the day feeling bullet proof.

What’s been your experience?