The Wim Hof Method: Physical training that changed my life.

[gaijin]

TLDR: Through cold water training & breath retention, the Wim Hof Method will fire up your metabolism, increase your mitochondria, make you stronger, regulate your hormones, and ultimately make you wonder why cold & O2 haven't been a standard part of every athlete's training regiment throughout history.

Start here-- Wimhofmethod.com

A few testimonies & interviews that turned me onto the program:

Laird Hamilton: My favorite of this collection as he's a trained athlete before the WHM.


Vice


Joe Rogan


Tim Ferriss


I'm 40. I lost about 25lbs and not on purpose. I didn't start the program to lose weight. I joined the program to try to help with my circulation. I have a history of shoulder dislocations (20/shoulder + surgeries) that have ultimately damaged my vessels enough (as well as instigated arthritis) to make sleeping a solid night merely impossible. I figured the cold & breathing training would be a new approach towards training my circulatory system. And I was right. I sleep now without my hands going numb, which used to force me to roll over every hour. I haven't had any arthritic pains in the last 6 months, either.

I also learned to use my breathing (Hof & Tummo style) to warm my hands. I have learned what brown fat is. I have learned what kind of heat it can produce, what it feels like, and how to move that heat around my body in the cold shower. I haven't had a warm shower in 6 months now. I don't endure cold water. I seek it. I enjoy it. I'm kind of addicted to it, actually.

When I began I was scared of cold showers, albeit admittedly intrigued. The program starts you off at 10 seconds in the cold, and you work your way up. (The ice bath challenge is at week 8) For reference, I'll give my faucet a scale of 10 (hot) to 1 (cold) so you can understand where this is going-

Let's imagine that--
10 is too hot, unbearable.
7 is that warm/hot I used for my showers for my whole life.
5 is fine, but getting cool.
3 is cold, uncomfortable.
1 is straight up unbearable. Needles.

I began going from 7 to 3 for ten seconds. Then back to 7 for a relief. I did that for a week. The next week was 30 seconds. The next week was 1 minute, etcetera, until things really shifted. And this is where it gets interesting. My relief temperature shifted. Once I could manage 1 for a few minutes, I found that my relief temperature would be around 3 or 4. And I found 7 to be annoying.

Enter ice buckets. I brought ice buckets into the shower to dunk my hands and feet when I took a break from the cold shower. I'd take a cold shower, turn off the faucet for relief, then rotate dunking my hands and feet in ice water. When I would enter the cold shower again, it felt warm. It felt rad.

When I would exit the shower, condensation would collect on my body, like beads of sweat. (It still does) At first, I had to call my wife into the room to touch me and tell me if I was warm or cold, she'd tell me I was cold. Condensation confirmed. WTF? Now my showers start at 3 and finish at 1. I often take two showers a day now because I like how it makes me feel. I love it.

In February I found myself sitting in the river by my house a few times, finding relief afterwards while meditating in the snow. After a few minutes in the river, and after the whole process of preparing myself for that dunk, I return home and feel like I just got home from a day on the mountain. So much adrenaline and energy flowing.

O2 Saturation is a breathing skill I never knew existed. For years Yoga gurus have told me to learn to breathe. I didn't even understand that there was anything to learn. But no matter how in-depth I go here, nothing you read will help you understand more than feeling those changes yourself. So stop studying and start training your breath. The WHM is a good start.

With that O2, I doubled my push-up max from 35 to 85. As stated, I have shoulder problems. Pushups have been a daily therapy for more than 15 years now. 35 to 40 has always been my max. Now I crank out 85 everyday, with no air in my lungs, on one exhaled & retained breath.

Meditation is also something many around me have told me to pick up. I didn't know how. Sit still and think of nothing? How? It felt impossible. But counting my breaths and connecting with my pulse gave me that bridge needed to enter a state of being self-aware. Meditation now starts my day, everyday. You have to experience it and get there on your own. But I mention it here because my co-workers and friends tell me they see it in my personality, that I seem more clear, focused, and happier. They're right. That practice changed my life for the better in more ways than I even understand. Meditation is something that just kind of happened along with the WHM.

Enter health checks. I lost so much weight I thought I had cancer. I'm down to 145lbs now, the same weight as when I stopped growing in HS, and before I began drinking in college. You all know how that weight shift went, I'm sure. It's pretty standard. Anyway, I had two separate full diagnostic checks and the doctors were impressed. I'm healthy.

My libido went up, too. I already have three kids and don't really need the libido. But, that is highly worth noting to everyone. If you like sex, it gets better. That might be enough motivation for anyone to start the program.

I feel stronger from within. I feel like I've learned how to train the tiny muscles surrounding my capillaries. I know that sounds strange. You'll have to feel it to understand it, I think.

Enough rambling. Fire away with any questions you may have. The Wim Hof Method is legit. It is the most profound physical training I have ever experienced. I only wish I had begun when I was younger. Better late than never, I guess. I'm stoked on it now. My kids will undergo the same.

[btmacken]

Very interested in this. Heard him on Rogan etc. I am seriously looking into it, but what is the cost for the course?

[2stix]

Thanks gaijin. I meant it. Thank you. Makes 100% sense to me. I'm in.

[Dantheman]

I'm definitely intrigued, but can't justify dropping $200 on the full program right now. Did you pay for the video course or use the e-book? Besides pushups, any other improvements to strength, speed, endurance or aerobic capacity that you've documented?

[gaijin]

I'm definitely intrigued, but can't justify dropping $200 on the full program right now. Did you pay for the video course or use the e-book? Besides pushups, any other improvements to strength, speed, endurance or aerobic capacity that you've documented?

I don't have anything else documented, no. I just feel it. And quoting Wim himself: "We can talk science forever, but feeling is understanding." He has more scientific/academic journal documentation than any of his students. Watch Laird above. He does an awesome job talking about the breathing from a veteran perspective.

I did the online course. The breathing method is out there in Wim's interviews. You don't need a video course for that. His cold water progression could easily be a pdf, breaking it down more simply in a visual diagram. You could create your own progression, I think.

I think you just need to test your commitment.

Save 20$/wk for ten weeks. If you begin feeling your own progression and have made progress after 10 weeks, keep moving forward. If you're stuck, buy the course at that time.

I lacked the discipline to do it on my own. And 10 weeks wasn't very realistic for me. I got sick and had to repeat some weeks. Sometimes I just felt weak and did a week over again. I think the 10 week course could take 12-15 weeks for many people. And, it's slow. So slow that I see how people would give up. The Facebook group of nearly 18,000 people is one of the best aspects of the whole thing. There are thousands of success stories out there.

Friends around me also show interest, but hold back due to funds. You're not alone. Anyone with determination could do it. Wim did it on his own.

All that said, beginning and committing was the smartest thing I've ever done for my health. Cold water is a brutal commitment. Learning I have the ability to commit to that has made other commitments much easier. Morning Yoga. Sobriety. It all started with 10-second cold showers and patience in knowing that this wasn't going to happen quickly.

Get some, though. Ultimately it's a fricking rush, mate. Pure, natural adrenaline producible at any moment.

[bagtagley]

Is the program set up in a way that two or more people could share the cost?

[Mike Pow]

Got my attention.

Will report back.

Thanks.

[ts01]

After googling a bit I remain interested in the method, but also interested in knowing whether there is a multi-level or affiliate marketing model to the enterprise.

[gaijin]

After googling a bit I remain interested in the method, but also interested in knowing whether there is a multi-level or affiliate marketing model to the enterprise.

I don't know anything about that. I'm not here to sell you anything. I went through the biggest transformation of my life. I'm sharing it because I really can't come up with how breathing exercises or cold exposure couldn't be of some benefit to literally everyone on the planet.

Before I began the training I spent lots of time googling and trying to find negative reviews or somebody who had simply gone through the course claiming it's BS. I couldn't find anything. I was skeptical. Your skepticism is normal... it means that when you discover the legitimacy and science behind the claims you'll have to face the changes because you'll know there is a healthier version of yourself out there, should you commit.

In your googling, search for content about the benefits of cold showers, cryogenic tanks, cold training in general. Google up on oxygen saturation, changing PH, Tummo Meditation. You'll likely learn how bad ice baths are for you after a workout, too.

Here is Rhonda Patrick asking many of the right questions... being answered by someone who is not active in the training.

[ts01]

Good to hear you are not selling it because a lot of the online advocates are.

E.g., http://http://thoughtbrick.com/medit...d-depth-guide/:

Finally, I’m a Wim Hof Method affiliate. This means that if you buy the Wim Hof course through my site I will make a commission.

Or this masterfully understated pitch from http://www.foaie.com/2014/08/wim-hof...and-bonus.html:

See, with all the hooplah surrounding what could be one of the biggest product launches of the year, many a marketer just like me will be bribing you to buy Wim Hof Method from their link. I am no different, so I don’t want to disguise the fact that Wim Hof is my friend and yes I will make a few bucks to sell his stuff.
But the bottom line is Wim Hof Method ROCKS!. Wim Hof Method is different because what you will learn will change everything you ever thought about getting money from the internet using a system that is pretty much allready done for you!
So why should you buy from my link on this page?
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Affiliate Partner Program

Become partner and earn 20% of every sale for promoting our online course.
We are always looking for partners/friends to promote our product.

For tracking and paying the affiliate commission we use the affiliate system of DealGuardian. This system automatically track your sales. Your earnings will automatically credited to your account on DealGuardian.
In the affiliate links we use your personal DealGuardian ID. Register with DealGuardian is free and easy, it will not cost you more than 10 minutes.

Hence the skepticism.

Plus my wife says it sounds crazy but she has said that about most of the stupid stuff I do, a lot of which is quite good and good for me.

[hutash]

...but where does paleo fit in?

[Buster Highmen]

When we lived on a river, we'd have parties and build sweat lodges. So yeah, I know what hot to ice cold does to my life and it's good.

I might add that every day changes my life, so I think it should be a fad too.

[digitaldeath]

do you ski in a bikini now?

[digitaldeath]

kevin rose on JRE ralks about ice baths and what not ( guess its all the rage in san fran)

seems like sports medicine has been using ice baths for a long time

the $200 thing is a joke

information MUST be free

RELEASE THE DOCS

[AKbruin]

What's the time commitment per day/week?

This sounds interesting despite the fact that I hate cold water and love piping hot showers. But I ski/mountain bike or crossfit pretty much everyday on top of a demanding job and family. I wouldn't might something that supplements those things, but I have little desire to replace them. I also shower at my crossfit gym or work 3-4 days a week.

[gaijin]

What's the time commitment per day/week?

This sounds interesting despite the fact that I hate cold water and love piping hot showers. But I ski/mountain bike or crossfit pretty much everyday on top of a demanding job and family. I wouldn't might something that supplements those things, but I have little desire to replace them. I also shower at my crossfit gym or work 3-4 days a week.

Wim asks you to take an hour a day to sit down and focus with his program. The breathing exercises alone typically take 30 minutes... They become warm-ups to pretty much everything I do now. I have also been known to slip them into my workday during lunch break, whatever. It's an awesome reset and the benefits are immediate. If I miss a day or two, I notice my retention times fade and my breathing becomes weak/shallow. I have very fit diaphragm/rib cage muscles now that like anything, react to training or lack thereof.

One glaring over-sight for many people is that cold showers don't have to replace warm ones. On the contrary, using both extremes is encouraged. But what happened for me is I slowly progressed away from even liking hot water. I just like how the cold feels, even though I work my into it... I can't just turn on the faucet and jump in the way I could with warm. I find that transition of comfort zones to be the biggest surprise of all.

As for those affiliates selling it, that doesn't surprise me at all. It's a 10-week progression that's proven to work in a clinical setting. I've considered reaching out to become an instructor, but being as I lack any infrastructure (existing yoga program, health club, or coaching status) I kind of see it as a bit futile.

Again, I'm not selling anyone on Wim's program. But I have been through it and do recommend it fairly loosely to pretty much everyone without some kind of detrimental health problem that would make it plain stupid.

I began in October, finished in December, then enjoyed the cold all winter and still practice everyday. I feel the daily changes in the groundwater coming out of my tap. So, consider that summer is coming. You may find hot August a relief, making ice baths fun, or you may find summer frustrating while you chase cold showers and just can't get them. I'll let you know how my summer goes. The river by my house is no longer cold, though. I might be buying ice all summer. I've seen photos of people from warmer climates hanging ice baskets below their shower nozzle. No joke, people's desire for colder water is a common trend.

[FJ62]

gaijin, you convinced me. I'm trying it. Signed up over the weekend and just started day one. I'll be happy to report any and all progress, results, etc. Whatever happens.

I don't know if it'll change my life but I'm game to try it. Was looking to try something new and contemplating taking a transcendental meditation course, but those cost 1000 bucks and the nearest teacher is a bit of a haul. 10 weeks from the comfort of my own home I can commit to and, being out of shape physically and mentally, this may kill two birds with one stone. Or more! We'll see... at least I'll save on the gas bill with fewer hot showers.

[I've seen black diamonds!]

Thanks for posting this. I'm also nearly 40 and dealing with some arthritis from a bunch of old injuries.

You say that its "proven to work in a clinical setting." Proven to work how? I watched the Vice video. I'm certainly convinced that it could help me tolerate cold better (not that I have a problem with this- I like cold), as well as lead to increased adrenal secretion in certain situations, which might help mitigate inflammation, and probably get me a little high on hyperventilation.

But... so what? I'm not doubting that it has been a transformative practice for you. I'm just asking for some clarity in the face of some grand claims (in the video, not on your part) that are at times both vague and misleading. Why are you convinced it this practice that improved your arthritic condition and led to weight loss? Did you add any other training or lifestyle changes (you mentioned sobriety) in addition to the Wim Hoff method? Would you say it is primarily an improvement in you mental health/ sense of well being that you are experiencing, or is it more of more of a positive physical change?

Now that you've finished the program, how much time are you dedicating to practice each day?

Thanks again.

Also, this morning in the shower, I made the water very cold at the end. It felt very cold.

[NW_SKIER]

I'm interested in this for my poor circulation and random numbness in my left hand from old injuries but weight loss keeps coming up. What if I'm already at a healthy weight? I'm 5'10" 160. I don't want to lose any more.

[2stix]

This video pretty much sums up what happens to you physically.
I looked online and there are lots of videos on how to do the breathing. Doesn't seem that hard. Cycle it over and over for 30 minutes. Do physical stuff during the hold breath phase. Like stretching and push ups, yoga and the like. After your done, go do something cold for a while while doing a bit more breathing. Then go and attack the world. Seems simple to me. The 200$ seems to be for coaching.
Someone who has paid for his course, tell me I'm wrong? Did I miss something?
Like I said, that video above explains what happens physically. The rest can be extrapolated.
5 good sessions since I found this thread. Do it once, you'll feel it. Go from there. It really is that stupid easy, just needs commitment to feel lifelong benefits.

[TahoeJ]

While I have zero interest in joining some program... or watching some hour long video... there are a LOT of really successful people who are way into meditation these days. Some kind of keep it on the downlow to a certain degree. And I can see the ice baths angle as well. I know this is a stupid simple take on it, but anyone who has done a cold water / ice water jump knows that feeling it gives you (or frankly, swimming in the ocean or lake tahoe, etc.). I know when I'm in the heart of mountain-bike season I start taking cold showers not just to cool down but it kind of fires me up in a weird way. Maybe related, maybe not. Just spit-balling.

Whatever works for you, that's what counts.

[2stix]

Okay tohoej, Coles notes. His breathing cycle excels more co2 then normal and increases your o2. This shift causes you ph to increase from approx 7.4 to 7.6. At this phase, certain pain proteins cannot combine, so you don't feel the pain of the cold water, but your bodies temperature sensors say it's cold and fire up your bodies heat cycles and sets of your glands to release adrenalin and serotonin. This feels awesome and with commitment, you begin to feel better and more aware of how your body works.
Costs nothing, no 1 hr video. I have even (in 3days) figured out I can do one or 2 cycles randomly and elevate my mood and energy levels.
So all he has done is figured out something about our bodies and the way it works and shared it with the world all while getting scientists to test him and others to see what is happening so that it can be scientifically explained. If you want him as a coach, pay 200$ to him and giver. If you don't need a coach, do it yourself, free! Like he says, feeling is knowing. All his videos and 20 world records are just to show you how far he has been able to go with this knowledge, I think that's pretty cool.

[TahoeJ]

I definitely kind of get it... I'll give it a deeper look when I have time.

[gaijin]

I have even (in 3days) figured out I can do one or 2 cycles randomly and elevate my mood and energy levels.

That's a definite, positive take-away. But just because it's easy to see immediate benefits, understand your body takes time to evolve to long-term changes. Don't stop, mate. It's a skill that can be developed in the long-game.

gaijin, you convinced me. I'm trying it. Signed up over the weekend and just started day one. I'll be happy to report any and all progress, results, etc. Whatever happens.

I don't know if it'll change my life but I'm game to try it. Was looking to try something new and contemplating taking a transcendental meditation course, but those cost 1000 bucks and the nearest teacher is a bit of a haul. 10 weeks from the comfort of my own home I can commit to and, being out of shape physically and mentally, this may kill two birds with one stone. Or more! We'll see... at least I'll save on the gas bill with fewer hot showers.

Right on, mate! Don't hesitate to repeat weeks if/when you get sick. This is a marathon. The breathing alone tends to detox people with the O2 saturation. I had a eczema flare up in week two. Keep us posted, please. I'll drop in here frequently.

Thanks for posting this. I'm also nearly 40 and dealing with some arthritis from a bunch of old injuries.

You say that its "proven to work in a clinical setting." Proven to work how? I watched the Vice video. I'm certainly convinced that it could help me tolerate cold better (not that I have a problem with this- I like cold), as well as lead to increased adrenal secretion in certain situations, which might help mitigate inflammation, and probably get me a little high on hyperventilation.

But... so what? I'm not doubting that it has been a transformative practice for you. I'm just asking for some clarity in the face of some grand claims (in the video, not on your part) that are at times both vague and misleading. Why are you convinced it this practice that improved your arthritic condition and led to weight loss? Did you add any other training or lifestyle changes (you mentioned sobriety) in addition to the Wim Hoff method? Would you say it is primarily an improvement in you mental health/ sense of well being that you are experiencing, or is it more of more of a positive physical change?

Now that you've finished the program, how much time are you dedicating to practice each day?

Thanks again.

Also, this morning in the shower, I made the water very cold at the end. It felt very cold.

The Vice video is vague. When I say proven, I mean this abstract, for example--
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22685240

There is a lot more science out there, too. His whole gig wants science to shape the training, to take the pseudo-theory out of the game all together. He practically gives away his technique in his interviews.

When you say vague, I get it. We don't understand the science ourselves, yet. I think we're at the forefront of understanding the connection between our mind and autonomic nervous system. Just in June '15, an actual vessel link was discovered for the first time--
https://news.virginia.edu/illimitabl...rite-textbooks

I don't have any data to backup my claim that this training alone helped my arthritic condition. I only know I haven't had any arthritic pains since I began. During the program, I was losing weight like mad. Cold water is brutal. So brutal that with long-term commitment it converts white fat to brown fat. I'm the most fit I've been in 25 years, since age 15 or so. I had to replace all my pants and shorts. They literally fell down past my hips. All of these physiological changes could be leading to my lack of arthritic pains. I just don't know.

And no, I did not add any other training. I actually trained less to make time for breathing in the early months. I went through such a physiological shift, I found it draining enough in its own right. And the sobriety just happened last month. I think I just had my shit together enough to allow me to look at my wife one Sunday and say-- "I just quit drinking. I've had 3-4 a night for 20 years and something just clicked in my head." I quit cold turkey that day last month. I was surprised at how easy I found it, actually. I finally had the foundation needed, I guess.

I think the changes are positive both physiologically and mentally. I think those systems work together and I don't know if one comes before the other. But now that I finished the program 4+ months ago, I practice the breathing 30minutes/ session, often twice a day. I take two cold showers a day, too. My time since finishing Wim's training has actually resulted in me working harder & longer with cold and O2. I dig it. I think that 10 weeks was just the transformation and introduction to a new outlook on health. As far as I've come in comparison to other periods in my life, I do feel this is just the beginning for me.

When I was 38 I was overweight and stressed out with work and babies. I was a shitty father, I felt. I wanted to get it together by age 40. When I was 39, I blew my knee. Doctors thought I might not ski (like a bad ass) again. I went through a really dark period. I needed structure. I gifted myself this program in a last-ditch attempt to kick my own ass. It worked. I finished the course before my birthday and I started the evening of my 40th, pictured below, sitting in the snow with a healthy body and a peace of mind never previously found. Forgive the poser flex... it was to show my three kids what turning 40 can, and should, look like. I lasted 20 minutes without a shiver or goosebumps. Then I tried to talk and it all fell apart. ;-)

[east or bust]

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look forward to reading through this tomorrow