Today I’m sharing my homemade cold plunge. It’s nothing fancy, but I love it and use it often for incredible benefits. We live in the city without access to a cold body of water, so this is the next best option. Cold showers are more convenient, and I’ve used them, but personally find them annoying and brutal compared to the plunge. When you’re ready to take it to the next level, cold plunging is a must!

So, why do this?? Because it’s like taking a shot of adrenaline and the perfect pre-workout!! When I get out, I feel euphoric, energetic, and ready to crush some weights to heat my body back up. If you can train your body to do something this hard, just imagine what else you can do!!

We start with a 100 gallon stock tank/ horse trough. Got mine at TSC. There are other variations for around $100 on Amazon.

For ice, I’m using a bunch of empty containers that I fill with water and freeze in a large ice chest overnight. In the fall and winter months, this tedious step is not required.

I use a kitchen thermometer to measure the water and try to get it to around 50°. If you’re just starting, out 50 to 60° is a great place to start, but for me, 40-50 degrees is the sweet spot. I’ve gone as low as 34 degrees.

I’ve heard it’s a hack to dunk your head in the water first to kickstart your body’s natural heating mechanisms, but I prefer to just jump right in. Take slow, deep breaths and fully submerge to your neck to enjoy all the amazing benefits, such as reducing inflammation, stress, anxiety, boosted metabolism, and a release of feel-good chemicals in the brain. It is also a great pre- or post-workout! Experts say don’t go for more than 10mins if you’re using post-workout though, which may blunt the muscle building signal (only in super cold temps).

I usually soak for anywhere from 2 to 5 minutes 40-50 degrees each session, but you can mix it up depending on your comfort level. Two minutes is enough to get me feeling refreshed and energized, whereas five minutes or more will chill you to the bone. Experts recommend a total of at least 20mins per week to achieve the health benefits (Andrew Huberman).

Currently I don’t use any filtration system. I shower befor and do partial water changes and add the ice to make up the difference. It’s working out pretty great for me so far. If you have any recommendations for filtration or any other questions or comments, please leave in the comments and click thumbs up and subscribe.

Thanks for watching, have a great day, and make wise choices!