Can Training to Failure Weaken Your Immune System?

[D in KC]

Over the past few months, I noticed I've been getting sicker more often (I'm a 39-year-old male who is normally very healthy). If it wasn't a bad cold virus or the flu, it was an infection of some kind, things that my body is usually better at fighting off. I went back and checked my training logs and noticed that these sick days/weeks usually followed a period where I was doing a "reps to failure" program such as 5/3/1. (I know Jim now offers alternatives to the AMRAP aspect of 5/3/1, but I was going to failure on the last set.) When doing a novice or intermediate program with all sets capped at 5 reps, I didn't notice a correlation to getting sick more often.

It could be a total coincidence, but this got me thinking, is it possible that doing reps to failure every training session is too taxing on the body and weakening my immune system?

[Mark Rippetoe]

Maybe you're on to something here. I'll have to take the "sets to failure" work out of the program.

[D in KC]

Thank you for replying. I know your program doesn't include sets to failure. I was just curious if your experience indicates that "sets to failure" leads to overtraining and if that could weaken one's immune system. (And yes, I've read both your books as well as Barbell Prescription, but don't remember seeing this addressed.)

[Mark Rippetoe]

Sets to failure do not constitute training. And depending on how many reps you add to what should be 15, as well as your level of training advancement, you can overtrain, in addition to ensuring that the last rep will be done incorrectly.

[D in KC]

Makes perfect sense. Thanks!

[rmscott_75077]

I'm 51 and only been sick 2 times in the last 15 years, once the flue, and once it turned into pneumonia . Both times happened when I was on a break from lifting. I don't lift to failure ever on purpose. I asked my doctor about it. He basically said there are tons of stuff doctors don't really know, but based on my history don't stop lifting.

[wal]

Over the past few months, I noticed I've been getting sicker more often (I'm a 39-year-old male who is normally very healthy). If it wasn't a bad cold virus or the flu, it was an infection of some kind, things that my body is usually better at fighting off.

You need to understand once you have passed 25, the wheels start to fall off. When you hit the 60's you need a flu injection preferably the quadrivalent type. There is a lot of nasty stuff out there in the general population.

[Pluripotent]

If you are not providing adequate recovery, then any stress can result in a decreased ability to ward off infection. It seems that reps to failure would require even more recovery, and could possibly even be a greater stress than one could adequately recover from. So, DTFP, and then eat and sleep.

[D in KC]

If you are not providing adequate recovery, then any stress can result in a decreased ability to ward off infection. It seems that reps to failure would require even more recovery, and could possibly even be a greater stress than one could adequately recover from. So, DTFP, and then eat and sleep.

Thanks for your feedback. What does DTFP stand for?

I do think there is a correlation. I went back through my training log over the past 6 months and any time I started a program with sets to failure, I could get in about 2-3 weeks before some sickness/infection made me miss a day or two or even a full week. For someone who doesn't get sick often, this correlation is tough to ignore.

You need to understand once you have passed 25, the wheels start to fall off.

Good point. As I near 40, it's good to be aware that the body can't react that same way it did when I was in high school and college! That's why I really appreciate books like The Barbell Prescription. Nice to have material for those of us looking to lift for a lifetime.

I'm 51 and only been sick 2 times in the last 15 years, once the flue, and once it turned into pneumonia . Both times happened when I was on a break from lifting. I don't lift to failure ever on purpose. I asked my doctor about it. He basically said there are tons of stuff doctors don't really know, but based on my history don't stop lifting.

And that's what's interesting. When I went back in my training log, there seemed to be a correlation between doing programs with "sets to failure" that would then be followed by sickness or infections shortly thereafter. However, I did not notice this correlation when doing programs that stopped with 5 reps.

I have to assume that there's a BIG difference between trying to hit 5 reps and failing every once in awhile and running a program that has you push it to failure at least once, sometimes twice, every training session.

Very curious if anyone else noticed the same correlation. For me, I think my body is saying that sets to failure every workouts is just pushing it too hard to recover adequately in 48 hours.

[Mark Rippetoe]

What does DTFP stand for?

It means "Do The Fucking Program."