Training While Sick

[Marotta]

You guys train full out, take a break, or take some weight off the bar?

I've had a nasty cold for the last two weeks and keep making my progression, but I'm having to take twice as long between sets.

[Age_of_Aquarius]

I've found that mixing lemon juice in water and drinking often used to help with a viral infection.

Honestly, I can't even remember the last time I had a common cold, but when I was 18 I caught gastroenteritis eating one of those dodgy pre-packaged sandwiches. It was nasty, but drinking lemon water helped relieve the symptoms I was fine after 2-3 days.

Haven't been ill since then (I put this down to a generally very clean, healthy diet).

Try it.

But yeah, don't stop training unless you're a wimp.

[stronger]

if you keep making progress, it doesn't matter if you have to rest a little longer between sets. Carry on

[Marotta]

if you keep making progress, it doesn't matter if you have to rest a little longer between sets. Carry on

I wasn't asking if I should stop, just what you guys do.

My buddy that I'm coaching says my coughing between reps is lol.

[MazdaMatt]

Firstly, AoA, shut up.

Moving on... I'd never train with a fever or a lung issue that makes breathing during the set too difficult. If your trining is KEEPING you sick, you're not helping youself. If it is just a cold and you're still progressing fine, go at it :-)

[Mr.City]

I use warm ups as an indicator if I should continue or not. Your system is being taxed (I feel like a douchebag saying that) even more with the cold, so it is very important to get the necessary amount of rest and proper food/vitamin intake. I tried to train through an illiness and felt wonderful for the rest of the day. Then I woke up the next day and felt like shit.

[Kincain]

Honestly, I can't even remember the last time I had a common cold, but when I was 18 I caught gastroenteritis eating one of those dodgy pre-packaged sandwiches.

Du bist der über mensch! How the hell haven't you had the common cold since you were 18? Are you the boy in the bubble?

Having said that I haven't been sick since january. I like to think this is due the 'shovel method' of bill starr on how to take vitamins. However many people here are getting sick, so I'll keep ya posted if I'm going to get hit or not.

Ow and to answer your question, I always trained through the sickness. If I had a fever I wouldn't go or do light work. But a soar throat did not keep me from training.

[misspelledgeoff]

Marotta, I generally let my body tell me. Had a bad cold last week and delayed volume day by 2 days. Still wasn't feeling well and delayed my recovery day by a day as well. So this time I put three days of extra recovery in and shifted my normal workout days to get back on track.


Queer_Fag, shove a clove of raw garlic up your ass before eating rotten sandwhiches. Some Lebanese guys did a study. It's supposed to be major anabolic.

[tbennett]

You guys are tougher than me - I've had the great fortune of having *two* colds in the last 7 months, and each time I knew I was sick even before I had a runny nose or anything - my SS progression not only halted, it damn near evaporated. Say I had done 220x3x5 previously, the next day I did 225x4, then 225x1 and damn near died under the bar. No third set :-( I was puzzled and thought, "Hmm...that sucked. Wonder if I'm getting sick..." Woke up the next morning unable to breathe through my nose, and it only got worse from there. Couldn't lift for another week, and then when I finally got back in, I had to deload, as I got 225 for only 3 reps, but was able to do 205x3x5 (along with 5-6 minute breaks as opposed to 3). Took me two weeks to get back to where I had been previously, too.

Fortunately no permanent damage, my last 3x5 (which would be about 3 months after that last cold) was 325. Onward and upward....

[BrotherIron]

I generally don't take time off unless I'm running a fever.