what do u think? I have turned up the intensity in my workouts but have been hit with a mild cold. Although it’s not really afftecting me I want to know if i should keep working out or take a couple of days off. In my opinion, i dont think it ever hurt anyone working out with a mild cold but i want to hear what u guys think.
Generally if you’ve got a fever stay out of the gym, since a fever usually indicates that your body is trying to fight off some type of disease or infection. Let your body use it’s resources to fight off whatever bugs it’s doing battle with. If you workout, either your muscle recovery or your body’s disease fighting activity (or both) will be short-changed. If you’re past the fever stage, go for it.
I would never train whilst having a cold or flu again in my life. I had a slight bug four months ago and decided to hit hamstrings hard at the gym - the result being that I’ve been out of the weights game for the last 4 months with Post Viral Fatigue Syndrome. Not nice believe me. If you are sick, then you obviously aren’t going to perform your best - so do yourself and the other gym members a favor and stay home.
From my endurance days, here’s the general advice: if it’s a head cold and you don’t have a fever, it’s okay to workout light. If it’s in the lungs or you have a fever, REST! The theory is that working out will artificially induce a slight fever that may actually help fight off whatever you’ve got. You don’t want to fatigue yourself, however, as that will compromise your already diminished immune system. These workouts would be more to maintain form and make you feel better by moving your body. Hope that helps.
hey what about a stuffy nose? Currently I have a stuffed nose but once im in the gym it’s like i dont even feel it anymore. Plus I still get an awesome workout. I don’t think it will hurt to be honest.
Some of the Westsiide guys say they go to the gym just as often and train just as hard, so their competition gets sick as well. When I’ve got a cold, I don’t worry about it much, but if I had the flu, I don’t think I’d train.
I have a cold today, sore throat, runny nose, overall feeling of malaise. Yep, just got back from the gym. Leg day. Squatted 350 for sets of 10. Stiff leg deadlifts with 150’s for sets of 10. And the fun goes on and on. Funny, when Im sick the only time I feel good is during the workout. So needless to say, it may be dumb, but I never skip a workout, no matter what. Just ask the guys who saw me at the arnold classic. I was sick as a dog with no voice at all and still me, cy willson, my bro, john koenig, john’s son bob, and some other guys crushed the gym in columbus (and nearly puked all over the floor too). Call out of work when sick…yep…call out of the gym…not for this guy.
I have been working out with a flu the last week. I missed a day last week with a flu because I had a heavy fever and it didnt feel right. As soon as I lost the fever (but still a running nose and sore throat) I wanted to get back ASAP and did D1> Back, Biceps and abs D2> AM Chest and Delts PM Chest and Triceps D3> 200 bw squats and cardio D4> Back and Biceps and D5> triceps. The workouts are as heavy and good as ever and strength is still increasing. The flu is just leaving today but my recovery is an absolute joke for the first time ever and I wouldnt be surprised if others experienced this. RANDOM - remember me with the non medicinal curve ball remedies?? I wasnt being flippant then and Im not now but I have another one for you - spirituality. Be it christianity, budism, new age or even some spiritual yoga my instinct is that it is worth a try. Read one book or attend a couple of sessions or even just listen to christian radio or TV … church … confession. Maybe the spirit is lagging behind the superlative mental and physical and is signalling for some nourishment … its through adversity of kinds that we grow right? The thought only springs to mind because I am lagging and I think its manifesting in other ways. OK - Its as out there as the others but we have nothing to lose and everything to gain with this one right? 
Well, once I had Ebola, but I said to hell with it and went to the gym anymays. I don’t remember much from the day (nor that week for that matter), but I seem to recall hitting a new bench PR that day.
HAHA!
G’day Dre! I remember your advice from the last thread I started. A lot of people have been actually suggesting Yoga or the like to me, so I may well look into it. Just gotta say I enjoy reading your responses on this board too. You and guys like Nate Dawg really know your stuff. Being a visitor from the AE board, I read this one all the time, but don’t get to post much. I thought you were spot on in your training thread about not needing to change it up all the time as well.
Guys I think you can take your chances whilst you are sick and train. But like TC wrote in a Muscle Media of old - if you come down with PVFS, training will be the last thing on your mind. If you are sick, then your immune system is compromised. Don’t go bashing it with an insane workout. According to my training diary, my last workout before I got really sick also went very well. But I’ve paid for it with the last four months with no training at all. If you still feel the need to train whilst sick - read TC’s Atomic Dawg column about Goring the Flounder…
RANDOM - Damn right you think I was spot on, you said more or less the same thing a while back at AE!!! :). Speaking of your $1m exercise brain, Timbo and I are designing a single program that cycles protocols in a similar way to your old Newbie program but with a slightly different take on things and incorporation of cycling diet with protocols. Hopefully youll get to see it and like it. On the spirituality tip (ie $1m brain, $1m body, 2c soul) Im 30 and was NEVER single for more than a month until the last year or so. Im finally fit, look better than ever, and am doing well in career but just get less good play. Starting to suspect the soul was starving I was going to go to a buddist temple (I think it was a christian aversion) but yesterday got a girl to explain christianity to me. I started reading and working at it and then went to a local mall last night. No word of a lie, a stunning model I think is the greatest girl I have met but who I have only seen around a few times and whos name i didnt know GAVE ME HER CELLY NO. WITHOUT ME EVEN ASKING MAN!!! “WHAT THE”??? ;)A coincidence ??? Who knows but I felt great last night and today so …
PS - re the odd Troll posts I tend to ignore negativity here and elsewhere cause it just holds you up or side tracks you from positive thing. Its always gonna happen (“there is no growth without resistance” EVER - physically, mentally or spiritually) but Ill be best for myself and others if I stay focused and honest. There is only one truth.