Questions about training when sick and taking a break

Questions about training get sharpest when life doesn’t go to plan: you’re sick, a meal got skipped or a workout slipped out of the calendar. Here is an honest, practical answer to the old gym fears, without the panic.

Why do these questions matter in training at all?

The gym is full of simple rules. Don’t train when you’re sick. Don’t work the same muscle two days in a row. Don’t eat before a workout. Don’t skip a workout. It all sounds clear-cut until real life gets in the way.

6) Do you train even though you’re sick? Researcher William J. Kraemer has explained that training when ill can temporarily suppress the immune system. That said, not every sniffle automatically means you have to lie at home under a blanket. If it’s a mild upper respiratory tract complaint, such as a cold, very light movement may even do some people good.

But a fever is another story. If you have flu-like symptoms, your body aches and you feel lousy, you have no business under the bar. Frankly, it isn’t polite to others either. Nobody wants you sneezing at your training partner while they’re doing the bench press.

Questions about training load and recovery

7) Do you train the same body part two days in a row? The classic answer is that this can lead to overtraining. The fear isn’t entirely unfounded, because muscle needs recovery in order to grow. But it all depends on how you distribute the training load.

Kraemer has pointed out that some people have made progress training the same body part on consecutive days. The key isn’t heroic suffering but rest. If you do two hard days in a row, you shouldn’t add running, ball games or other strenuous activity in between. Go home, eat and relax.

It’s also worth switching up your exercises. If the chest got the flat bench press on the first day, the emphasis on the second day can be on the incline bench. The idea is simple: the same area gets worked, but the exact same angle and nervous system load aren’t repeated one to one.

This approach doesn’t need to be the foundation of a long training program. A short cycle can sometimes wake a muscle up in a new way. In that case it’s especially important that your diet includes enough carbohydrates, protein and calories. Without that, the plan quickly turns into simply accumulating fatigue.

Questions about food, sex and workout timing

8) Do you have sex before a workout? Rocky Balboa’s trainer Mickey Goldmill famously warned that women weaken the legs. That sounds good in a movie, but in real training the picture isn’t so black and white.

In Aceto’s view, the idea that sex saps your strength is more of an old invention. For some people it works the opposite way: the body relaxes, the mind calms down and it’s easier to focus during the workout. The simple truth: if you don’t go on a sex marathon before training or sleep yourself drained, there’s no need to fear it.

9) Do you lift weights too soon after eating? Many people remember the childhood warning that you have to wait an hour after eating before going near the water. The same idea is sometimes carried over to strength training.

Stoppani has said that for most people nothing bad happens when training on a full stomach. Someone with a more sensitive stomach should simply eat earlier. During training more blood flows to the muscles, and digestion and nutrient absorption may slow down. It’s individual, not a ban that applies to everyone.

After training it makes sense to keep the focus on recovery. The original recommendation was to get protein and carbohydrates within an hour after training. That doesn’t have to mean a complicated menu. What matters is that the body isn’t left for long without building material.

Questions about taking a break and skipped meals

10) Are you lazy and skipping workouts? Sometimes it’s laziness, sometimes it’s simply life. Work, family and vacations squeeze in, and the chest/back workout drops out of the plan. In a bad week, every body part falls by the wayside.

Kraemer recommends treating a planned break as a chance to rest. Many people are gnawed by the thought that they have to make it to the gym at any cost, but the body doesn’t lose its conditioning that quickly. For high-level athletes a break can be two weeks. In experienced athletes, a drop in performance may not show even within six weeks.

That doesn’t mean every missed week is ideal. It means one break won’t destroy your fitness. The longer you’ve trained consistently, the better your body usually survives a short break.

11) Are you too busy and skip a meal? That happens to everyone too. You’re on your feet all day, grab something from the snack bar and in the evening realize a proper meal got skipped. One such day won’t suddenly send you into catabolism. The body has a reserve of amino acids and glycogen stores.

If your goal is to build muscle mass, you still shouldn’t make a habit of it. One skipped meal is inconvenient. Constantly skipping meals is already a system that works against your goal.

Questions: FAQ

Can you go to the gym with a cold?

With a mild runny nose, a very easy workout may be fine, but with a fever, flu-like symptoms or severe fatigue, stay home. That way you recover better and don’t pass the illness on to others.

Can you train the same muscle two days in a row?

You can, if the training load is deliberately planned and you recover in between. Vary your exercises, don’t add other hard workouts in between and keep an eye on your sleep and food.

Does one missed workout ruin your fitness?

No. One break can even be useful, especially if you’re tired or coming down with something. The problem arises when the break becomes your new routine.

Author: joker, Muscle&Fitness

Source: WHO – physical activity.

PS Come and train! ArtGym