- 10/22/08: Newsletter
- Strengthening Your Legs
- Working Out on Empty Stomachs
- Making Cardio Less Painful
- Avoid Crashing
- Coping With Sweets
- Increasing Metabolism
- Organize Your Training
- Eating Habits
- Visceral Belly Fat
- The Best Running Shoe
- Strength or Aerobic Capacity?
- Toning Legs with Cardio
- My Doctor's Scale is Off
- More Reps and their Effects
- 04/24/08: Newsletter
- 1-08-08: Newsletter
- 11-08-07: Newsletter
- 10-03-07: Newsletter
- 8-29-07: Newsletter
- 6-20-07: Weight Loss
- 6-13-07: Back Injury
- 5-08-07: Friendly Pressure
- 4-27-07: Running Routines
- 4-20-07: Cycling Cardio
- 4-10-07: Back Injury
- 4-03-07: Lunges Quads Butt
- 3-27-07: Running Off Fat
- 3-27-07: Runners Diet
- 3-23-07: Eating Late
- 3-13-07: Abs for the Obese
- 3-07-07: Supplements
- 2-21-07: Carbs Weight Gain
- 2-14-07: Accurate Bodyweight
- 2-07-07: Weight Fluctuations
- 1-30-07: Best Oatmeal
- 1-21-07: Winter Cardio
- 1-14-07: Training Children
- 1-10-07: Sick Bay
- 1-03-07: Shin Splints
- 2006: Archives
- 2005: Archives
Sign up for Antonio's newsletter by submitting your email address above and receive training articles, news, results and upcoming events.
01-10-07// Sick
Bay
Should I push through workouts when I'm sick?
Chris:
I have been working out since summer and have lost a
lot of weight- fifty-five pounds to be exact. Going to the
gym has become part of my life for the past seven months and
I have enjoyed every minute of it. I admit at first it was
hard but with time it became the part of the day I looked forward
the most. It is a great stress reliever and it allows me to
wind down after work before I go home to my family
My biggest problem is knowing when to take a break. You see I am so worried that I will go back to being fat again that nothing seems to keep me out of the gym. Recently I picked up a cold that just won’t go away however I have been trying to push through my workouts because I’m afraid I’ll lose ground. I guess this is a stupid question but what are your thoughts on this? Should I try to get some type of workout in when I’m sick? Most people don’t understand what it’s like to be overweight. I don’t ever want to feel that way again.
John
John:
First let me congratulate you on losing fifty-five pounds. That’s
awesome. However allow me to give you some advice that will make
your progress more consistent.
Sometimes you have to use your biggest muscle to solve your problems, your brain! I mean think about it for a minute, when you are sick you body needs rest in order to get better. If you go to the gym and lift weights you are actually causing micro trauma -small injuries to your muscles. Your body will then need to recover from a cold and a hard workout. This could actually lower your immune system and cause you to become much sicker. You are now risking missing several weeks of working out instead of a day or two.
If you are lucky enough to escape catching a stronger cold you aren’t out of the woods yet. Fighting a cold means that your mind and body will be tired. This is the perfect scenario for an injury. In fact Research shows that many weightlifting injuries are caused by working out when your body hasn’t gotten enough sleep. I’m not just talking about dropping weight on you feet. There are a lot of other things that can happen such as muscle strains and tears. When you’re tired your form may suffer as well as your concentration.
Last but not least please stay home or you will make everyone else sick. The warm and damp environment of the local gym is a great place to spread germs because a lot of people are close together using the same equipment. As you cough and sweat all over everything you are exposing everyone in the gym to whatever it is that you have. Remember people at the gym are trying to get healthy not catch colds.
In closing I wouldn’t worry about missing a couple of days. It’s a much better option than missing several weeks due to a serious illness or injury. You body will bounce back quickly and you wont miss a step. Your progress will be more consistent