Russ Howe PTI workout programs

Sweat it out, or stay at home? Let’s see what science says about training through illness.

should you workout when you're ill

This article:

4 min read

I’d rather poo a hedgehog than miss a few days at the gym, and if you’re anything like me then you probably feel the same way.

But what should you do when illness strikes?

There’s a lot of confusion about this question amongst fitness enthusiasts, with some believing that training through illness will actually help you to recover faster (I’m sure you’ve heard the expression “sweat it out!” before), and others recommending you take time off instead.

When I ran a poll for my Twitter followers, the results came back 50/50.

So it’s time to get real. Let’s look at what science says about training through illness.


Expected Impact On Performance

Notice the title of this article. There’s a reason I didn’t ask CAN YOU workout when you’re ill, and instead I opted for SHOULD YOU.

You see, there’s nothing to stop you from training if you really want to. Heck, there’s probably a few people at your local gym doing it right now. Your body can’t physically stop you from going to the gym, and the physiological process of building muscle remains exactly the same as far as your muscles are concerned.

However, in the immortal words of Jeff Goldblum:

“We were so pre-occupied with whether we could, we didn’t stop to think if we should.”

Because even though the body is capable of hypertrophy, it is highly unlikely that you’ll be able to create the necessary stimulus it needs. That’s because most people see their RPE (rate of perceived exertion) drop significantly when they’re suffering from illness, so even if they manage to drag themselves to the gym they find themselves going through the motions.

Like Rambo in a field of Vietcong, your unwell body is facing off against a dangerous opponent. It’s a war you will eventually win, but placing additional stress on your immune system via training will only lengthen the time it takes to complete the battle.


Can You Sweat Out A Cold?

should you workout when sick

I will say this only once:

You can not sweat out a cold.

Honestly. I love training, and I equally love the idea of de-snotting myself, so if this was true I’d run to the gym faster than a toupee in a hurricane…

… but it’s not.

This popular belief stems from a misconception about what sweat actually is. You see, a lot of people in the fitness world still follow outdated advice from the 1970s and 1980s, when it was believed that sweat is a combination of toxins which are leaving the body during exercise. We now know that’s not the case – sweat is actually just water!

One thing which will happen, though, is the body will still release a bunch of feel-good endorphins (like dopamine) as it would in any other workout, which temporarily makes us feel Lego Movie awesome, and this is why people believe it sorted them right out, but once those endorphins fade, the illness remains.

How To Decide if You’re Too Ill To Workout

Use the neck check system.

A 1996 study published in the Journal of Athletic Training recommends looking at where your symptoms are occurring:

  • Above the neck (sneezing, headache, etc), or
  • Below the neck (chest pains, coughing, shortness of breath, tightness, vomiting, etc

If your symptoms are below the neck then you’d be very restricted in the weights room, and it’s advisable not to train until you feel better. If your symptoms are above the neck you can probably still get away with training, but will be forced to greatly reduce the intensity of your workout. (1)

Finally, it’s definitely worth considering the potential health risks you pose to your fellow gym members. I mean, nobody wants to be known as the inconsiderate cock-toboggan who wiped out half the gym with a flu epidemic, and we definitely don’t want another fucking lockdown.

Which presents us with an important final question:

Do you want to train through illness because it’ll make you feel better, or because you hate the prospect of a non-training day?

Either way, my advice is to buy some red Lucozade, climb inside a warm blanket and post memes like this until you feel better. You’ll be fine.

i hate rest day

References:

  1. Weidner T. G., et al. Sport, exercise, and the common cold. J Athl Train (1996).

Who Is Russ Howe PTI?

russ howe pti

As featured in Men’s Fitness magazine and voted in the world’s top 50 fat loss coaches by HuffPost, Russ is among the UK’s most subscribed personal trainers with 105,223 men and women receiving his free weekly fitness tips e-mail.

In the gym, clients range from busy parents, to models, to athletes and actresses. Russ also worked alongside the UK government for 8 years in a venture combating childhood obesity in England.

Outside of the gym, he’s a proud Dad to three young lads.

You can receive free tips by joining the e-mail list above, or you can hit the big button below to unlock full workout programs!

Russ_Howe_PTI

Response to “Should You Workout When You’re Ill?”

  1. Fitoru mct avatar
    Fitoru mct

    I think it depends on how ill a person is. I never really thought about checking where symptoms are, that’s a fantastic piece of advice.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

russ howe pti programs

Grab a membership to have access to all training programs, diet plans, supplement research and the famous Daily Trainer workouts from Russ!

Click here to see more.


russ howe pti musclefood live clean

I’ve partnered with Musclefood to make meal prep easier than ever. Tell ’em your calorie goal and they’ll send your entire diet to your door. Bosh!

Click here to see more.


  • How To Get In Photoshoot Shape In 2 Months

    In this article I’m going to give you a quick and easy nutrition plan you can use to whip yourself into photoshoot shape in just 8 short weeks.

    Click Here To Read


  • The Rules To Ripped

    These ten tips will help you to lay the foundations of a rock solid body transformation. I call them “The Rules To Ripped”.

    Click Here To Read


  • THE 10 BEST PRE WORKOUTS OF 2020 (THE RUSS LIST!)

    What is the best pre workout of 2020? Don’t waste your money – it’s time for The Russ List 2020, my yearly breakdown of the best pre workout supplements!

    Click Here To Read


  • How To Make Your Own Pre Workout Supplement

    Want to learn how to make your own pre workout from scratch? This guide teaches you the four ingredients you’ll need.

    Click Here To Read


  • Adapt Nutrition Pre Train X Review

    Adapt Nutrition have produced one of the best pre-workouts of the year in Pre Train X. Here’s the official review.

    Click Here To Read


  • How To Use Periodization For Better Results

    Proper periodization is the difference between a good workout program and a great workout program.

    Click Here To Read


  • How Much Volume Do You Need For Muscle Growth?

    Explode your results by hitting each muscle group with the correct amount of volume to grow.

    Click Here To Read


  • Did You Spot These 4 RussHowePTI.com Easter Eggs?

    There are several little Easter eggs built into RussHowePTI.com which most readers never notice.

    Click Here To Read


  • Why Arnold Is Still The Best Bodybuilder

    Many people are hailing Chris Bumstead as the greatest bodybuilder of all time. Here’s my take on why Arnold is still #1.

    Click Here To Read


  • Creatine Myths Busted!

    There are many myths surrounding creatine and it’s potential side effects. This article addresses them one by one.

    Click Here To Read


  • Eating Fat Won’t Make You Fat

    Fat was demonized in the 1980s and is still misunderstood today. Here’s the science on optimizing your fat intake for results.

    Click Here To Read


  • Eat More Protein For Muscle Growth

    How much protein should you eat per day to build muscle? More than most people do. Here’s the lowdown on protein requirements for athletes.

    Click Here To Read