Hitting the gymn after the flu

Last week was brutal. Granted, there were fun days too, but almost everyone in my house got really sick. Normally I don't mind pushing through a head cold and still hitting the gym, but when I catch a tummy bug too, then I am not doing anything.

The good news is that a week of being sick won't totally derail your training efforts so long as you get plenty of rest, hydrate, and come back to the gym with a targeted plan.

Instead of doing my normal work load on Squats, Bench, and Deadlifts, I just hit singles on Tuesday and today. Today being the second day back this week I added a few secondaries, but not too many. I should be back to normal volume by Monday, but the nice thing is that by using my targeted recovery approach, I haven't lost any strength, despite the heavy tummy bug and taking an entire week off.

Here's what I did Tuesday:

Squats:
5x135
3x225
1x315
1x405
1x495

Bench
5x135
3x225
1x315
1x340

Deadlift
1x315
1x405
1x455

Then I left my gym. That's right- super short session with only one working load per exercise (all the lighter weights are warmups.) This approach allows my muscles to signal that they need to maintain themselves, but doesn't overburden my central nervous system which is still recovering from being sick.

Thursday workout

Squats:
5x135
3x225
1x315
1x405
1x495
1x405
1x315 (I added in two quick drop-set singles with 405 and 315- not enough to burn me out, but enough to signal to my body that Saturday is going to get heavier.)

Bench
5x135
3x225
1x315
1x340
3x315

Deadlift
1x315
1x405
1x455

I then added in a giant set of Lat Pulldowns, Reverse Bicep Curls, and Stiff-led deadlifts. # sets of 6 without rest between each exercise.

Afterward I did tricep extensions with a rope, and followed it up with a giant set of single leg extensions and curls. The secondaries weren't tough to get through, but will help signal the body that it needs to get back to its full capacity soon.

Saturday I will likely add in the rest of my Squat, Bench, and Deadlift sets (I normally do between 9-12 sets on each exercise) and then continue with the same secondaries. By Monday I should be back to my full program.

If you end up getting sick for a week or so, it's always good to come back strong, but lift smart. Shoot for a set of doubles or triples at 80% of your max, and then move on. If you are used to moving heavy weight throughout each workout session, then perhaps you can use a set of singles at 90-95% but then stop after that and let your body rest. You will feel like you can push harder, but if you treat your CNS right and allow it a bit of cushion, you should actually bounce back faster, with little to no loss of overall strength by the fourth workout.

If you want to work out while sick, then a good rule to follow is if you are congested above the neck, you should be okay, but if you have a severe sore throat, or are feeling sick below the neck, it's better to stay home and let your body rest.

Also, should you decide to work out while sick, do everyone else a favor and make sure to disinfect the equipment you use. Most gyms provide cleaner for you. Additionally you can take hand sanitizer and some rubbing alcohol wipes as well.

Happy lifting!