Last week I was on the train minding my own business when the woman behind me let out one of those chesty coughs.
Before I even had time to judge it, the bloke in front of me sneezed straight into his hands then smeared them down his jeans like that somehow made it better.
I was basically the filling in a cough sandwich.
Two days later I was on a plane and it was the same thing all over again.
Sniffing. Coughing. Throat clearing.
You sit there thinking “Brilliant. This is how it starts. This is how I end up half dead by the weekend.”
And sure enough I felt that little scratchy throat feeling creeping in.
Not full illness.
Not bed bound.
Just that early warning where your body says “Sort yourself out now or pay for it later.”
This time of year does that.
One minute you are warm.
Next minute you are freezing.
People stop sleeping properly.
Stop eating properly.
Start drinking more.
Start rushing around more.
Then act shocked when the smallest cold wipes them out.
And because we coach a lot of people, I always hear the same question the minute the sniffles start.
“Should I still train”
“Am I ok to do my session”
“I don’t want to make it worse”
Most of the time you absolutely should train.
Not a hero session.
Not your best ever lifts.
But a normal session.
Bit of movement.
Bit of sweat.
Bit of routine.
Better than sitting at home eating crisps and feeling sorry for yourself.
But there is a line.
The 75 percent line.
If you feel under 75 percent, stay home.
If you feel over 75 percent, get in and train.
Simple rule.
Works every time.
Under 75 percent means the proper rough stuff.
No energy.
No appetite.
Head foggy.
Body achey.
That is when the gym does more harm than good.
That is sofa, water, food, early night.
But most people are not actually under 75 percent.
They are just a bit low.
Bit tired.
Bit sniffly.
And a session genuinely sorts them out faster than doing nothing.
Getting ill is rarely random.
It is usually the three weeks leading up to it.
Sleep drops.
Steps drop.
Food goes all over the place.
Stress goes up.
Training stays high.
Your immune system taps out.
Then one cough on a train takes you out for days.
You can flip this though.
Your immune system loves the boring stuff you think doesn’t matter.
Good sleep.
Protein each meal.
A few pieces of fruit each day.
Water.
Daylight.
A long walk.
Gym weights you can actually recover from.
Do that through autumn and winter and you get sick far less.
And when you do get hit, you are back on your feet quicker instead of dragging it out for a fortnight.
And when you are coming out the back end of a cold, that is the perfect time to tidy up your lifting.
Slow your reps down.
Fix your form.
Work on positions you usually rush.
Forget the weight.
Feel the movement.
It sounds boring but it is deadly effective.
Some of my cleanest sessions have been the ones after an illness week because I was forced to stop chasing numbers and actually pay attention.
Here is what to do right now if the sniffles start:
Eat proper meals.
Protein first.
Fruit and veg.
No skipping meals and pretending a packet of biscuits counts as recovery.
Drink water like a fish.
Not two coffees and a hope.
Get daylight early.
Wake the system up.
(Funny thing is, the stuff that keeps you from getting ill is the same stuff that gets you fitter, leaner and feeling better… so keep doing it anyway.)
If you feel above 75 percent, get in and train.
You will feel better for it.
And if you’re training while you’re a bit sniffly but still above the 75 percent mark, be decent about it.
Bring tissues, use some hand sanitiser & maybe wipe the kit down and you’ll be looking after your fellow gym buddies.
If you feel below 75 percent, rest properly.
Not pretend rest where you stay up late watching rubbish.
Do not throw your routine away because of a cold.
Do not wait for January.
Do not sack off your training because someone coughed near you.
Keep showing up.
Do the simple stuff.
Back yourself a bit.
Your body will repay you for it all winter.
-Ryan
P.S
If you’re not a member yet and you want to keep some structure through December, our 6 Week Meltdown intake is opening soon.
December only, you get seven weeks for the price of six, which means you keep training over Christmas and hit January miles ahead of everyone else.