Why I scaled my workout after being sick
Coach Kris Perry-Tedesco • January 6, 2025
Prioritizing Health & Progress
**Why I Scaled My Workout After Being Sick: Prioritizing Health & Progress**
After a few days of being under the weather, I finally got back to the gym today for my first workout in four days. I was really excited to get moving again, but I knew I had to listen to my body and approach the workout with care. While the programmed workout was challenging and exciting—EMOM 16 (every minute on the minute) with heavy front squats on the even minutes and complex gymnastics kipping pull-ups on the odd minutes—I decided to scale it for a more controlled, gradual return to training.
Here’s why I made that decision:
1. **Recovery First, Performance Second**
After being sick, it’s important to focus on recovery, not pushing myself too hard right away. I wanted to ensure that my body had fully recovered, especially my energy levels, before jumping into heavy lifting and complex movements. The original workout called for **heavy front squats**, which is an intense movement that requires both strength and focus. Given that I hadn’t been training for a few days, I opted to go with **light front squats** instead, so I could ease back into things while still getting the benefits of the movement.
2. **Avoiding Overloading the Body**
The **complex gymnastics kipping pull-up** is an advanced movement that demands coordination, core stability, and upper body strength. Given that I hadn’t been active for a few days, I wanted to avoid putting too much strain on my shoulders and core by attempting kipping pull-ups right away. Instead, I chose to scale to a **jumping chest-to-bar** pull-up, which is a lower-impact movement that still challenges my pull-up range of motion and helps me re-establish my pull-up rhythm without overloading my muscles.
3. **Gradual Progress, Not Perfection**
Scaling doesn’t mean I’m not working hard or compromising my fitness progress—it simply means I’m being mindful of my current state and prioritizing a safe, sustainable return to my normal training routine. Scaling allows me to build back up slowly while still gaining the necessary reps and experience to make progress.
4. **Listening to My Body**
One of the most important aspects of fitness is the ability to listen to your body. After being sick, I needed to be realistic about how I felt. I wasn’t ready to jump back into the intensity of the original workout, and scaling helped me ensure that I wouldn’t overdo it or risk injury. Over time, I’ll be able to ramp up my intensity as my body adapts to the workload.
Final Thoughts: Scaling Is Part of the Process
Today’s scaled workout was a reminder that fitness is a journey, not a race. It’s okay to modify or scale workouts when necessary—it’s actually the smarter, safer choice. By taking this approach, I’m able to stay consistent with my training while prioritizing my health and recovery. The most important thing is to continue progressing, not necessarily to hit every benchmark on the first day back.
For anyone returning to training after illness, scaling workouts can be an effective way to ease back in while staying on track for long-term success. Remember, it’s about consistency and gradual improvement, not perfection on day one.
I am happy to lead by example. This is the advice I would give to someone else coming in after being sick. Do what you can with what you have at the time. There are plenty of days coming to push limits and go hard. Today was no that day for me.
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DISCLAIMER
This is not Legal, Medical, or Financial advice. Please consult a medical professional before starting any workout program, diet plan, or supplement protocol.
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