train on an empty stomach...bad?

[marcu_s]

so ive just discovered that train in the morning is one of the most peaceful things to do....i do cardio in the mornings but lifting weights. i like it. almost nowbody in the gym. and after that i have several hours to get ready my food and such.

now i was wondering if i could in someway could take advantage of growing but also loosing fat by training on an empty stomach.

its my offseason,and be able to combine growth but fatloss also.....perfect.

just waking up its not easy to break records every day in the gym but lets say lifting weights in the morning 2-3 times a week and 1-2 times in the evening.

what would be the benefits/disadvantages training in the morning?

 

[Big A]

I find when i work out in the morning i just dont have enough energy and cannot lift as much weight leading to no progress. If your looking to burn fat i would just stick to cardio in the morning and lift in the evening. Im sure if your doing cardio in the morning then lifting right after on an empty stomach youll end up burning more muscle then fat.

 

[captainahole]

so ive just discovered that train in the morning is one of the most peaceful things to do....i do cardio in the mornings but lifting weights. i like it. almost nowbody in the gym. and after that i have several hours to get ready my food and such.

now i was wondering if i could in someway could take advantage of growing but also loosing fat by training on an empty stomach.

its my offseason,and be able to combine growth but fatloss also.....perfect.

just waking up its not easy to break records every day in the gym but lets say lifting weights in the morning 2-3 times a week and 1-2 times in the evening.

what would be the benefits/disadvantages training in the morning?

The morning is almost the most important time to eat. The body has no fuel and is feeding on your muscle tissue. You will burn fat but you will burn lots of muscle with it if you don't get some fuel into yourself. Absolute no no for muscle growth.

 

[*ebony*]

The morning is almost the most important time to eat. The body has no fuel and is feeding on your muscle tissue. You will burn fat but you will burn lots of muscle with it if you don't get some fuel into yourself. Absolute no no for muscle growth.

its true that cortisol levels will rise quick in the AM if you don't get food in your system to get you insulin spiking. personally i think if your already pretty lean you'd benefit more if you do HIIT, like alternating sprints/jogs(not on empty stomach BTW). it'll gets your metabolism going and in the end you burn more calories.

i've been doing AM cardio and its working great for me. then again my bf level is not exactly low, so the majority of cals would be coming from fat. i also take BCAAs, glutamine and some vitamin c before hand. this is also a great time to take a fat burner too.


there's a lot of controversy on the subject as you already know. we all respond differently, you just have to experiment and see what works best for you.

go to the endurance board a few board down from this one. there's good info there too...

 

[FunFun]

If you've slept a good solid 8 hours or so and then hit the gym, you're fasting for too long.

I like training in the mornings, but I need to get at least a small meal in before I go and leave at least an hour for the food to settle. If time is really a problem, here's a solution. Make up a good sized protein drink and have some before you hit the gym and sip on it throughout your workout.

 

[ceo]

Not me. Not a good idea for anyone I think. Imagine going hypoglycemic in the middle of a set. Suddenly you're sweating profusely, confused, disoriented, weak...not ideal at all, not good.

I need at least 200 - 250 grams of protein before I get to the gym (not a bolus, but to have consumed 250 grams throughout the day), and at least a bolus of 100-200 grams carbs shortly before gym. I also sip on a carb/protein shake throughout my workout, take WMS/creatine/BCAA drink immediately after a w/o, and a high protein/carb shake about 20 minutes after that, and a meal about 45 minutes after that!!

 

[Bigpimpin10]

The morning is almost the most important time to eat. The body has no fuel and is feeding on your muscle tissue. You will burn fat but you will burn lots of muscle with it if you don't get some fuel into yourself. Absolute no no for muscle growth.

captain...said it...i agree

 

[ironwings]

Not me. Not a good idea for anyone I think. Imagine going hypoglycemic in the middle of a set. Suddenly you're sweating profusely, confused, disoriented, weak...not ideal at all, not good.

I need at least 200 - 250 grams of protein before I get to the gym (not a bolus, but to have consumed 250 grams throughout the day), and at least a bolus of 100-200 grams carbs shortly before gym. I also sip on a carb/protein shake throughout my workout, take WMS/creatine/BCAA drink immediately after a w/o, and a high protein/carb shake about 20 minutes after that, and a meal about 45 minutes after that!!

^^^^^^

Fact: cortisol elevates after you wake up in the morning and is a catabolic hormone since it breaks down tissue for energy. It promotes the breakdown of lipids from body fat, and proteins from muscle. The former is good the latter is bad - thus the controversy.

Having protein or BCAA's for that matter will keep cortisol a tad elevated for fat loss while giving your body the nutrients it needs to avoid breaking down muscle. Feed your muscle.

 

[SouthernLord]

Not me. Not a good idea for anyone I think. Imagine going hypoglycemic in the middle of a set. Suddenly you're sweating profusely, confused, disoriented, weak...not ideal at all, not good.

I need at least 200 - 250 grams of protein before I get to the gym (not a bolus, but to have consumed 250 grams throughout the day), and at least a bolus of 100-200 grams carbs shortly before gym. I also sip on a carb/protein shake throughout my workout, take WMS/creatine/BCAA drink immediately after a w/o, and a high protein/carb shake about 20 minutes after that, and a meal about 45 minutes after that!!

I'm with CEO on this one. There is no way I am going to the gym before I eat at least four meals. I would not make it halfway through my workout any other way. Your body needs fuel to perform optimally.

 

[b fold the truth]

I train first thing in the AM but I've already had almost a pound of ground meat with pasta and rice, 2L of fluids, and some BCAA and glutamine as well.

 

[Knoxfan]

I train first thing in the AM but I've already had almost a pound of ground meat with pasta and rice, 2L of fluids, and some BCAA and glutamine as well.

What do you mean as in "1st thing" in the morning? I ask because 1st thing for me means...wake up at 7:20am - eat breakfast of 6 egg whites and 2 packets of oatmeal - and in the gym by 8:00am. Im wondering if part of my growth problem lies in not having enough food in my body before i lift.

 

[b fold the truth]

What do you mean as in "1st thing" in the morning? I ask because 1st thing for me means...wake up at 7:20am - eat breakfast of 6 egg whites and 2 packets of oatmeal - and in the gym by 8:00am. Im wondering if part of my growth problem lies in not having enough food in my body before i lift.

I wake up and immediately drink 250ml of crystal lyte, BCAA, glutamine. Walk my dog and then I'm back eating my food and drinking more fluids...then I'm in the car to drive to the gym. I'm training in less than 90 minutes of waking up.

 

[ceo]

^^^^^^

Fact: cortisol elevates after you wake up in the morning and is a catabolic hormone since it breaks down tissue for energy. It promotes the breakdown of lipids from body fat, and proteins from muscle. The former is good the latter is bad - thus the controversy.

Having protein or BCAA's for that matter will keep cortisol a tad elevated for fat loss while giving your body the nutrients it needs to avoid breaking down muscle. Feed your muscle.

I got other ways to burn fat. I need to EAT!

 

[ironwings]

I got other ways to burn fat. I need to EAT!

LOL - you are too cool - I hear ya

 

[Knoxfan]

I wake up and immediately drink 250ml of crystal lyte, BCAA, glutamine. Walk my dog and then I'm back eating my food and drinking more fluids...then I'm in the car to drive to the gym. I'm training in less than 90 minutes of waking up.

Right on. So im not too far off from what I do now really. Im still waking up when i get to the gym! Sucks, but whatever

 

[b fold the truth]

Right on. So im not too far off from what I do now really. Im still waking up when i get to the gym! Sucks, but whatever

Before my son was born...anything before 2PM was "early"...lol.

When I get to the gym I'll do some stretches and jump rope to wake me up. I ride to the gym with loud music playing and the top down at 80mph so it wakes me up a bit.

 

[EZ_E]

Over the summer when I was cutting I would go to the gym 1st thing and hit cardio, then have some protein and then hit the weights.

Now I'm trying to gain weight so I've started doing cardio 1st thing in the morning, going home & having a few meals and training later in the day.

There's really no wrong answer to the original question, just depends on what your goals @ the time are, IMO..

 

[frizzy23]

The morning is almost the most important time to eat. The body has no fuel and is feeding on your muscle tissue. You will burn fat but you will burn lots of muscle with it if you don't get some fuel into yourself. Absolute no no for muscle growth.

I agree training on an empty stomach is the worst thing you can do(however cardio on empty stomach is not bad aslong as you take proper Bcaa's). Your body has no glycogen stored up in it and the hard workout will just make your body turn muscle into glycogen. If you dont have time i suggest taking a complex Protein Shake befor the workout.I perfer to have a solid meal first thing in the day but its because I have time.Best way to get big is eat big

 

[joe d]

so ive just discovered that train in the morning is one of the most peaceful things to do....i do cardio in the mornings but lifting weights. i like it. almost nowbody in the gym. and after that i have several hours to get ready my food and such.

now i was wondering if i could in someway could take advantage of growing but also loosing fat by training on an empty stomach.

its my offseason,and be able to combine growth but fatloss also.....perfect.

just waking up its not easy to break records every day in the gym but lets say lifting weights in the morning 2-3 times a week and 1-2 times in the evening.

what would be the benefits/disadvantages training in the morning?

this is all my opinion.

cardio first thing in the morning is good for cutting. no cardio at all is best when bulking.
lifting early in the morning especially before eating will help you lose fat and muscle. its no good. also although the routine should change every few months and the exorsizes should change all the time the times of day you train should stay the same. that time depends on when you can put in the best effort in the gym. im going to say 99.9% chance early am isn't it. if you have to go that early you should get up about 5 hours before you get to the gym and slam a pre bottled shake you have in a cooler next to your bed then go back to sleep. then when you wake up eat a good meal and wait about 1 hour before you start training.

if you are looking for big size i think you should forget about trying to stay lean. bulk all the way up until you need to start cutting for your contest or beach season or whatever.

 

[Bigpimpin10]

good thread broski

 

[desmond]

CEO, muscle glycogen is not depleted by sleep. I really don't see what's wrong with training in the morning, providing you do something to blunt the cortisol elevation as mentioned by others.

Many pros have trained in the morning. Of course, if you are not a "morning person", then I understand this, but I'm doubting its because your not sufficiently prefueled as many pros (Bill Pearl; Arnie; Franco) trained in the morning

Not me. Not a good idea for anyone I think. Imagine going hypoglycemic in the middle of a set. Suddenly you're sweating profusely, confused, disoriented, weak...not ideal at all, not good.

I need at least 200 - 250 grams of protein before I get to the gym (not a bolus, but to have consumed 250 grams throughout the day), and at least a bolus of 100-200 grams carbs shortly before gym. I also sip on a carb/protein shake throughout my workout, take WMS/creatine/BCAA drink immediately after a w/o, and a high protein/carb shake about 20 minutes after that, and a meal about 45 minutes after that!!

 

[02gixxersix]

When I was in the desert I used to train as soon as I woke up. I would eat peanut butter on the way to the gym after I drank a NOXplode and I was good to go. You need something in your system to even have a decent workout IMO. Another way to do it is to drink a Waxy maize shake with some BCAAs and such.

 

[b fold the truth]

When I was in the desert I used to train as soon as I woke up. I would eat peanut butter on the way to the gym after I drank a NOXplode and I was good to go. You need something in your system to even have a decent workout IMO. Another way to do it is to drink a Waxy maize shake with some BCAAs and such.

I basically live in the desert and because of work, my son, and the intense heat here...it is about the only time I CAN train. It was around 120F here today when I was training.

 

[marcu_s]

im just looking for a good way to stay in shape, even when i bulk.

i know i have to have a good diet, intense training.

im planing do just be over 500 cals maintance, high protein and fat and moderate carbs, doing high and low carb days, depending on my training regime,
train 4-5 times a week, doing some hiit 1-2 times a week and morning cardio for 1-2 times a week.

but ive always wondered if that is all i can do, if that effort is enough....is it?

 

[wwebound4life]

I get up at 4:00am, drink a shake with one cup of skim milk, one cup of water, one scoop of whey, and one tablespoon of flax oil.

About 30 min. later, drink a BIG glass of water, hit the gym at 5:00am, train super intense for no more than an hour, I have a ton of energy, "my workouts dont suffer from a lack of energy" Drink water throughout my session.

Then my post workout shakes are, bcaa's, glutamine, creapure creatine, waxy maize, then 20 minutes later, 2 scoops of whey protein.

I've been doing this for close to a year, 100% natural, and havent had any loss of muscle or strength.

I love training first thing in the morning before work, because I have a physical job.

But I think as long as you have protein, and aminos in your system, your good to go.

 

[b fold the truth]

im just looking for a good way to stay in shape, even when i bulk.

i know i have to have a good diet, intense training.

im planing do just be over 500 cals maintance, high protein and fat and moderate carbs, doing high and low carb days, depending on my training regime,
train 4-5 times a week, doing some hiit 1-2 times a week and morning cardio for 1-2 times a week.

but ive always wondered if that is all i can do, if that effort is enough....is it?

You do the best you can...sounds good!