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.