Lose Fat/retain muscle during Ramadan

Mad_Os · 08-15-2009, 08:26 PM

Ramadan, (Muslims fast for one month, sun up to sun down) is right around the corner and i was wondering...

- When would it be the best time for me to work out?
- Should i continue to lift heavy?
- how much cardio should i do?

My goal is to if possible lose fat and keep muscle during the month...the past years i have always lost ALOT of muscle and i was wondering if anyone knew how i could keep as much muscle as possible and if possible lose fat...

Thank You..

admirza · 08-22-2009, 03:00 AM

bump

Finnegan Bell · 08-22-2009, 04:38 AM

Lift weights after iftar , never lift weights before iftar.
-Yes lift heavy as much as you can.
-If you are restricting your calories , there is no need for cardio. But you can WALK before iftar on empty stomach , don't do intense cardio before iftar.

In general ,to keep muscles ,keep your protein high,get good supplements like creatine and fish oil . And focus on lifting as heavy as you can..

admirza · 08-22-2009, 05:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Finnegan Bell

Lift weights after iftar , never lift weights before iftar.
-Yes lift heavy as much as you can.
-If you are restricting your calories , there is no need for cardio. But you can WALK before iftar on empty stomach , don't do intense cardio before iftar.

In general ,to keep muscles ,keep your protein high,get good supplements like creatine and fish oil . And focus on lifting as heavy as you can..

Thanks for your response man. I need some comments on my plan for this month. I will be doing 1 hour of yoga before Iftar and basically will be hiting the abdominal area. Afterwards for Iftar I'll take a bowl of oats soup, a bowl of fruit salad, 2 samosas and a glass of milk or yogurt. I am planning to hit the gym 2 hours later after taking creatine and BCAAs just 30min before. Will warm up on the treadmill for 10 min and hit the weights hard. I will only do 1 hour of cardio per week on a non lifting day if I'm in the mood. I'll have a small low carb meal around 300 cals after the gym and go to bed an hour later. Wake up before sunrise and eat a balanced meal of 400-500 cals. How does this sound. Oh I forgot to mention I'm planning to loose weight.

_OZ_ · 08-22-2009, 05:37 AM

Check this thread out guys:

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...hp?t=109727521

admirza · 08-22-2009, 06:43 AM

Thanks OZ for your usual help.

wlknier · 08-22-2009, 10:33 AM

yea, I enjoy reading about the benefits Ramadan can actually serve, I'm doing somewhat of an anthropology major at school and enjoy reading about how we humans have evolved and like to apply that to our exercise/nutrition physiology & philosophy, check out this thread to learn more about the benefits that Intermittent Fasting can provide

if you take an anthropological view about it, it can make sense...we've evolved the past 200,000 years before the agricultural revolution with little to no carb source or a steady supply of food(preserving/canning/refrigeration)...so when we'd eat, it was usually fatty cuts of meat and whatever seasonal fruits/berries/tubers that we gathered, not too many carbs in our diets...mostly fats/proteins

we also didn't know when our next meal was coming and since we couldn't preserve meat nor did we have grains to stash, we'd eat all we could and fast til our next meal...over time we've evolved so that we somewhat better function when we're starving, a growth hormone is released signaling to do more **** cause homeboy has to eat if he wants to live...so a little bite before a workout, intense workout, then gorge, fast til the next "kill" or better known today as "workout"

wanna look like a ripped lean caveman, dragging women home over your shoulder? gotta eat like one

Brian94 · 08-22-2009, 11:09 AM

As a Muslim, my recommendation is, don't fast during Ramadan.

If you feel guilty about doing that, like as if God will send you to hell for not fasting, well then you can say "I need to stay in shape for that marathon where I will run to help the charity." (and I guess u better do it).