Ramadan workouts?

[Yassen321]

Hello this is my first Ramadan I'll experience while trying to gain muscle so I don't know what to expect, I read other forums about it but new info comes every year could some other people post what they are doing.
My question: is it feasible to make gains in Ramadan or should I try to just maintain where I am at or cut, also I don't really have the ability to work out when I am not fasting so I have to do it on my fast my question pertaining that is what time in the fast would be best to work out and what suhoor should I eat to make sure I am able to do it successfully cause I heard of intermittent fasting but that lets you drink thank you

[sooby]

well i aint a muslim but I do know a little bit about the subject of ramadan and fasting as it does come up very often. First off I think it depends where you live. If you live in the northern hemisphere I think the time between dawn and dusk is very long, at least 16 hours where you can't eat or drink. That is a very long period of time and it will probably be very difficult to make gains (unless of course you have very calorie dense foods like nuts, mass gainer milkshakes, etc). Especially if you naturally need a lot of calories to gain weight.

But isn't the whole point and spirit of Ramadan to eat less and sacrifice? Not trying to criticize you or religion or anything. But I guess if you absolutely are in a dire need to gain (which you look like based on your profile pic) then go ahead if you can. But it seems like eating 3000+ calories in such a limited amount of time may be difficult. So you be the judge of that. Can you eat 2-3 meals that total 3000+ calories?

At the very least however, I would try to maintain. As for the best time to do your workout I would assume it would be maybe 2 hours after your breakfast because that is when you have the most energy and when you are most hydrated and aren't going to puke everything you are eating. Still, it seems like it would be very difficult to maintain intensity without proper hydration not just for the workout, but for the whole day. I would really be careful about that and if you experience any light-headedness or dizziness I would stop. Honestly it would be in your best interest to do it after your fast, although I understand in your religion you also have some kind of night prayer so it may not be possible.

You should eat foods that have a lot of fiber, calorie dense, make you feel "full". Things like whole-wheat bread, nuts, pasta or some type of grain seems like a good way to go. Honestly steak keeps me really full but I don't know if you want to eat it everyday. A good protein shake mixed in with fruits, nuts, etc is great as well. Keep in mind caseins keep you full for longer than whey isolates (at least for me and many people) and digest a lot slower.

[DCSpartan]

Work out at the end of the day right before you break your fast.

[Yassen321]

Yeah I live in Florida so I fast till like 8:30 however I live in the suburbs and my gym close like at 10 so with the prayer is only have like 20 minutes to workout.i don't think I could manage eating that many calories but to maintain I plan to eat like a cup of oats mixed with whey like 3 eggs a casein shake and banana of course also like 2 quarts of water.for breaking I'll probably drink a shake and like a pound is grilled chicken.BUt I'm wondering if I would be better off working out right before breaking then I can take like whey or something right after so they recover cause idk if it good to work out then drink nothing or eat any protein for hours after I don't want them to go catabolic

well i aint a muslim but I do know a little bit about the subject of ramadan and fasting as it does come up very often. First off I think it depends where you live. If you live in the northern hemisphere I think the time between dawn and dusk is very long, at least 16 hours where you can't eat or drink. That is a very long period of time and it will probably be very difficult to make gains (unless of course you have very calorie dense foods like nuts, mass gainer milkshakes, etc). Especially if you naturally need a lot of calories to gain weight.

But isn't the whole point and spirit of Ramadan to eat less and sacrifice? Not trying to criticize you or religion or anything. But I guess if you absolutely are in a dire need to gain (which you look like based on your profile pic) then go ahead if you can. But it seems like eating 3000+ calories in such a limited amount of time may be difficult. So you be the judge of that. Can you eat 2-3 meals that total 3000+ calories?

At the very least however, I would try to maintain. As for the best time to do your workout I would assume it would be maybe 2 hours after your breakfast because that is when you have the most energy and when you are most hydrated and aren't going to puke everything you are eating. Still, it seems like it would be very difficult to maintain intensity without proper hydration not just for the workout, but for the whole day. I would really be careful about that and if you experience any light-headedness or dizziness I would stop. Honestly it would be in your best interest to do it after your fast, although I understand in your religion you also have some kind of night prayer so it may not be possible.

You should eat foods that have a lot of fiber, calorie dense, make you feel "full". Things like whole-wheat bread, nuts, pasta or some type of grain seems like a good way to go. Honestly steak keeps me really full but I don't know if you want to eat it everyday. A good protein shake mixed in with fruits, nuts, etc is great as well. Keep in mind caseins keep you full for longer than whey isolates (at least for me and many people) and digest a lot slower.

[sooby]

Yeah I live in Florida so I fast till like 8:30 however I live in the suburbs and my gym close like at 10 so with the prayer is only have like 20 minutes to workout.i don't think I could manage eating that many calories but to maintain I plan to eat like a cup of oats mixed with whey like 3 eggs a casein shake and banana of course also like 2 quarts of water.for breaking I'll probably drink a shake and like a pound is grilled chicken.BUt I'm wondering if I would be better off working out right before breaking then I can take like whey or something right after so they recover cause idk if it good to work out then drink nothing or eat any protein for hours after I don't want them to go catabolic

It could work, but it would all depend on your energy levels and how you will be able to manage that. Can you still be intense with your workouts despite not having eaten or drank any water? Can you still go as hard as you normally would? I mean it is possible for sure.

I highly doubt you would go catabolic. But caseins are your best friend in this case as the proteins digest very slowly throughout the day. Just eat a good sizable amount in the morning and I think you should be good to go! But of course see how your body responds to both working out after breaking fast and right after starting the fast.

[jordxnk]

i'm doing my first Ramadan while training this year, too.
Most people recommend to train after iftar. However my gym is shut by then, so the second best option is to train an hour before iftar. I wouldn't recommend training in the morning because from my experience i am ravenous an hour after a workout.
You can make gains providing your calories/macros are sufficient during the eating hours and you're making progress on your lifts, however i can imagine it will be more difficult.
I'm aiming to do shorter workouts (~45 mins) 3x a week, sticking to the compound lifts. (i'm running Fierce 5).
It's only 4 weeks.

[tamu2005]

OP, you're 15? You have no business cutting. Eat, lift, and follow your faith. Especially at your age 1 month will make no difference in the long run.

[Yassen321]

Oh I don't want to I'm planning to maintain at least but I just don't know if I can since I have to lift while fasting and I'm worried this will make me lose muscle if I cut anyway so I wouldn't but my main question is if it is safe to lift at 7pm after not having drunk since 5am or eaten I'll probably sleep till like 12 on days I lift though and eat like 60 grams of casein right before the fast start and like half a gallon of water

OP, you're 15? You have no business cutting. Eat, lift, and follow your faith. Especially at your age 1 month will make no difference in the long run.

[tamu2005]

You're young, your body is full of hormones and wants to grow. Eat as much and as often as you're permitted. Lift with the intensity you can muster and I seriously doubt you'll lose any muscle in a month. You might be weaker working out fasted, and you may look flat, but a week after the holiday ends you'll be fine. Do your best and if you need to drop some volume lifting this month you'll know in a few workouts.

edit*typo