Breakfast before or after weights?

[Adilehg]

Do I really need to eat before lifting weights in the morning?

I do a 4 day split, upper/lower. I'm thinking of getting to the gym by 6am, I have to be home by 7am to get ready for work. My sessions only last about 45 mins. I'm not a morning person so I don't really want to get up too early just to eat.

Any thoughts?


Thank you

[TheApexHunter]

I've tried fasted training, and personally I'm ready to go home 1/2 way through warming up.

If not eating doesn't effect your training, then I'd say it doesn't matter. Some people are pro fasted training, others think its the devil.

3rd alternative... make a smoothie and drink it on your way to gym

[EjnarKolinkar]

I prefer both in a perfect world.

My world is pretty far from perfect though. Got to do what we got to do to get it done. Plenty of days I just go train with coffee because there isn't another option.


You can check this out: http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...hp?t=123915821

Links there that go in depth from Alan Aragon, Brad Schoenfeld and James Krieger

[Chut26]

Food is your fuel. I would at least eat something light before hitting the gym.

[darrellfine]

I prefer both in a perfect world.

My world is pretty far from perfect though. Got to do what we got to do to get it done. Plenty of days I just go train with coffee because there isn't another option.




Links there that go in depth from Alan Aragon, Brad Schoenfeld and James Krieger

YES. Coffee is a must. lol. I normally lift at 5am before work. The last thing I'm thinking about is food at said time. But I always ALWAYS make sure to get a post workout meal.

[grubman]

I've always worked out first thing in the morning. I've been having a lot of luck lately with a cup of apple juice before (about 10 minutes before I head to the basement) my workout, plenty of water during, and a healthy breakfast after.

If I had a longer time to digest before my workout I would still blend a banana in my apple juice.

In less health conscious days, I used to drink a half can of Monster before my workout...but the apple juice has the same exact effect ( a little energy boost, a little hydration, and puts a little something light in the stomach).

[Richie71]

For me, up at 5:30 out the house at 6:00 and training by 6:20, it's
Espresso.
Protein shake with some carbs, using two scoops of protein powder and one of a post workout drink that's half protein, half carbs.
Mix up the post workout shake and fill a bottle for in-workout drink, and put them together with my lunch so I don't forget to take that to work!
Pre-workout drink, it's usually around 5:50 by now.
Get the gym gear on and go.
Post workout shake.
In to work by 8, try to last to 8:30 before eating one of my sandwiches.

[ExBikeGuy]

I'm in a similar situation but find one hardboiled egg and a pre-workout shake is perfect for me, total prep time about 90 seconds. (My wife keeps a few hardboiled egs in the refrigerator)

[Flounderbout]

When I trained early in the morning I never ate first. Didn't bother me at all. For me the extra sleep is much more important than food pre-training.
Now I train at lunchtime I still often don't eat beforehand (I'm on a deficit and eat most of my cals in the evening, so usually skip breakfast and eat a light lunch after the gym). I have actually found that eating before training (i.e. within a couple of hours) really slows me down and adversely affects performance.

YMMV. Whatever floats your goat really.

[doughnutgut]

I tend to keep my weights down to 2 a day.


I eat them before breakfast.


45s have become rather addictive.

[HYMENATOR]

But what time was morning poop?

[mmobley]

I train at 4:30 am most days. I have been cutting pretty strict for 6 months now. When I go to bed I am usually pretty hungry but when I wake up to lift I am not hungry at all. I drink a cup of coffee during my workout and have some water also. My workout last an hour then I take a shower and make a healthy omelote. I have had great results so far. I have lost between 25 and 30 lbs. and have made some great gains. Good Luck.

[MissHolly]

Judging by the myriad of answers you're getting here, you're just going to have to experiment and see what works best for you.

My personal experience is that training fasted first thing in the morning works better for me (with coffee pre-workout). I actually feel stronger and like I have more energy. If I'm training around lunchtime, like I do these days, I absolutely have to eat something beforehand, otherwise I have an energy dip by that time.

There are a few people on this forum that don't eat anything until mid to late afternoon and still train fasted. So you've just got to figure out what you prefer.

[Flounderbout]

Judging by the myriad of answers you're getting here, you're just going to have to experiment and see what works best for you.

/thread

[scullin]

It doesn't really matter. The food you eat before the workout won't be digested until after the workout anyway. But mentally it can be more satisfying to eat before the workout as long as you don't eat so much you feel bloated. I typically always like to eat something small before working out but recently been doing it fasted and notice no difference in the actual workout.

[ironwill2008]

Do I really need to eat before lifting weights in the morning?

I do a 4 day split, upper/lower. I'm thinking of getting to the gym by 6am, I have to be home by 7am to get ready for work. My sessions only last about 45 mins. I'm not a morning person so I don't really want to get up too early just to eat.

Any thoughts?


Thank you

Comes down to preference, and what allows you to have your best training session.


If you find you can train effectively in a fasted state, and doing so is convenient relative to your RL schedule, it would then be a good idea to eat a meal within an hour or so of the end of your training session.

[billb7581]

Fasted or Fed? In the grand scheme of things doesn't matter if you are training intensely

[goatmanjon]

I eat a small bowl of cereal right when I wakeup at 5:30am, then start workout 10 mins later.

[JMann2380]

I lift at 7 - 7:30am most mornings and started out fasted, but as I hit the weights harder and longer, it took it's toll. On a super intense back day, I had to leave halfway through after deadlifts. My blood sugar dropped or something but I was lightheaded and about one set of rows away from passing out!

Since then I always get up early, 5:30-6am and have a carb heavy breakfast (peanut butter toast, banana and skim milk), about 550 cals. Then when I get home around 9:30, I eat again, eggs, canadian bacon and toast.

But as was pointed out above, you just have to figure out what works best for you and your schedule.

[kimm4]

Been training fasted for years. It's a personal choice so do what's best for you.