Does Weight Training in empty stomach help to burn fat or loose muscle?

[emranhasan]

I'm 30, male, having a body fat of 23%. I used to do weight training 3/4 days a week and cardio another 2/3 days a week. I don't do cardio and weight training in the same day. Just wondering at the day of weight training if I work out at empty stomach, would I get the energy from my stored body fat or I'll loose my muscle?

Please help me by suggesting what should be my diet pattern before and after my strength training workout? My primary goal is to build muscle and reduce body fat below 12%.

[breaktheground]

The conditions under which you train don't matter. Especially at over 20% BF, just lift heavy and eat correctly according to the stickies at the top of this subforum. Guaranteed results.

[cyco85]

I'm 30, male, having a body fat of 23%. I used to do weight training 3/4 days a week and cardio another 2/3 days a week. I don't do cardio and weight training in the same day. Just wondering at the day of weight training if I work out at empty stomach, would I get the energy from my stored body fat or I'll loose my muscle?

Please help me by suggesting what should be my diet pattern before and after my strength training workout? My primary goal is to build muscle and reduce body fat below 12%.

You're sure you're 23% BF at 166 pounds at 5'9? That's a pretty small frame if so. Or is the weight in your profile not accurate?

[zbrewha863]

There's a lot of controversy on this subject, I looked it up for a few days and there are a lot of people on both sides. The one thing that both sides seem to agree on is that if you do work out on an empty stomach, taking BCAAs before your workout will go a long way to help spare your muscle and focus on fat.

I don't know the science behind it, but I followed that program and it worked well for me. Took 4-6 Uni-liver tabs in the morning, then did 45-60 minutes of interval cardio, came back and ate breakfast. Also was on an EC stack, dropped 2lbs/week and still retained strength overall.

[PBateman2]

<<This crazy fool has been training fasted for five years

Check out Intermittent Fasting (IF). There's also a nice thread in the Advanced Nutrition section.

May not be for everyone though. If you are going to do it better to try a standardized protocol.

[DefiningMoments]

<<This crazy fool has been training fasted for five years

Check out Intermittent Fasting (IF). There's also a nice thread in the Advanced Nutrition section.

May not be for everyone though. If you are going to do it better to try a standardized protocol.

you train completely fasted? you don't take BCAA's before training?
because that's what I've been doing.. training completely fasted w/o BCAA's. I don't know if I should start buying BCAAs now. I've been doing Intermittent Fasting but not by following all the rules/guidelines.

[PBateman2]

you train completely fasted? you don't take BCAA's before training?
because that's what I've been doing.. training completely fasted w/o BCAA's. I don't know if I should start buying BCAAs now. I've been doing Intermittent Fasting but not by following all the rules/guidelines.

Completely fasted. No BCAAs. The key -IMO- is your calorie intake (fine tuning it and being precise with it - I enjoy that) and protein intake has got to be spot on everyday.

I dont follow IF to a tee (in terms of feeding/fasted intervals) and just kind of tweaked my nutrition as I went along. Usually when I train, I have not eaten for a good 12 hours.

[LukeRicho]

doing weight training with no food in your system surely must be a waste of time? surely you will be able to lift more with food in your body and make the workout more worthwhile and then watch your calories throughout the day?

[Ryanmcd]

I guess you could do it either way, but by logic I think its smart to have some food a few hours before you go workout to give you energy. If you are doing just arms it will prob not be a big deal.

[Ryanmcd]

Completely fasted. No BCAAs. The key -IMO- is your calorie intake (fine tuning it and being precise with it - I enjoy that) and protein intake has got to be spot on everyday.

I dont follow IF to a tee (in terms of feeding/fasted intervals) and just kind of tweaked my nutrition as I went along. Usually when I train, I have not eaten for a good 12 hours.

Yep, something like this will be okay. I work from home and control my diet 100% so I see how I could work around it also. But most people dont have a food scale or know what they eat or how much they eat, people like that should prob not go fasted.

[PBateman2]

Yep, something like this will be okay. I work from home and control my diet 100% so I see how I could work around it also. But most people dont have a food scale or know what they eat or how much they eat, people like that should prob not go fasted.

Nope.

Never used a food scale in my life nor do I track calories to an absolute tee. Just make sure I hit my protein/healthy fat intake everyday. Requires very little extra effort to do this.

LOL..someone on IF needs to get in on this thread to give a perspective.

[jladuke44]

There's a lot of controversy on this subject, I looked it up for a few days and there are a lot of people on both sides. The one thing that both sides seem to agree on is that if you do work out on an empty stomach, taking BCAAs before your workout will go a long way to help spare your muscle and focus on fat.

I don't know the science behind it, but I followed that program and it worked well for me. Took 4-6 Uni-liver tabs in the morning, then did 45-60 minutes of interval cardio, came back and ate breakfast. Also was on an EC stack, dropped 2lbs/week and still retained strength overall.

I second using BCAAs if you lift on an empty stomach. I've been doing it for about a month and have been going up in most my lifts and lost two inches around my waist (have also been watching my diet closely). Important takeaway for me is that I'm at least not losing muscle. Really only noticed a difference with consuming 4 or 5 servings of xtend pre/during/post workout (which can get expensive) -- can't say that I noticed anything from 1 or 2 servings.

[emranhasan]

Thanks guys for your great help. It was really a helpful discussion.

[emranhasan]

<<This crazy fool has been training fasted for five years

Check out Intermittent Fasting (IF). There's also a nice thread in the Advanced Nutrition section.

May not be for everyone though. If you are going to do it better to try a standardized protocol.

Excellent Journal.. really liked it and will follow it. cheers!

[FrosteaTT]

doing weight training with no food in your system surely must be a waste of time? surely you will be able to lift more with food in your body and make the workout more worthwhile and then watch your calories throughout the day?

how can you be so sure?? =/

... and surely wat works for you may not work for me, and surely wat works for me may not work for u, this im sure!!!

[Sith Emperor]

how can you be so sure?? =/

... and surely wat works for you may not work for me, and surely wat works for me may not work for u, this im sure!!!

I've seen the best results (gaining/maintaining muscle while losing fat) when I work out first thing in the morning, before any food. That's what I've been doing for the past month now more or less. Don't know the studies behind it but I definitely recommend this as the way to go.

[heartsbreaker]

I've seen the best results (gaining/maintaining muscle while losing fat) when I work out first thing in the morning, before any food. That's what I've been doing for the past month now more or less. Don't know the studies behind it but I definitely recommend this as the way to go.

As crazy as it may appears, that what happened to me too ... i was trying every thing and not losing weight but when i began training fast in the morning i lost 3 kg in one week so i will continue doing it and see if it will continue working XD

[mihulea]

Completely fasted. No BCAAs. The key -IMO- is your calorie intake (fine tuning it and being precise with it - I enjoy that) and protein intake has got to be spot on everyday.

I dont follow IF to a tee (in terms of feeding/fasted intervals) and just kind of tweaked my nutrition as I went along. Usually when I train, I have not eaten for a good 12 hours.

Same here, I used to take BCAA in the morning before workout but now I stopped because every time my stack of BCAA was finished and I forgot to order a new one I had to train a couple of days without them and to my surprise after second or third day I start to get a boost on energy like no other before so no more BCAA.