Lifting on an empty stomach?

[trent]

Okay I know the benefits of doing cardio first thing in the morning on an empty stomach but most of the time when I wake up I have alot of energy and would like to lift weights and do my cardio immediately after. I have done this before and did not feel like my cardio suffered from fatigue, it felt good. My question is will I still benefit from waking up, hitting the gym and lifting for 45 minutes, and then doing my cardio/fat burn for 45 minutes, and then eating immediately afterwards??? Thank you in advance for your help everyone!

[DV]

I wouldn't do that. But then I wouldn't do 45 minutes of cardio after any lifting. If you believe that lifting (heavy weights) sets your body up for an anabolic state, then you would want at least some circulating amino acids available after lifting, in addition to the ingestion of carbs and amino acids soon afterwards to take advantage of the beginning of this state. A body that has fasted for 6 hours or longer may not have any circulating amino acids and may break down some muscle tissue in order to get them.

 

Cardio exercise is generally thought to be catabolic in nature, so I don't personally believe you gain by mixing the two. However, I'm training for bodybuilding competition and you may have much different goals.

 

My biggest concern with lifting on a empty stomach is safety. After such a long fast (overnight), many factors could cause a drop in blood glucose at a time when you are under a heavy weight. At the least, have a spotter with you who knows that you haven't eaten. That would make me pay special attention when spotting! I don't suggest putting yourself or your innocent spotter at such risk, however.

 

Stick with cardio on an empty stomach, if you believe it helps you, but consider that the potential harm of lifting under the same conditions may far outweigh the benefits (which I don't see).

 

Either way, good luck with your goals.

[trent]

Thank you for the prompt and informative response DV. My fitness goals are to hold on to the muscle that I have and strip the fat away and be as lean as possible. I posted a few pics under the before/after thread. I understand the importance of eating 4-6 small meals a day and drinking plenty of water but perhaps you can take alook at my pics an give me some tips?! Thanks again for your fast response.

[DV]

You're welcome!

 

For your goals, I would suggest a slow loss of no more than 2 lbs of fat per week. Anything more will be water and/or muscle. There is still the possibility that you will lose some muscle when losing fat.

 

Do you know how much you eat to maintain your current weight? And how much cardio do you typically do? How much lifting?

 

There are two ways to lose fat - increase your activity level or decrease your caloric intake. Okay, it's not really that easy. Your body quickly adjusts to both. You need to keep it guessing. Don't just decrease your calories by 1000 per day and expect a consistent weekly 2 lb fat loss. Your body will adjust to the lowered caloric intake and your metabolism will be lowered. Same with cardio - your body will become more efficient in time and you won't burn as many calories. (These are theories, by the way, but they seem fairly solid in my experience).

 

I'll use myself as an example. I maintain 155 lbs at about 2800 calories, lifting heavy 5-6 times per week with maybe 1 total hour of cardio (some weeks). If I wanted to lose fat, I would aim for no more than 1.5 lbs of loss per week. I would decrease my calories by 800 calories for 3 days, go back to 2800 calories one day, down to 1800 calories for one day, back to 2800 calories - then repeat the cycle. I would add 1-2 hours of cardio per week (in addition to my lifting), adjusting it depending on how fast I'm losing. And I would assess my loss every 2 weeks to determine if I'm losing too fast or slow and whether or not it's actually fat loss.

 

I hope that helped.

[trent]

Right now I weigh 205lbs., I am 6'0". My lean bodymass is 164lbs., so I have 41 lbs of fat. My caloric intake is probably about 2800 calories, not real sure. I know I need to keep a journal. For the last 3 weeks I have been doing 45 minutes of cardio 5-7 x a week and lifting 4 x a week. I feel amazing, and I have lost about 5lbs., so I think that I am on track. I don't care if I lose a little muscle. I am determined to have the long, lean look. When you cycle your calories are you cutting down on the complex carbs? Also, do you think I should focus mostly on cardio and a clean diet and cut back on the weights? I really enjoy lifting.

[CheshireCat]

Agree with DV. Always make sure you are well feuled before weight training. It would also be catabolic (even more then weight training is normally) to not eat before a session. A meal an hour or so before your session, with whey protein directly after would be a good choice.

[DV]

I would not cut back on lifting. As for increasing or decreasing any macronutrients (fat/protein/carbs), I would only alter that if you hit a plateau and try it for a couple of weeks. Sounds like you're off to a good start!

[trent]

Thanks DV. I feel great, I wake up with ample energy and feel awesome all day! I have been sleeping great as well. I feel very focused and will definitely post some new pics in a few weeks. I am really digging this site.