Gym before work

Rengew

Hi. I am thinking of moving my gym workout to before work. Question is, do I eat breakfast before or after? If before, how long before?

sozbox

I get up, have some fresh coffee and hit the gym. Have a protein shake and banana after, shower and head to work. Works fine.

Chesty08

I get up, drive 50mins to gym (next door to work) finish then have breakfast before starting work.

Never had any bother wanting or needing food before morning session

Mellor

Rengew wrote: »

Question is, do I eat breakfast before or after? If before, how long before?

Have breakfast whenever you want. What ever suits the most. There's no huge benefit either way. Some people swear they can't work out without eating, others swear the fat melts off them training fasted. Neither is really true imo.

Nate--IRL--

I eat about 20mins before hitting the Gym, but not much. 2 eggs and a piece of toast. Enough to get me going but not enough to interfere with a workout.

Nate

thunderdog

Get up at 5.40, eat a banana on the way to the gym. Gym 6-7. Quick shower, proper breakfast, then work.

I wouldn't be able to eat a full breakfast before the gym. you'd definitely feel it. Banana and water does the job.

Bergmann

I always eat after but I think it just comes down to personal preference, it takes me a long time after eating to feel like I can exercise so that's why I wait.

Pat Mustard

Rengew wrote: »

Hi. I am thinking of moving my gym workout to before work. Question is, do I eat breakfast before or after? If before, how long before?

I find that I get more done in the gym if I am not hungry before I go in. Given a choice, I would have a light breakfast and hit the gym 40-60mins later, if I were you.

Mayo clinic link:

1. Eat a healthy breakfast

If you exercise in the morning, get up early enough to finish breakfast at least one hour before your workout. Most of the energy you got from dinner the previous night is used up by morning, and your blood sugar might be low. If you don't eat, you might feel sluggish or lightheaded when you exercise.

If you plan to exercise within an hour after breakfast, eat a light breakfast or drink something to raise your blood sugar, such as a sports drink. Emphasize carbohydrates for maximum energy.

The_Honeybadger

I used to go at 6.30am before work but stopped as I would start to struggle a bit, maybe 30 minutes in. It's not even that I'd feel hungry but just lacking energy.

I go at night now a couple of hours after dinner and definitely get more done. Everybody is different of course, try a banana or something light before you go in.

rondog

I always have a 'cliff bar' or Kinetica bar(25g protein) beside the bed and as soon as I wake up I scoff it.
Its enough for me to get thru a decent gym session and I don't normally feel hungry until near lunch time which is ideal.

ford2600

Pat Mustard wrote: »

I find that I get more done in the gym if I am not hungry before I go in. Given a choice, I would have a light breakfast and hit the gym 40-60mins later, if I were you.

Mayo clinic link:

Sorry to say but the Mayo clinic are talking nonsense if they are applying that to everyone.

If I was trying to test my 1RM I wouldn't do in a morning session, but it's possible to do plenty fasted.

Assuming eating properly previous day(s) and a good night's sleep an athlete will have plenty glycogen in liver, muscles and blood to do an hour's exercise and of course a gigantic fat store will also be providing a considerable proportion of energy, except at the highest hr/most intense part of session.

I had 170km and about 2000m climbed before I "broke my fast" with an apple and marathon bar... according to Mayo clinic I should have been dead I suppose..

Caliden

I used to have a small bowl of porridge with honey before going to the gym in the mornings and it was fine until you start going heavy and bracing properly.

Came close on a few occasions to puking my ring up so now I just go with a black coffee and half a banana. I'm hungry after but I have a shake and some almonds to get me through to lunch time.

Since making the switch I no longer have to do lunges near the toilets for fear of getting sick.

Pat Mustard

ford2600 wrote: »

I had 170km and about 2000m climbed before I "broke my fast" with an apple and marathon bar... according to Mayo clinic I should have been dead I suppose..

I didn't see that in the article.

Timberrrrrrrr

Up at 6, gym from 7-8 protien shake walking to work then porridge and coffee when I get in, as stated already everyone is different, I personally have never been able to eat as soon as I get up.

ford2600

Pat Mustard wrote: »

I didn't see that in the article.

Most of the energy you got from dinner the previous night is used up by morning, and your blood sugar might be low. If you don't eat, you might feel sluggish or lightheaded when you exercise.

Your link quoted this, without any qualifiers.

As such I'm stating it's nonsense to apply it to everyone.

Mellor

"Dinner energy used up by morning" stood out as BS to me also. A few hundred calories from dinner might burn off in your slept sure. But it's also forgetting about glycogen stores. You probably have enough glycogen stored to run a half marathon. Plus at lower intensities you'll burn energy from dat stores too.

myprogram

I find cup of coffee and working out after works for me obviously I'm ultra runner so my food intake is after my run.. everyone is different with different nutritional requirements it's all about trial and error.

intheclouds

I never eat before the gym so morning workouts suit me better anyway.

I find I generally have more energy in the mornings, am as strong either way but am definitely faster in the mornings, have better stamina too.

On gym days I get up at 6.30am, in gym at 7.20am, in work by 8.40am and time for porridge and tea before starting work.

If I eat before the gym I tend to get indigestion, or heart burn. Particularly if I swim or run.

Assetbacked

I get up at 6:50am and down a pint of water, poo, throw on the gym gear and get into the gym at 7:10. Workout is a mix of weights and fast running on the treadmill (i.e. it would not be comfortable if I had food in my stomach). I eat a banana and protein shake when I get home at 8:00-8:15am and then make porridge with seeds and have a coffee with me at the desk in work by 9:10am. This works really well for me; great workouts and don't go hungry during the day.

HamsterFace

Assetbacked wrote: »

I get up at 6:50am and down a pint of water, poo, throw on the gym gear and get into the gym at 7:10. Workout is a mix of weights and fast running on the treadmill (i.e. it would not be comfortable if I had food in my stomach). I eat a banana and protein shake when I get home at 8:00-8:15am and then make porridge with seeds and have a coffee with me at the desk in work by 9:10am. This works really well for me; great workouts and don't go hungry during the day.

any pee at all?

yes there

I go in morning. When I am on IF I only have a coffee, mypre then bcaa until l break my fast at one o clock. Always had energy to get through workout, no loss in strength.


When not on IF same in morning except I start eating right after gym. Usually an apple a shake and porridge.

So you nothing shoukd really change as you dont need to eat before your workout to get through it

Mr. CooL ICE

Wake at 6:30 -> big coffee and toast with butter -> prepare gear -> bowel movements -> gym by 7:15. Home again around 8:30, eat porridge with some protein and then to work.

Rengew

I will give it a try after eating a banana and some yoghurt and then porriage after.

Assetbacked

HamsterFace wrote: »

any pee at all?

Slivers.

Hollister11

I tend to go at lunch or after. I might start going before, but I would have to probably give up my big breakfast.

guile4582

up at 0630 - small americano coffee - protein shake - cycle to gym for warm up

pemtca

Up at 6.30, have around 1/3 of my protein shake before the gym, the rest after. Keeps me going til breakfast at around 11

theduffer

I get up at 7:00 AM, have a smoothie consisting of oats,milk,strawberries,blueberries, 1 scoop of protien and 1 avacado. Hit the gym at 8 AM for 1 hour 30 and then off to work, works for me. I have the smoothie ready from the night before, so i just blend and drink

arayess

i train with either a pre-workout or bcaas with no breakfast at 6am most days.

find I train better fasted , just a personal peference.

oxnexon

Try both and see what works best for you

stee.mc79

Anyone ever try bulletproof coffee (coffee with coconut fat) before training?

Dtp1979

stee.mc79 wrote: »

Anyone ever try bulletproof coffee (coffee with coconut fat) before training?

There's a thread on here about bulletproof coffee.
http://touch.boards.ie/thread/post/85579973

yes there

stee.mc79 wrote:

Anyone ever try bulletproof coffee (coffee with coconut fat) before training?

Research has shown its a load of BS

Caliden

stee.mc79 wrote: »

Anyone ever try bulletproof coffee (coffee with coconut fat) before training?

Tried it before in the mornings. (using brewed coffee)

Makes you feel extremely full and it's quite oily (duh!). Very strange taste but if you're on a keto diet or something it would be ok.

The bulletproof coffee grinds themselves are a load of BS but the recipe is legit.

I wouldn't recommend it before working out though as you'll probably feel rotten.

Mellor

yes there wrote: »

Research has shown its a load of BS

BS how?
It's just coffee and coconut/dairy fat.
Provides some water, caffeine and calories. All of which have real benefits.
Ignore the magic power stuff.

ford2600

Bulletproof is caffeine plus fat.

Don't see point in asking your body to digest fat when it's the one thing we have an unlimited amount of anywsy just before you start training.

Caffeine for sure has training benefits

Bulletproof as a breakfast on sedentary days for someone hflc or carb cycling isn't a bad breakfast

Mellor

ford2600 wrote: »

Don't see point in asking your body to digest fat when it's the one thing we have an unlimited amount of anywsy just before you start training.

Dietary fat and body fat are exactly the same. If they were, there would be no issue with a totally fat free diet.

Also, a practically unlimited supply of fat, is not the same as unlimited availability. We can only metabolise a limited amount of fat each day. So we have to get at least the rest from food. In practise you'd probably want to provide get more to cover needs at all times.

ford2600

Mellor wrote: »

Dietary fat and body fat are exactly the same. If they were, there would be no issue with a totally fat free diet.

Also, a practically unlimited supply of fat, is not the same as unlimited availability. We can only metabolise a limited amount of fat each day. So we have to get at least the rest from food. In practise you'd probably want to provide get more to cover needs at all times.

The thread is about eating before training, how you got fat free diet from my post I have no idea.

How much fat can one burn in a day BTW. What's the upper limit?

Mellor

ford2600 wrote: »

The thread is about eating before training, how you got fat free diet from my post I have no idea.

I brought up the issues with a fat free diet to show that the body's supply of fat isn't an adequate replacement for dietary fat.

How much fat can one burn in a day BTW. What's the upper limit?

Directly proportional to fat mass.
From memory the rate is about 65-70cals per kilo.

ford2600

Mellor wrote: »

I brought up the issues with a fat free diet to show that the body's supply of fat isn't an adequate replacement for dietary fat.


Directly proportional to fat mass.
From memory the rate is about 65-70cals per kilo.

These ultra athletes tore up the rules on fat burning

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0026049515003340

Mellor

ford2600 wrote: »

These ultra athletes tore up the rules on fat burning

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0026049515003340

What rules?

You've misunderstood something I think.

JimmyCrackCorn

I puke so no food for me in the am.

fitbill

I suggest you something else.

If you are willing to go in the morning and go to the gym, do exactly that. Wake up, hydrate yourself with water. Drink if you like coffee (no sugars at all) and go do your workout at the gym.

With this way, you will be able to burn more fat from your body, because you wake up and you did not eat any carbs. Ofcourse after the workout, you have το receive good carbs, proteins, vitamins, minerals etc, so you can restore your energy and your muscle system.

Alf Veedersane

fitbill wrote: »

I suggest you something else.

If you are willing to go in the morning and go to the gym, do exactly that. Wake up, hydrate yourself with water. Drink if you like coffee (no sugars at all) and go do your workout at the gym.

With this way, you will be able to burn more fat from your body, because you wake up and you did not eat any carbs. Ofcourse after the workout, you have το receive good carbs, proteins, vitamins, minerals etc, so you can restore your energy and your muscle system.

I suggest you read up on nutrition a bit more.

fitbill

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

I suggest you read up on nutrition a bit more.

I suggest you disconnect your keyboard, close your pc and take a nap. You did really well today.

Alf Veedersane

fitbill wrote: »

I suggest you disconnect your keyboard, close your pc and take a nap. You did really well today.

Just as well you told me to do that before I had lunch so I can burn more fat doing it fasted.

And then have my lunch.

fitbill

Just as well you told me to do that before I had lunch so I can burn more fat doing it fasted.

And then have my lunch.

No you do not need to have launch after what I told you. It is a FINGER workout. You just go to straight to the bed for the nap. Good luck ..

Zillah

You're off to a great start here, Bill.

fitbill

You're off to a great start here, Bill.

I answer with the same style that they answer to me, Zillah. If you talk with irony, irony is what you will take back. This is life. You take back what you give. Is just like that.

Mellor

fitbill wrote: »

I answer with the same style that they answer to me, Zillah. If you talk with irony, irony is what you will take back. This is life. You take back what you give. Is just like that.

I think Alf was serious when suggesting your nutrition concepts were flawed. I didn't pick up irony from it anyway.


Calories burned, and consumed over the day is about the pluses and minuses. Only the total matters, not the order it comes it.

fitbill

I think Alf was serious when suggesting your nutrition concepts were flawed. I didn't pick up irony from it anyway.


Calories burned, and consumed over the day is about the pluses and minuses. Only the total matters, not the order it comes it.

"flawed"? Did you ever tried? Cause I tried both? It works just fine for me when I am doing it.

Ofcourse the total calories matters at the end of day, what you received and what you burned. So at some point you are right for me. But when you start your day with few or no carbs at all, and you go direct for workout, your body needs energy so it goes directly to the fat storages of your body and starts burning, specially if the workout is with max intense.

Ofcourse, you can replace the fat that you just burn later during the rest of the day. But thats up to you.

And Alf shoud answer back with some arguments, covering his answer. Not just 1 small sentence to play himself 'THE EXPERT". Is irony to me. So next time Alf should think, before he answers and answer nicely. This is the only to gain respect, otherwise you will receive what you gave. End of story.