Lifting in a fasted state

VanderTuig1976

I'm looking to see if anyone does this and what their experience has been.

I'm currently cutting and having a difficult time with hunger in the evening. To allocate more calories later in the day, I'm considering not eating breakfast nor my usual mid-morning snack.

I lift four days a week and on two of those days I start at 11:30 a.m. On those days, my first meal would be after my lifting sessions. One of those days is leg day and the thought of squatting on an empty stomach (well, I'll have had coffee with a bit of creamer) terrifies me.

I also run approx. 18-20 miles per week at varying times. I'm finding that the runs I do before lunch are a struggle while cutting. I'm trying to proportion my calories around my workouts and the time of day when I experience the most hunger. It seems to me that fasted or near fasted cardio might be more manageable than fasted lifting.

I appreciate any insight or feedback on your experiences with this.

jacksonpt

It'll vary person to person, so ultimately you'll have to try it and see how you respond to it.

Personally, I do really well lifting while fasted. A little caffeine and I'm good to go. Cardio is a different story... anything more than 45 minutes or so and I REALLY struggle without calories.

ladybg81

I lift at 5 am at least 4 days a week. I wake up and head straight to the gym so nothing to eat since the night before. I've not noticed that it affects me too much though there have been a few times I've pushed too far and gotten light headed. I think it really depends on the person. By the time I get home, I am ready to eat all the food.

AllanMisner

Personal preference. I do crossfit without eating, but this is early in the day. If you can’t give your all to the workout, you’re not going to get the most out of your time. If you can get a good workout, then go for it.

SonyaCele

i have to eat a lot when i lift and when i do cardio. i dont like being hungry.

Willbenchforcupcakes

If I know in advance that I'm going to need to lift fasted and fuel properly the day before, it's no big deal. If I wind up like today lifting fasted (at least starting the session out fasted - I eat 75 ish grams of simple carbs while training) without preparing the day before, the session sucks.

My bar speed sucked, I wound up dropping weight to avoid dropping reps and I got called out for being a lazy butt on glute bridges. It was not a good session.

kpodaru

jacksonpt wrote: »

It'll vary person to person, so ultimately you'll have to try it and see how you respond to it.

Personally, I do really well lifting while fasted. A little caffeine and I'm good to go. Cardio is a different story... anything more than 45 minutes or so and I REALLY struggle without calories.

^^ this. every person is different. i can lift fasted, even heavy weights but if i know i'm going to do cardio intervals between sets or a heavy muay thai workout, there ain't no way i can give it my all in a fasted state; i need that food as energy. try it out and see how you feel; if you feel dizzy then eat a light protein rich snack and eat your bfast later....or split you bfast in two - have half of it before your workout, then the other half after.

nossmf

My stomach can't handle exercising with food in it, so I always work out fasted. This is usually at 8am, and I almost never eat breakfast anyway, so it's no big deal for me. But lifting always leaves me starving (curiously, cardio does not), so I eat large immediately after I finish lifting.

One of my buddies is the opposite, he loads up with food right before he lifts (he eats more sparingly before cardio) and doesn't eat after. Each to his/her own.

VanderTuig1976

Thank you all for sharing....it's interesting how everyone is different in this regard. I did eliminate my breakfast today but had a very light snack right before lifting (and it was leg day) - I was just fine!!!