question for those who workout first thing in the morning...?

ninerbuff

sunnysunny88 wrote: »

My trainer told me that you can do cardio with an empty stomach but if you are doing weights, it's recommended to eat something before. I wake up and 6 to go running some days and I would only drink water but if I'm feeling hungry usually I would eat a bit of nuts or cheese and I'll be fine

As a trainer in the industry, I'll disagree with your trainer. In fact, I personally workout fasted each morning lifting weights.
Ask your trainer why it's okay to train cardio on an empty stomach. I bet they say it's to burn fat...........................and they would be wrong there too.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

Spliner1969

I typically get up around 4:45-5AM, drink coffee or a pre-workout drink (sometimes both) and stretch until 5:30. I then do a session of cardio on my elliptical/stairstepper for about 30-35 minutes as a warm-up then transition directly into body-weight circuit training for the next hour. I try not to rest at all between sets, I simply transition to a different muscle group. It's pretty intense and wears me out. But I do not eat before working out, I just drink coffee, a pre-workout drink, and drink water during my workout as needed (I sip on a bottle of water). After my workout I hit the shower and get ready for work, then it's breakfast and a protein shake. I do this about 5 days a week for recomp. The hardest part about getting up early to work out is getting to bed at night. I sometimes sneak off to bed around 8-8:30pm and for someone with kids that might be tough. I watch TV in bed until I get sleepy but generally am asleep by 10 at the very very latest. Gives me 6-7 hours of sleep on those 5 days.

Voltarik

Remember one Golden Rule of loosing weight.
No food after 7 PM and before 7 AM.

Elise4270

I don't have anything for breakfast before a run or swim. I'm afraid my uh hem..... Bowels will move. Then coffee coffee coffee!

canadianlbs

it's got a lot to do with what fits most comfortably with your schedule and life. personally, i'm not sure if morning workouts are all that efficient for me, as i have to add a fair bit more warmup and mobilization compared with the end of the day.

MagneticGanymede

I prefer to workout fasting in the morning.

LuluIsLosing

I get up just after 5, have some water only, then start my workout right away. Then I shower and get ready for work, then eat when the rest of the house is up.
Like you, I was trying to workout once my boys were in bed and it was hard. I was exhausted and it felt like a chore. I now love my morning workouts! It energized me for the day and I don't have to think about it again until the next day

joemac1988

slinky_shaz wrote: »

hi,
i was just wondering how you do your morning.
i usually workout at home after baby has gone to bed (6:30/7pm) and before i've cooked dinner for my husband and i. it's annoying to be honest so i'm thinking of doing it in the morning instead. i'm up at 6:30am so have window to do it before the house wakes up and i leave for work but do you eat or drink beforehand? the thought of exercise at 6:30 on an empty stomach makes wonder ....

thank you

Depends what your goals are. Cardio on an empty stomach is best (Fasted Cardio) as you're burning fat, not food in your stomach. I workout at 4:30 every morning but I eat carbs before as I'm trying to build muscle. Usually a bagel.

stephysd

I don't eat. I get up at 5am and drink 8 ounces of pre-workout drink to boost energy and then have 24 ounces bottle that I sip on during my 30-40 minute workout at home. After that I shower and by then my gradeschoolers are awake. I make breakfast for all of us, of which mine is typically two eggs and a cup worth of veggies. On weekends, I sleep in and will workout whenever I get up. I am much more hangry then and usually eat half a banana before working out. I find if I eat too much before working out I get sluggish...hence why I workout in the morning. When I try to do evening workouts I don't seem to have the mental stamina and way to many distractions from the littles.

JeromeBarry1

Morning: Wake, pee, weigh, drink water, do cardio, drink water, cook breakfast, eat, shower, dress.

Even if I get up at 6 a.m. I prefer exercising in the morning. Anything to keep me busy and out of rush hour traffic.

kbmnurse

Hello, I work out at 6AM M-F. It depends how I feel when I get up. I might have 1/2 cup cherrioes and a 1/2 cup coffee. If i don't eat before workout after my shower I will have a light breakfast yogurt/fresh fruit with sliced almonds. I will eat again around 10AM--smaller meal e.g. 1 cup soup or small salad with protein. I usually aim for 5 smaller meals daily. I have to feel full or I will graze and make poor choices. Good luck. I love working out early--then it is done.

kbmnurse

PS I am in bed by 9PM. Sleep like a log until 530-545.

slinky_shaz

thank you all so much! you're all amazing!

unfortunately i went to bed far too late last night as my husband needed help installing some flipping wall speakers once he got in at 7:30pm so i didn't hit my bed until midnight! it wasn't planned so i'll workout tonight then do my first morning one tomorrow morning.

i was properly hacked off that i couldn't get to bed early last night. my usual 6:30am alarm was hideous this morning.
i'm ON IT tomorrow !!

Running_Dad

I run early most mornings. I get up at 4:30, drink a glass of water, throw on the headlamp or Knuckle Lights and out the door I go. I rarely eat fist unless it is a 10+ mile run. Then I will have a banana and peanut butter on toast.

vinster345

I work out in the morning and take nothing other than a caffeine pill (I don't drink coffee or tea) and some water.

Spliner1969

Voltarik wrote: »

Remember one Golden Rule of loosing weight.
No food after 7 PM and before 7 AM.

I don't mean to be.. well.. mean at all because I'm just not that kind of person, but that's the dumbest thing I've heard. It's one of the oldest myths out there for weight loss and I fell for it for years. It does not matter when you eat. Meal timing is only important if you're training for a specific goal, and even then it's questionable.

casmithis

Up at 5 and at the gym at 6 every work day, 3 days of boot camp, 2 days with PT, then run on weekends. I make a spinach smoothie every morning so I eat half the banana before working out and put the other half in the smoothie but that's eat for eating usually. My PT told me I need to eat more carbs before coming as I've come close to passing out a couple of times but I just can't. I feel nauseous the whole time if I do. Anxious to see if anyone has overcome this hurdle. Thanks for posting this.

One huge tip my instructor gave me when I started was have your work out clothes near by so you just throw them on in the morning. I actually wore them to bed at the beginning (yes, my husband teased me about it for a while but he got over it once the results started showing) and have your lunch and work stuff ready to go.

I love that I tick that off my list of things to do first thing in the morning and I feel great all day.

Tacklewasher

Up at 5:15. Lets the dogs out. Pee. Weigh. Treadmill for 30 mins then eat. But my treadmill is downstairs, so I'm not hitting a gym.

prdrivas

Start at 4:30 AM in my home gym. As far as eating goes, depends on where my blood sugar is (I'm a T2 diabetic). If it's low, I have maybe 4 oz of orange juice. Otherwise, I exercise fasted. If I know I'm going to be doing a longer workout, like a long run, I'll have a protein bar or Kind bar.

Packerjohn

slinky_shaz wrote: »

oh my gosh! you guys are all amazing getting up at 4am!!! i thought 6:30am was a good start.

only trouble is i don't go to bed at 8pm or 9pm. i've only just sat down now from my day and it's 9:15pm. i'll be up for at least another 2 hours.

i'll let you know how it goes tomorrow.

thanks for all your tips and routines - it's really helpful.

Everybody is different but I have done bed at 10 up at 4;15 for years.

If you need more sleep go to bed earlier. Why do you need to "sit down from your day for 2 hours?

Spliner1969

slinky_shaz wrote: »

oh my gosh! you guys are all amazing getting up at 4am!!! i thought 6:30am was a good start.

only trouble is i don't go to bed at 8pm or 9pm. i've only just sat down now from my day and it's 9:15pm. i'll be up for at least another 2 hours.

i'll let you know how it goes tomorrow.

thanks for all your tips and routines - it's really helpful.

I'll be honest, it's easy for my body to stay up later if I let it. On nights where I don't seem tired at 8-9pm I simply use Zzzquil, Benadryl (same thing only cheaper), or maybe Melatonin rarely. Gets me back on track. For instance, tomorrow is a rest day for me, so I will probably be up until 10-11, so tomorrow night it'll be rough getting back to bed at 9pm so I'll likely use some Benadryl. I have allergies anyway so I always keep Benadryl around. You just have to make it a priority. Life will intervene from time to time, but if you've been getting a decent amount of sleep the rest of the week by going to bed early a hitch here and there shouldn't kill you. Because getting up so early is tough for me, I tend to take my rest days on Mondays and Thursdays and make sure not to miss my workouts on weekends because I can sleep in then. That leaves me only 3 work week days I need to get up that early.

butterfli7o

I'm up at 5:15-5:30 M-F and work out in my garage before I get ready for work. I have a half cup of coffee to get me going, and sometimes a small piece of multi-grain toast. Just depends how hungry I am.
If I am not in bed by 10pm, I have a hard time getting up that early. I don't sleep great so I will take a Benadryl or Melatonin beforehand, to ensure I get sleep.

kpletcher08

I just started working out in the morning and I grab water and a fruit and nut bar before my workout and eat some breakfast after.

slinky_shaz

Packerjohn wrote: »

slinky_shaz wrote: »

oh my gosh! you guys are all amazing getting up at 4am!!! i thought 6:30am was a good start.

only trouble is i don't go to bed at 8pm or 9pm. i've only just sat down now from my day and it's 9:15pm. i'll be up for at least another 2 hours.

i'll let you know how it goes tomorrow.

thanks for all your tips and routines - it's really helpful.

Everybody is different but I have done bed at 10 up at 4;15 for years.

If you need more sleep go to bed earlier. Why do you need to "sit down from your day for 2 hours?

i like to sit down for a bit before bed because i am on my feet all day. up and down ladders and i take a 10 minute lunch break sat on a paint tin. apart from my drive to work, i really am stood up all day. i like a bit of chill time with my husband before i pass out at the end of the day.

again thanks all for your wonderful input x

peaceout_aly

I try to get morning work outs in, although lately it hasn't been happening. When I do go in the morning, I eat a protein bar pre-workout, BCAA's intra-work out and tons of water and coffee post-work out followed by a lot of protein throughout the course of my day. It's definitely more convenient than trying to get a work out in during the busy evening hours.

mgalovic01

So, I'm guessing all you guys waking up at 4am are going to bed at 8pm?

deluxmary2000

mgalovic01 wrote: »

So, I'm guessing all you guys waking up at 4am are going to bed at 8pm?

No, I go to bed at 10, up by 4:30. 6.5 hours is plenty of sleep. In fact it feels like a luxury after having a kid who woke up EVERY HOUR for the first year of her life.

BeeerRunner

slinky_shaz wrote: »

hi,
i was just wondering how you do your morning.
i usually workout at home after baby has gone to bed (6:30/7pm) and before i've cooked dinner for my husband and i. it's annoying to be honest so i'm thinking of doing it in the morning instead. i'm up at 6:30am so have window to do it before the house wakes up and i leave for work but do you eat or drink beforehand? the thought of exercise at 6:30 on an empty stomach makes wonder ....

thank you

I don't typically eat before exercise unless I'm doing an early morning long run. I usually just have some water and maybe I'll have coffee if there's time.

ashorey87

I hate working out at night.... so I'm part of the 4am club too. My workouts are always fasted.

Alarm goes off at 4am, in the gym by 4:30am, back home by 6:30am, shower/dressed/hair/makeup, then bigggg breakfast, then 45 minute commute and at work for 9am. 6 days a week.

slinky_shaz

deluxmary2000 wrote: »

mgalovic01 wrote: »

So, I'm guessing all you guys waking up at 4am are going to bed at 8pm?

No, I go to bed at 10, up by 4:30. 6.5 hours is plenty of sleep. In fact it feels like a luxury after having a kid who woke up EVERY HOUR for the first year of her life.

i feel like that! my babe did the same.