Strength Training Advice
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innocenceportrayed
Posts: 569 Member
I just started some light strength training yesterday and was wondering because I've seen so many different views....what should you typically eat before lifting? I know afterwards you want water and lots of protein but what should you stock up on before hand?
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Replies
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doesn't matter
some people like a banana for the extra sugar
i like lifting fasted
TETO.0 -
I lift in the morning and usually just have coffee before. Really you are using nutrients from the day before anyway.0
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Whatever makes you feel the best/strongest for your workout. For some people (like myself), that's nothing. Others need a little something, still others need a full meal. It's all personal preference.0
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I have hypoglycemia, so i feel is I eat nothing then I'll get dizzy and pass out with a barbell on me or something insane. I can't lift in the morning due to classes, so I usually go to the gym right after class and was going to lift for like 10 minutes(2-3 sets of whatever) then do cardio then lift then more cardio. I always carry a protein bar with me for after but I don't know I always read people stock up on carbs and stuff before they lift which i never understood0
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Whatever makes you feel the best/strongest for your workout. For some people (like myself), that's nothing. Others need a little something, still others need a full meal. It's all personal preference.
This. I lift first thing in the morning without eating before. Afterwards, I usually have protein powder with almond milk.0 -
me too... when ur at the gym @ 530.... not much to eat at that time in the morning
(if you're up @ 445 like me)
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If you want insurance against gluconeogenesis from muscle-building glucogenic amino acids, use this time to consume a decent portion of your daily carbohydrates.0
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It took some time for me to work out how and when I felt best as far as nutrient timing goes. I lift better if I have two meals in before I train. Thats oats with protein for breakfast (7am) and then I will either have a shake with a few oats cakes or a small portion of oats again before I train. After I have trained I will always consume a post workout shake with milk and rice cakes. As soon as I added fast digesting carbs to the post workout meal my recovery and results were much much better. I would then eat protein complex carbs and salad within 2 hours of that. Definitely find what works but I have blood sugar issues and if i go more than 3 hours without any food then I crash.
If your exercising the minute you roll out of bed then get a shake in to help retain the muscle that you have builtthe only thing i would do first thing in the morning fasted is moderate cardio. x
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Is there a way to calculate calories burned for strength training? Without a HRM, mine should be in tuesday.0
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Is there a way to calculate calories burned for strength training? Without a HRM, mine should be in tuesday.0
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I'm doing both right now but thank you. (=0
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you should try and eat a combo of carbs and protein about an hour before work out. I usually go with a protein bar that is low in sugar....I like the pure protein brand...0
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I see a lot of people say they eat nothing before they lift. That's really a mistake. You don't want a lot on your stomach and you should wait about an hour after eating to lift. But you should have something on your stomach. I fix a protein shake with lots of stuff in it, including some carbs and a banana. And in about an hour, I take a bottle of water into my weight room and start lifting.
Doing cardio on an empty stomach does burn fat better and is advantageous. But weight lifting is different. Even a banana would be ok.0 -
I'm doing both right now but thank you. (=
That's great. count the calamity you burn during cardio, but don't worry about them when lifting.0 -
you should try and eat a combo of carbs and protein about an hour before work out. I usually go with a protein bar that is low in sugar....I like the pure protein brand...
you should? why?0 -
I see a lot of people say they eat nothing before they lift. That's really a mistake. You don't want a lot on your stomach and you should wait about an hour after eating to lift. But you should have something on your stomach. I fix a protein shake with lots of stuff in it, including some carbs and a banana. And in about an hour, I take a bottle of water into my weight room and start lifting.
Doing cardio on an empty stomach does burn fat better and is advantageous. But weight lifting is different. Even a banana would be ok.
why is it bad to lift in an empty stomach?0 -
I lifted on a fairly empty stomach today. I got there about 2pm my time and hadn't eaten since 8am and I was fine. I think it really does vary from person to person. I didn't get dizzy at all and kept my hydration up but then again i didn't lift extensively since I'm new to lifting I did 1 set of 10 reps of each thing.0
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So, here is what the back of my LA Fitness workout log book has to say about eating before a workout:
Eat enough in advance so that you are not working out on a full stomach,but not so far in advance that you are hungry or starting your workout with lowered blood sugar levels. Working out on a full stomach can cause an upset stomach as blood is diverted away from the stomach to the working muscles. Working out on an empty stomach can cause you to feel dizzy and nauseated due to lowered blood sugar levels. Eating before exercise increases blood sugar levels- this reduces fatigue, improves performance and extends exercise duration.
>easy to digest carbohydrate-rich foods are ideal. Great food choices include: grain products (bread, cereal and bagels), hot and cold cereal, pasta, potatoes, rice, yogurt, fruit and energy bars. Fruit juice, 1% milk and sports drinks are good carbohydrate rich fluids.
Eat palatable, familiar,well-tolerated foods. Eating food you're not used to before exercising can upset your stomach.
The size of your meal should be reduced the closer to exercise it is consumed. Wait several hours after eating a regular sized meal before exercising heavily to permit adequate digestion. High fat items may delay stomach emptying and digestion-avoid fried foods, bacon, sausage, and cheese prior to working out. Limit high fiber foods (bran cereals and beans) before exercise to avoid abdominal cramping and a possible urgent trip to the bathroom.
The best PRE-workout meal and timing for an individual depends on personal preferences, experience and eating habits that day.0 -
I usually go yo the gym after the office and if hungry I eat nuts otherwise I don't eat anything prior to it.0
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Thanks for the info.
My hunger level varies from day to day. Like I got up at 8 today, ate breakfast and went to school and I normally have a snack during one of my 3 classes and I didn't, went straight to the gym after school and wasn't hungry until way after the gym but I ate a protein bar on the way to my car anyway then when I got home a few hours after the gym I ate dinner. Today I only ate about 780 calories(I ate a few extra so MFP wouldn't yell at me ) but I really hate eating when I'm not hungry. But some days I am always hungry no matter what i eat or how much water I drink, so I can easily consume 1200-1500 calories.
I think I'm going to experiment with it a little and see what's best for me. Today worked, but next time may not. I'm going to keep a protein bar on me at all times just incase.0
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