Morning weight lifting, evening cardio

carmelasilrod
carmelasilrod Posts: 3 Member
edited November 2024 in Fitness and Exercise
Ok so, my 2nd job is a group fitness instructor in the evenings Monday through Thursday teaching bootcamp and step. I started a month ago my weight lifting at 5am so that I can just do my classes in the evening. I will have a piece of toast with almond butter a half hour before I start my weight training then when I'm finished I will have 1/2 a banana and my protein shake. I stay fueled through out the day ever couple of hours. My question is, I know cardio is best in the morning but sense I have to do it in the evening because of my job, am I defeating the purpose of trying to build lean muscle and lose body fat by doing it in the morning?

Replies

  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,436 Member
    Why is cardio best in the morning? I've never heard that before.

  • carmelasilrod
    carmelasilrod Posts: 3 Member
    I've done reading on 2 a day workouts and everything pointed to cardio in the morning on a fasted state for losing body fat.
  • FatWithFatness
    FatWithFatness Posts: 315 Member
    carmelasilrod wrote: »
    I've done reading on 2 a day workouts and everything pointed to cardio in the morning on a fasted state for losing body fat.

    That's an old body building "technique", it doesn't really matter.
  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,436 Member
    I thought the fasted cardio thing had been debunked.
  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,436 Member
    You know what the best exercise is, @carmelasilrod? The one you will consistently do. So, if you have a workout schedule that is working for you, do that.
  • DX2JX2
    DX2JX2 Posts: 1,921 Member
    I think I have read that there's benefit to weight lifting in the evening. Something about having higher levels of growth hormone or something so you can work out harder.

    That said, cardio is just as effective in the evening as it is in the morning. It doesn't matter if you're fasted or not; that's really a personal preference.
  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,487 Member
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    carmelasilrod wrote: »
    I've done reading on 2 a day workouts and everything pointed to cardio in the morning on a fasted state for losing body fat.

    You lose body fat when you're in a calorie deficit...doing fasted cardio does not in and of itself result in losing body fat. I do fasted cardio frequently as it is beneficial for endurance athletes...I'm not losing body fat because I eat maintenance calories. I will use more fat for fuel in a fasted state, but the human body is always cycling between fat oxidation and storage...so while I may use more fat for fuel for that particular activity, I'm going to store fat later...and burn some fat later...and store some fat later, etc, etc, etc.

    For net fat loss you just have to be in a calorie deficit...anything else is over-complicating that which is not complicated.

    Can't be said any better than this.
  • carmelasilrod
    carmelasilrod Posts: 3 Member
    Thank you! Maybe I do to much reading but I've heard several different things. I just find it easier to do my weight lifting in the morning that way my cardio is in the evening. I eat just a piece of toast and almond butter because I don't want to fill to full while I'm working out. I eat the banana and protien shake after to restore glycogen stores quickly and repair muscle. A couple hours later I have a complete high protein/carb breakfast.
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