Morning Workouts

Hi Everyone,

I am going to start hitting the gym before work.  Get there at about 6:00am, hop on the bike for 10-15 minutes, then work out one muscle for 20-30 minutes, swing home for a shower and breakfast then head to work.

Now the question:  Work it be smart to drink a protein shake or eat a clif bar or something before working out?  And if so, do I absolutely need to eat/drink 30 minutes before working out?  I'm looking to gain some muscle through this routine, any insight, comments, suggestions would be great!

Thanks!

Work it be smart to drink a protein shake or eat a clif bar or something before working out?....

Yes

And if so, do I absolutely need to eat/drink 30 minutes before working out? 

 yes

You dont need a big meal before your workout but it would be smart to have something. And muscles need to be repaired after a workout so you should eat a balanced meal after your workout. It doesnt have to be exactly 30 minutes but i would say within the first hour.

Original Post by ching12:

Work it be smart to drink a protein shake or eat a clif bar or something before working out?....

Yes

And if so, do I absolutely need to eat/drink 30 minutes before working out? 

 yes

 

You dont need a big meal before your workout but it would be smart to have something. And muscles need to be repaired after a workout so you should eat a balanced meal after your workout. It doesnt have to be exactly 30 minutes but i would say within the first hour.

 Complex Carbs are an essential component of a successful workout. Bc your body eventually converts all foods into glucose - some at faster rates than others - straight glucose is your body’s preferred energy source. As the most readily converted source of energy, carbohydrates should comprise the greatest proportion of your pre-wkout meals.

Eating too much before a workout can result in sluggishness and an upset stomach. But eating too little can end up leaving you hungry in the middle of your routine. Aim to eat about 200 calories within the hour before your workout. The majority of these calories should come from carbohydrates. Some snacks you can have before a workout include:

A half of a bagel with 1 tablespoon of sugar-free jam

1 cup of cereal with 1/2 cup of skim milk

6 ounces of light yogurt with 1/2 cup of fresh fruit

A banana and 20 mini-pretzels

An energy bar with less than 200 calories

Your post-workout nutrition should comprise a mix of carbohydrates (simple and complex) and protein, carbs to restore glycogen to muscle and protein to provide the necessary amino acids to rebuild muscle tissue. Ideally you should look for easily digestible forms of these nutrients - your body can break down and use the whey protein in a shake, for instance, more readily than it can the protein in a steak. Opinions are somewhat varied on the recommended ratio of carbs to protein in a post-workout meal, but a common recommendation is 4:1

Some great snacks after a workout can include:

Chocolate milk - add whey for the extra protein

Trail mix (you can make your own by combining a handful of nuts and dried fruit)

English muffin with peanut butter

Nutrition bar like Clif or Luna

Fruit and yogurt

Roast beef or turkey sandwich

Shake or smoothie (blend your own to avoid high sugar and calorie counts, or opt for a high-nutrient, low-calorie option like SlimFast)

Sliced apple with peanut butter or a cheese stick

You can also eat a full meal if the end of your workout coincides with mealtime

Wow, a thanks for all the information.  Right now I am thinking that i will eat a Clifbar before the workout, then have a whey protein shake afterwards (20g) and then eat breakfast.  I'm not too worried about calories because I wouldn't mind gaining some weight (I'm 6'4, 170ish lbs).  I see some similarities with what you provided and what I am looking to do.  How does my idea look from a food/calorie intake standpoint?

Sounds good...you may not be fully satisfied post-gym with just a protein shake. But that's just me. 

Also, just a heads up, I started going to the gym in the mornings recently and it generally leads me to being a lot hungrier over the course of the day. If I don't exercise in the morning, I get full alot faster as opposed to when I workout in the early morning. 

It's great for managing your time though!

fitnessgirl, morning workouts are great but for me the only problem is THERE IS NO BREAKFAST MEAL if I have to workout in the morning. the pre and post workout " snacks" consume my 400 cals for breakfast. there is no calories left for the morning and I feel hungry because I didn't sit down and had an actual meal. I don't know if anybody has the same problem?

so what I do is I don't eat anything before I workout ( maybe a small banana) then after workout, I go ahead for a nice big breakfast ( about 450-500 cals). what do you think?

I'm more looking to gain weight than to lose it.  So for me, that works out perfectly.

I workout at 5:30 AM. It's important to have something about 30 minutes before workout as others have said. I have a protein shake with a frozen banana (blended) before and after weight training vs cardio I have another, just protein powder and 8 oz of water before I leave the gym. An apple or another fruit on the way home and 15 minutes later whole grain cereal with 1/2 cup or organic fat free milk or vanilla soy milk. You shouldn't eat your fruit and cereal (hot or cold) together as the fruit needs time to digest and if eaten together will putrify and lose valuable nutrients. You should aim to eat 5-6 small meals a day. My next meal is an egg (hard bolied if I am working, scrambled if I am home (with equivalent two egg whites) both with 2 slices of light 7 grain toast with almond butter. all other meals are protein, veggie and salad.  Youshould eat every 2-3 hours (small meals) up until you go to sleep. This will keep your metabolism going strong and you'll burn more calories throughout the day. On cardio days I do the same, but eliminate the second protein shake as it wouldn't be needed for muscle repair. Weights, M-W-F, Cardio HIIT Tu/Sat - Thursday off or steady cardio, Sunday off.

My recommendation would be to have a small protein bar (I prefer the Special-K meal bars) with 16-20 ounces of water 15- 30 minutes before you start the heavy workout.  When you wake up in the morning, your body is in a starvation state as well as dehydrated. Drinking water before the work out will greatly increase your stamina.

One more recommendation, I would recommend about a 5 minute warm-up on the elliptical, jump rope, jumping jacks, etc. Then go to the weight training before you do your cardio. You will not get as much out of the weight training if you go into it exhausted. However, the cardio is not affected by the weight training.

I am no expert, but I figured I would just give my two cents worth.

definitely eat something, because your body has been burning calories in your sleep, and working out first thing in the morning, your blood sugar is usually stable, and working out without eating anything can cause it to drop dramatically, and you could feel dizzy and even pass out if your blood sugar drops.

Definitely have at least a pc of fruit, or a something. 

try half an ounce of nuts (unless you're allergic) before you leave for your workout.  You definitely need to eat something so you don't poop out halfway through your workout.  It's less than a hundred calories so it leaves you more for breakfast afterwards; it's not enough to make you feel full and cause problems while you're working out; and it's just enough of a fuel up to get your metabolism going on it's own.  Your body will kick out some of its own reserved fuel as long as it doesn't think you're in starvation mode. 

I personally like to drink coffee with javanu protein creamer in it 30 minutes before cardio, so I don't burn any muscle for fuel while I am running. It doesn't make me lethargic and the caffeine gives me extra energy and gets my metabolism going.

Hi- I have used an author's suggestion and found it to be successful.  I am not an authority except for my personal experience.  I like Mackie Shilstone's fat-burning diet and workouts and he has me drinking a whey shake, just two scoops of whey and a cup and a half of water.  Also a Green tea supplement.  Both of these get your metabolism and performance to burn hotter for your workout.  The flavored whey is also more tolerable than plain water or gatorade on an empty stomach to get a little starter hydration.  Mackie is a "trainer to the stars".  

Aside, from my own experience, I found eating anything else to feel forced and intolerable, and you are so close to your workout that eating rather than drinking doesn't make any sense to me.  Recovery is a different topic and not something that you asked about but the whey is supposed to help there too.  Best, Dan

I also like to have a little coffee to give my stride a little spunk.  I don't really like to eat much at all before a workout because I tend to get nauseous...sometimes even from drinking water.  If I'm really really hungry before a workout I drink half a protein shake (one scoop light muscle milk with 10-15 oz water).  That seems to fill me up, give me energy and not make me sick. 

I've been working out in the morning for a couple years now- and I never eat before I go.  I'm just not hungry in the morning when I first wake up. I do have a protein shake after working out and then a small breakfast about an hour later.  I follow the 6-small meals a day routine. This seems to work out great for me, but everyone is different.  I can share my daily routine- It helps maintain a healthy weight and keeps me satisfied all day long.

Workout 5:30-6:30, protein shake right after workout, around 7:30 I eat either a healthy breakfast, 10:00 small healthy snack, 12:00 healthy lunch, 3:00 small healthy snack, 5:30 or 6:00 healthy dinner, and if I am hungry still I eat a small healthy snack around 8:00ish.

This keeps you full all day. It seems like alot, but it's really not. It is small healthy snacks and meals all day long.  Your healthy snacks should consist of fruits and veggies or yogurt.

Hope this helps- but rememeber that everyone's body is different- so find what works for you. :o)

Good Luck!!!  :o)

I make a smoothie on my way to work out at 5:15ish in the am and get about half of it down (125-150 calories) and workout shower and then finish my smoothie on the way to work. I don't have time for anything else. When I don't eat first I end of eating badly by grabbing something at Sonic (bacon egg and cheese burrito) and that kind of defeats the reason I am up at the butt crack of dawn. Planning out would be better for you then my craziness.....