View Full Version : Early Morning Workout Question
derekppal
08-01-10, 3:09 pm
I wanted to take a quick poll of the folks who get up and head to the gym to lift right away. I get up at 4:30 AM and take my Animal Pump then head out to be at the gym by 5:00 AM. This is for lifting, not cardio. I then have a good breakfast when I return home before going to work.
The main thing I am trying to get a sense of is whether or not most people eat something first or take supps (pills or shakes) before this early morning workout.
Thanks for your input.
zubda345
08-01-10, 3:19 pm
Hello, Well I have never used PUMP but I have used CUTS 2 times. I would eat after my workout weather it was lifting or cardio. It's also written on the Pack that for max results you should take it empty stomach. But that was Cuts for Cutting basically. You Should prolly wait till any one else gives his suggestion.
U should also check DAILY DOSE in this section, that might also help ya.
http://www.animalpak.com/html/sections.cfm?id=59
Good Luck.
AntoineV
08-01-10, 3:20 pm
You should eat before working out.. I'd be afraid of getting too catabolic.... What you could do is get UNIVERSAL REAL GAINS... and drink a full serving before working out... you would have enough calories to go through the workout and it doesnt take time...
take animal pump when you get up... at 4 30... take the real gains shake at 5 am...go workout and then eat breakfast.
what I am starting is working out doing a cardio workout after i get up. I started doing P90X cardio sessons on my off days in the morning. I got up this morning, drank a large glass of water and got started.
PORTERHOUSE
08-01-10, 3:36 pm
I wanted to take a quick poll of the folks who get up and head to the gym to lift right away. I get up at 4:30 AM and take my Animal Pump then head out to be at the gym by 5:00 AM. This is for lifting, not cardio. I then have a good breakfast when I return home before going to work.
The main thing I am trying to get a sense of is whether or not most people eat something first or take supps (pills or shakes) before this early morning workout.
Thanks for your input.
Training on an empty stomach is no good.
T. Kemble
08-01-10, 3:38 pm
You should eat before working out.. I'd be afraid of getting too catabolic.... What you could do is get UNIVERSAL REAL GAINS... and drink a full serving before working out... you would have enough calories to go through the workout and it doesnt take time...
take animal pump when you get up... at 4 30... take the real gains shake at 5 am...go workout and then eat breakfast.
I'm right on board with antoniev, you can't train on an empty stomach and expect to be at your full potential without fuel in your stomach. Real gains would be a great choice for quality protein and carbs, another option to consider could be (if you can't handle it on your stomach) would be to take your pump and 1 scoop of ultra iso whey together at 5am then training at 530. An influx of calories/aminos/creatine with caffeine would be great fuel for your workout, followed by a large, complete whole food breakfast.
The main point is that you need to get in calories first thing in the am if you expect to have a productive workout.
AlphaBrass01
08-01-10, 4:34 pm
I get up at 4:00 and eat a small meal with some Beef Aminos. I take a few minutes to get things ready, then take Pump and mix up some Intra-Aid at 4:30. I'm at the gym at 5:00. It works for me.
This question cannot be answered without asking if you are a competetive athlete...
When I am training for a bodybuilding contest...depending upon where I am in my prep...I will perform cardio at 4:00AM on an empty stomach.
Context is the most important element here.
Good luck.
MACHINE
Training on an empty stomach is no good.
Agree. Did it for a long time, the not eating before gym thing. I started waking up earlier to eat, I can feel the dif.
I get up at 4:00 and eat a small meal with some Beef Aminos. I take a few minutes to get things ready, then take Pump and mix up some Intra-Aid at 4:30. I'm at the gym at 5:00. It works for me.
Same here
I wake up at 5. Eat at 5:20 - 5:30 Ussually pronutro or weatbix. Kinda same as oats. Fast and easy to make. 6:00 I take my pump and lift at 6:30.
So I basicly eat 30 min before I take my Pump. Someone told me (can't remember who) that pump won't compete against protein (could be wrong here), so eating a half an hour before hand is fine.
I'm up at 5, take 2 beef amino, 2 uni-livers and a whey shake. Then at 545 I take my N.O., work out starts at 6. I've tried eating real food at 5 and it just too heavy on my stomach to put in a good session. Ya gotta listen to your body, and do what works for you.
Hey bro when i hit those early AM workouts, I always eat fruit and a pack of Nitro. Then Pump. Then Lift. You want those quick quality carbs preworkout, especially on an empty stomach. Try eating an apple or a can of pineapple. Mandarin oranges have to be my favorite AM pre workout snack.
Cellardweller
08-02-10, 3:03 pm
I work midnights, so "first thing in the morning" can be subjective. I usually get about 6 hours of sleep, wake, eat some eggs and oats and/or fruit, take my PAK and STAK then hit the weights. I never work out on an empty stomach. I feel weak and get nauseated if I do.
squattingtillipuke
08-02-10, 4:39 pm
I also hit the early am workouts...my mornings consist of an apple/banana and 2 scoops of whey.
Pump 30 min later and then the weights shortly there after.
Do you like Peanut butter? My favorite preworkout snack is a PB and jelly sandwich with a small vanilla whey shake. It's not to heavy for the a.m. workout, but it gives you the fast (jelly) and slow(wheat) digesting carbs along with some fast digesting protien in the whey. You also get the good fats from the PB, which happens to be my favorite food anyway, lol.
Shaun
derekppal
08-02-10, 7:11 pm
Thanks for all the feedback folks. I am going to set the alrm for half an hoir earlier tomorrow to eat half hour before taking pump. Maybe this is just what I need to get by my current plateau.
Derek
71bbo455
08-02-10, 7:32 pm
I no longer work out in the am due to my job. But back when I was in high school I used to alarm at 4:30 eat some oatmeal and a little honey for both slow and fast carbs and hit the gym at 5. Once done back home to eat a big breakfast and off to school. Doing cardio on an empty stomach is good but the guys are right not training. You end up burning muscle for the energy due to not having any fuel in your system. Good luck and find what works for you. Might take some trial and error but keep at it.
Training on an empty stomach is no good.
Define empty. I prefer lifting on an empty-ish stomach. Mind you I train as a powerlifter, so I dont take the whole catabolic thing into effect. Normally when I do morning workouts I will down 1-2 bottles of water, along with 3 uni, 50 gms whey, and a bananna/apple. Im usually in the gym 90-120 mins later. Ive always enjoyed lifting with a light stomach, I actually feel more of a "pump". Also, I have had some samples of real gains. I couldnt imagine having that before I went into a heavy session.
Edit-I also eat some type of carbs within 1-2 hours of bed too, if that makes any difference in an AM workout.
PORTERHOUSE
08-03-10, 12:58 pm
Define empty. I prefer lifting on an empty-ish stomach. Mind you I train as a powerlifter, so I dont take the whole catabolic thing into effect. Normally when I do morning workouts I will down 1-2 bottles of water, along with 3 uni, 50 gms whey, and a bananna/apple. Im usually in the gym 90-120 mins later. Ive always enjoyed lifting with a light stomach, I actually feel more of a "pump". Also, I have had some samples of real gains. I couldnt imagine having that before I went into a heavy session.
Edit-I also eat some type of carbs within 1-2 hours of bed too, if that makes any difference in an AM workout.
I'm talking about training with no energy to burn. I don't like training on a full stomach myself, I have to eat a very small pre work out meal to make sure Im not too full to train. Either way, it's better to have fuel to burn.
msktyshha
08-03-10, 6:04 pm
I workout at 9:30am. breakfast is at 8:00am, I let it do it's thing for 1 hour then take my shock therapy then workout 30mins later.
Symbiote
08-04-10, 3:57 pm
Machine has it right if you're a competitive athlete you make a lot more sacrifice than just the average (hoping none of you are) gym-goer. I get up at 4AM and take CUTS and PAK and I'm at the gym by 430AM hit cardio and bodyweight exercise workouts for about an hour and a half. Meaning whatever cardio broken up by a pullup, pushup, squat circuit. I'm always on an empty stomach I feel like having more energy to get through the work day and leading up to my 2nd workout of heavy weights followed by HIIT is better than a couple hundred calories in the morning.
Machine
08-04-10, 10:37 pm
I think clearly identifying one's athletic goals is the prime factor in proper implimentation of athletic programming.
All knowledge is borrowed...it is a fool who believes he can possess knowledge indefinately...the only way to ensure the equitable immortality of knowledge is to share it.
MACHINE
Back when I used to train at 6:30am I always got up early to make sure I had time for some food. Wouldn't feel right to train on an empty stomach.
As mentioned though, depends on what your goals are. Competitive bodybuilders getting ready for a show have been known to get up in the middle of the night for cardio.
Jay Cutler says he usually sleeps on the sofa/couch so he wouldn't wake his wife.
The Misfit
08-05-10, 10:12 am
Jay Cutler says he usually sleeps on the sofa/couch so he wouldn't wake his wife.
That there is the secret to a long lasting marriage.
tdiesel
08-05-10, 11:26 am
i always found it better to eat a light meal a 1/2 hour before workouts in the morning whether i did cardio or weights. the thing to remember is that you body has not had nutrients since your last meal before sleep. your body needs food to fuel your workouts.
I found that, FOR ME, noon or after is the best time for me to workout. Tried going in at like 6 a.m. and my body said "fuck this.."
IN IRON,
BB-
Shahabidabi
09-27-11, 3:13 pm
I found that, FOR ME, noon or after is the best time for me to workout. Tried going in at like 6 a.m. and my body said "fuck this.."
IN IRON,
BB-
x2 Bro
I used to have to work at 8am and I tried waking up at 5 to eat and workout, I made it about 3 days before i changed my workout. I've recently started working at 1200 and waking up at 0800. That works great for me, plenty of time to eat, workout and shower before heaing to work. Doing great things in the gym now. Amazing how just a simple time change changes so much.
tatersalad
09-27-11, 3:54 pm
I'm up by 4:30am (take Cuts). Small protein shake at 5am and out the door. Working out by 5:30am.