Thread: Best breakfast before the gym and cardio?

Firstly I would say add some good carbs in there. I normally have oats or muesli and a piece of fruit like a banana. You will need these carbs for energy during your workout.

Very simply put you will need to plan a diet with calorie excess with the right mix of protein carbs and fats. You will need this in order to build muscle.

Get enough protein !!!

Get a meal in since its that long after you wake up.

Personally, I don't like to eat a big meal before training. If i have enough time, I'll eat a light meal of protein and carbs, but if not, I just make a protein shake and add some carbs and blend it all up.

right now I have been eating 4-6 hard boiled egg whites with 1 cup up strawberries or a nectarine, then I have one scoop of protien with 1 scoop of 1MR right before I leave for the gym

It all depends how you feel after breakfast like that, but I think MDR is eating right.

9 am 3 eggs 1 yolk, 2 cups pasta n sauce 12 noon 1.5 cups brown rice 4 0z chikn brest 3 pm med coffee 1 sweetnr 3:20 warmup at gym and then ITS ON!!! 45min-1hr wieght training 35 min cardio home for a shake creatin ,l-glutamine, chicn rice dinner and 2 bannas for bed , this is a typical lift day for me, my energy level durning workout is exceptionally well fortified i love it my .02

Originally Posted by magger

9 am 3 eggs 1 yolk, 2 cups pasta n sauce 12 noon 1.5 cups brown rice 4 0z chikn brest 3 pm med coffee 1 sweetnr 3:20 warmup at gym and then ITS ON!!! 45min-1hr wieght training 35 min cardio home for a shake creatin ,l-glutamine, chicn rice dinner and 2 bannas for bed , this is a typical lift day for me, my energy level durning workout is exceptionally well fortified i love it my .02

I just ate dinner-now I'm hungry again...

thanks magger

i usually have 2 scoops whey, 1 cup oats pre workout blended in a shake. i wake up at 8 and hit the gym at 10.

for the most part I vary my caloric intake depending on what my activity level is going to be in the next couple of hours after the meal. so I would not consume nearly as many calories before a cardio only workout than a resistance training workout.

if I don't have time to let a whole food meal digest then I do they whey shake and oatmeal thing and hit the gym after that. If i eat a whole food meal then I try to time it so it's at least been 1.5 hours until I start training. this way a good portion of the food has emptied from my stomach has migrated further down the GIT

i say go with a couple eggs, some egg whites, and oats... or even throw your eggs in a whole wheat wrap for a breakfast burrito.

however on a cardio only day i would prob go with something a little lighter like a shake with some fruit and a lil oats in it and all blended up

According to my 7-8 egg whites are the best option.

1 whole egg
4 egg whites
2 slices of sprouted grain bread
1 multi vitamin
2 Fish Oils
Green Tea


This does it for me.

Originally Posted by vortrit

1 whole egg
4 egg whites
2 slices of sprouted grain bread

dude you got to throw some cheese on that! yummy...

Originally Posted by LAM

dude you got to throw some cheese on that! yummy...

Not a bad idea.

Originally Posted by MDR

I just ate dinner-now I'm hungry again...

2hrs before training i eat a lot, but than nothing. 30min before the training i eat one chocolate puding(to lift the blood sugars), you could also try glucose, and it works out great for me!

i do exercise in empty stomach this will help me in loosing weight instead of having breakfast before exercise

Eat breakfast as usual when you wake up. Then drink a shake before you leave for the gym. Not very complicated assuming your diet is in check.

I workout at 5am so I usually just have a few eggs, 1 piece of whole grain toast with PB before and then have a protien shake after my shower. I know many of you do not eat much before you workout but I get the shakes if I don't. Plus it helps to get an extra small protien and carb meal in mid-morning before lunch.

Originally Posted by 07bobber

What should I eat for breakfast on lifting days?

You can NEVER go wrong with eggs and oats bro.

I am not sure if anyone has mentioned eggs yet. Try to keep the ratio of whites to whole eggs around 4 to 1. For the carbs, I eat 3-4 pieces of Ezekiel bread with Pam butter flavored spray. Then a banana and 1/3 cup in a isolate protein shake.

Do cardio first thing in the morning before eating and I peronally cant do a leg work out during the day, feel much stronger in the evening after eating all day. All evening workouts are stronger.

Even on weekends I prefer to eat a second meal before I workout. I'll wake up around 10:00 and eat a multigrain bagel (300 cals, 60g carbs, 12g protein) with 2 tbls natural PB (200 cals; 16g fat; 8g protein), 3 eggs (210 cals; 15g fat; 18g protein), 2 cups milk (160 cals, 22g carbs, 18g protein), 1 tbls olive oil (120 cals; 13g fat), 1 tbls flax oild (120 cals, 13g fat), and 2 multivitamins.

Then, around 1:30 or 2:00 I'll have my pre-workout meal. Right now I train 4 days a week with 3 of those days also having a 3.5 - 6 km run. On those days I eat slightly more, so most pre-workout meals will look like this: 170g whole wheat spaghetti (600 cals; 120g carbs; 24g protein), 4 oz lean ground beef (depending on cooking method -- I pan fry and drain fat -- about 150 cals, 12-15g fat-ish, 25g protein), 1/2 cup sauce (80 cals, 10g carbs), and 1-1.5 cups broccoli (raw). Immediately prior to my workout I'll take about 3.5g BCAAs.

Post-workout will be 1/2 cup oats, 1/2 cup skim cottage cheese, 1 scoop whey isolate. I'll also take another 3.5g BCAAs, though I may decrease the pre- and post-workout BCAAs to about half that to (a) save money and (b) account for the fact that 1 scoop of my whey brand contains 5.5g BCAAs, and I also eat 6 eggs a day and a decent amount of meat and dairy, which is high in BCAAs as well.

2 scoops of protein pwder (Metabolic Drive has great flavors and uses Whey Isolate and Casein) mixed in with 2 oz of plain non fat yogurt and a 1oz of water.
Delivers a great low carb, low sugar, high protein boost.

I like to go with a protein shake in the morning (I'm too lazy to make real food at 6am in the morning). Sometimes I'll have a Quest protein bar if I'm running real late. Anyways, you wanna make sure you're not putting junk into your system to start off the day.