Thread: first thing in the morning or not

depends on your goals. If your cutting then I say yes, do cardio 1st thing upon waking up, but if your bulking then I say don't do any cardo. Just my opinion though.

For sure...if you're cutting I have found that cardio first thing in the morning on an empty stomach is the BEST approach. Not only do you have less glycogen in your body at that time (meaning you should burn more cals from fat stores) but it also stimulates your metabolism for the day. In my experience it also tends to decrease cravings and overall hunger for the morning.

Be sure to get a healthy dose of protein into your body asap after the cardio though.

You may want to do HIIT cardio as well. Ex, 1 minute of walking, then 1 minute of jogging, then 1 minute of full out running. Keep this cycle up for 20 to 30 minutes.

If you are worried about it, have a scoop of whey with water before you start. No carbs!

It only makes sense If you are trying to cut fat to do your cardio when your body will start burning fat stored like in the morning, instead of the body using the energy that you just put in it from a meal.

no matter what, when doing cardio the first energy source that is used is stored glycogen.

personally, I do not think it makes a difference when you work-out, whether it be cardio or weight training.

u can weight train first thing in the morning?

but on empty stomach in the morning, u use muscle aswell, isnt the whole to preserv the muscle

Originally posted by raider6969
but on empty stomach in the morning, u use muscle aswell, isnt the whole to preserv the muscle

it does not matter what's in your stomach, it matters what is stored in your muscles and liver.

long duration cardio will be catabolic no matter when you do it, that's why you will find that none of us here (or at least most) only do HIIT cardio.

Unless you have a reason, e.g. a sport that requires endurance, there is really no reason to do long duration cardio.

Originally posted by raider6969
u can weight train first thing in the morning?

I don't, I prefer evenings, but why would you think you cannot?

weight training on an empty stomach first thing in the morning ,will give u the same results as if u had eaten b4?

as for cardio, i think i will be switching from 1st thing in the morning to afternoon (same time as i weight train). i believe i've lost muscle doing it in the morning.

It's fine to do your weights in the morning but I know when I tried it my strength and endurance was considerably less.

i've been reading many articles, one says do cardio on empty stomach in the morning,one says never to do that.
if u can lose max 1.5-2 lbs per week to avoid losing muscle, why r u guys saying to do cardio on empty stomach for more fat loss?

Originally posted by raider6969
why r u guys saying to do cardio on empty stomach for more fat loss?

I am not.

is it ok to do cardio an hour and a half after a meal?

From my experience cardio first thing in the morning works for me...but there could be somewhat of a "placebo" effect happening there...I think the important thing to remember that cardio anytime is better than no cardio at all.

Try different strategies and see what works best for you! We're all different and if you haven't realized yet you will soon......many fitness experts, competitors, and writers disagree on a lot of things that's why it's important to try things on yourself to see what works best for you!

freak-ur right, ill experiment different ways .thanx

Originally posted by raider6969
u can weight train first thing in the morning?

Test spikes in the mornings, GH is released in more volume at night, so there are reasons for using either method - as always there are different opinions.

Mudge...soo true

This may sound odd but I actually like training legs in the morning...although NOT on an empty stomach. I find that the useage they get afterwards from walking around all day reduces my soreness.