Thread: Workout session after dinner???

you never workout on an empty stomach in the am. you have to either have a shake with some form of carb or eat a whole food meal then wait a good hour before hitting the gym...

if you train after dinner then you have to eat according to that. you obviously can't stuff yourself but eat a sensible sized meal with a quality protein and a moderate serving of comple carbohydrates..

Yeah should be no probs. I find it best to work out maybe 1-1.5 hours after a meal. As for your energy level, guess it depends on your day's activities.

Originally Posted by KarlW

Yeah should be no probs. I find it best to work out maybe 1-1.5 hours after a meal. As for your energy level, guess it depends on your day's activities.

Hey Karl, I like your sig. Great book!

thanks Rock and back at ya!

Way off topic (and forum) I know but I learnt about JC (ha ......JC !!!) through months, nay years of reading investing/trading books and doing my own research and experimentation. Basically, I learnt that with enough analysis of the self (largely the Ego and it's tributaries) you come to understand that the answer you seek is already inside you, and is a part of you.
Anyway that's a bit deep this time of night (it's 9pm here).......hey Rock you only got 5lbs for your goal deadlift weight? what then?

Originally Posted by KarlW

thanks Rock and back at ya!

Way off topic (and forum) I know but I learnt about JC (ha ......JC !!!) through months, nay years of reading investing/trading books and doing my own research and experimentation. Basically, I learnt that with enough analysis of the self (largely the Ego and it's tributaries) you come to understand that the answer you seek is already inside you, and is a part of you.
Anyway that's a bit deep this time of night (it's 9pm here).......hey Rock you only got 5lbs for your goal deadlift weight? what then?

It's 5:14am here and I've been up since 1pm yesterday. So, yeah, that's a bit deep for me right now, LOL. My name is a bit deep for me right now

Yeah, I got 5lbs from my goal and then hurt my back. Doesn't that suck!!! So I'll be starting from scratch again it feels, LOL.

That's the only time I workout. I eat dinner, relax for 30 minutes to an hour and hit the weights for an hour or more. Works great for me!

I don't like lifting anywhere within 2 hours of last eating. I hate having my stomach feel the slightest bit bloated/full. But that's just me personally.

I've read that you should eat a sensible meal, then rest for one hour before working out. Of course, that'll be different for everybody, but it seems like you'd be just fine. I usually wait about 1-1.5 hours after a meal (eat once I get home from school and then wait to work out).

This is a commonly asked question. Just workout when it best fits your schedule. If you workout at night, then at least try to get in as many meals as you can after lifting.

Also, do not lift on an empty stomach. Eat breakfast before you hit the weight if you workout first thing in the morning.

I have consistantly worked out after dinner. Even in high school I worked out after dinner (that was like over 25 yrs ago BTW). I just seem to have more energy for a work out at the end of the day. I WO at home and in the evening it is a way for me to wind down and focus on me. As far as meals go, I have a PWO shake right after the WO, and a cottage cheese shake just before bed. Lately, I have been making an additional shake and drink it about 4 hours after going to be. I drink a lot of water in the evening, so I do not sleep thru the nite with out having to get up and make my bladder gladder. At that time, I down the other shake. This way I get in 8 meals and never go more than 4 hours without a meal each and every day. I have been doing this for about 3 weeks now. In a few months I will know if the extra shake is effective for me or not.

I have a question if you don't mind guys....

Some of you here have said 'don't lift on an empty stomach'. Why is that? I have been doing this for 8 months now and have seen both a dramatic decrease in fat and an impressive increase in mass (well impressive for me as I've never seen muscle on this body until recently - I'm 39 years old and feel awesome now) . I hit the weights for half an hour, and do cardio for half an hour 5 days a week WITHOUT FAIL.

I diet well, take in a sensible amount of protein proportionate to my body weight, eat 6 times a day, etc and have had no problems what so ever lifting on an empty stomach. I visit the gym at 0615 A.M, 5 days a week and the thought of eating anything half an hour before working out makes me feel sick :-)

I take in a shake no more than 15 minutes Post WO, take multi vitamins and BCAAs, etc. No drugs.

So why do you say don't lift on an empty stomach? As this is the only way I have ever worked out the comments don't make a great deal of sense to me.

If you think that I can make considerable gains by changing my diet habits prior to WO then let me know. Although I wake at 0530 and head straight to the gym. I don’t want to miss out on anymore sleep, so waking earlier to eat isn’t acceptable. I struggle to get 6 hours decent sleep as it is and after reading the info on this BB, I know that sleep is VERY important if I want to grow.

Lastly I’d like to know how you guys don't heave the contents of your guts on the floor with a belly full of food when throwing the iron around. All my workouts are High intensity, 4 set, 6 rep max and max weight.

Best regards

Troy

if you had to workout after dinner than wait a while, there is no how to instructions for everyone. Your going to have to play around. If you could, its best to workout in the morning-evening reason being is your test levels are naturally higher (hence morning wood) also cause your energy levels have peaked right around noonish one o'clock (that is if you get up when you should)

Originally Posted by Jav

I have a question if you don't mind guys....

Some of you here have said 'don't lift on an empty stomach'. Why is that? I have been doing this for 8 months now and have seen both a dramatic decrease in fat and an impressive increase in mass (well impressive for me as I've never seen muscle on this body until recently - I'm 39 years old and feel awesome now) . I hit the weights for half an hour, and do cardio for half an hour 5 days a week WITHOUT FAIL.

how long have you been working out ?

You're seeing these gains because you have only been working out for 8 months. Your gains are going to start to taper off. Beginners gain rapidly as their body tries to adapt to such an intense, new stimulus.

When you wake up in the morning, you are in a catabolic state. You need to remedy this ASAP. You need to eat immediately after waking up. Why make the situation worst with exercise?

in the morning-afternoon. I agree with you that your body releases huge amounts of CORTISOL which is a catabolic hormone, but not necessarily in catabolic state. Your body does this because when you sleep it needs to grow, (releasing growth hormoneS) when your body does something it always tries to equal out its act. Your body tries to stabalize itself. Or keep things equal, this is called equalibrium.

But you do grow in your sleep.. if you were in catabolic state all the time when you woke up or when you were sleeping you would indeed never grow....

Originally Posted by Dmwrss

in the morning-afternoon. I agree with you that your body releases huge amounts of CORTISOL which is a catabolic hormone, but not necessarily in catabolic state. Your body does this because when you sleep it needs to grow, (releasing growth hormoneS) when your body does something it always tries to equal out its act. Your body tries to stabalize itself. Or keep things equal, this is called equalibrium.

But you do grow in your sleep.. if you were in catabolic state all the time when you woke up or when you were sleeping you would indeed never grow....

This is true, but your hormones only go so far. You run out of the proper nutritional items your body needs by the time you awake from sleeping 7 hours or more. Not enough energy and amino acids means no increase in muscle mass. You're fine, as long as you eat when you wake up. Exercising exacerbates the situation.

Originally Posted by Dmwrss

I agree with you that your body releases huge amounts of CORTISOL which is a catabolic hormone, but not necessarily in catabolic state.

the body is always in one of two states, anabolic or catabolic, there is no inbetween. the body begins to enter catabolism when the lower GI is empty which that can be 2-3 hours after the last meal depending on the nutritional content of that meal..

Originally Posted by CowPimp

This is true, but your hormones only go so far. You run out of the proper nutritional items your body needs by the time you awake from sleeping 7 hours or more. Not enough energy and amino acids means no increase in muscle mass. You're fine, as long as you eat when you wake up. Exercising exacerbates the situation.

hence I said morning to evening (depending on if you get up when you should) most people think morning is always the time you wake up, but some people wake up around noon. Thats when your body SHOULD be peaking in energy and stamina if you got up when you should. Even 8 is pretty late. I think 6am is the perfect time to get up if you have a long day ahead of you. There giving you 6 hours to sober up from your lethargic slumber. Your body is already worn and torn by the time you've ate dinner from the hectic day at work stress equals cortisol. So if you think about it.... your probably better off not working out at night. Ever heard the old saying I'll feel better when I wake up tomorrow morning???? lol

Originally Posted by LAM

the body is always in one of two states, anabolic or catabolic, there is no inbetween. the body begins to enter catabolism when the lower GI is empty which that can be 2-3 hours after the last meal depending on the nutritional content of that meal..

agree

Well I am still confused...

No one mentioned what I should eat when I get up at 0530, before I hit the gym at 0615, nor did anyone mention what they consume before hittng the gym. All I got out of the above is that there are a many people who disagree with each other...

OK, to make things easier, rather than offer open ended questions, here's a few closed questions for you:

What should I consume 40 minutes before going to the gym that won't end up on the gym floor 10 minutes into an intense WO?

What do you guys eat before WO and how long do you consume that meal before gym?

Is there anyone out there like me that wakes at 0530 to hit the gym at 0615/0630? If so, what do you eat b4 gym? How long have you been doing this? How are your results?

If I consume a meal before gym can I still consume my protein/carb shake post WO?

Lastly, I can't WO any later in the day, it's just not possible. Although I find that it's the best start to the day. Once I have worked out, taken my shake, taken a shower I am buzzing the rest of the day. Awesome. Although I admit that at 8.00PM I am so tired...

Anyway, thanks gents, this is an interesting thread, please continue.

Troy

ahh yet another mistake i could be making i usually have something to eat several hours after gym cause i dont like stitches as im doing 1 mile run for cardio only takes about 9 mins though