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Training in the mornings fasted

By November 1, 2011January 13th, 201710 Comments

So it’s been a bit quite lately

I haven’t posted anything in around a month.
Why is that you ask?
Well, you probably don’t ask at all and are quite happy to read more influential guff such as Brown Cardigan – but hey, I’ll tell you anyway.

I’m prepping for my wedding and I’m also working with Rusty Moore on hopefully something BIG enough to write home about.

What I’ve learnt in my time away from the blogosphere is…

1) The word ‘Blogosphere’ should never be repeated again.
2) With the price of wedding photographers, there is no doubt in my mind why we all go to the trouble of fake tans, teeth whitening and the whole she-bang to make sure that bazillion dollars is well worth it.
3) People still enjoy f*cking around on unnecessary equipment at the gym. They really do.
4) 85% dark chocolate is the secret weapon to happiness. I am hooked.
5) Windshield wipers are the fricken BOMB (See video below).

Random thoughts aside…

I thought I’d give you a general update on where I’m at with my training and what is in fact WORKING for me.
You might have noticed that I’m doing a condensed version of Visual Impact (3 months instead of 6).
Still fasting every week-day until lunch time, and training in the morning at 6am.
I’ve also ditched all forms of creatine as well as any kind of pre-workout stimulants besides a strong, black coffee.
My BCAA intake has remained the same since the start of the year, and I’ll continue to ingest this nasty tasting crap until the cows come home.
Who the f*ck let the cows out anyway?

So yeah, I’ve found that training in the mornings fasted is GREAT for elevated energy levels.
I’ve found you can muster as much if not more strength during each lift (stimulants aside).

Things I’ve noticed from training in the mornings in a fasted state…

1) My energy levels are pretty similar with a black coffee (no sugar) as they were with any form of Jack3d or NO EXPLOD.
I actually feel better for not having all of that chemical crap surging through my system elevating my heart rate anyway.
2) I haven’t lost any muscle at all given the fact that I eat 2-3 times a day and don’t even eat post workout for some 4 hours.
3) My abs are looking pretty sharp these days, so lean gains is certainly doing it’s magic and allowing me to eat whatever the hell I want on the weekend.

Other reasons to try fasted training

A recent study suggests that fasted training allows the body to handle higher calorie loads for the times you over-indulge and keep your fat-fires burning optimally aswell as improve your glucose tolerance.
AND training in the fasted state optimally stimulates energy provision via fat oxidation. Can I hear a ‘WIN’ people?

Give intermittent fasting a try for elevated energy levels

If you haven’t jumped on the fasting band-wagon, and you’re worried about losing mass, or having zero energy in the gym to be able to train properly – I can honestly say, it works for me, and countless others.

Give it a shot.

Reference
Training in the fasted state improves glucose tolerance during fat-rich diet – J Physiol. 2010 Nov 1;588(Pt 21):4289-302.

Clint Nielsen

Author Clint Nielsen

Clint is a dad and husband trying to stay in shape. He's also a highly opinionated fitness enthusiast and author of Reveal The Steel. Follow him on: Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and Google+

More posts by Clint Nielsen

Join the discussion 10 Comments

  • Niko says:

    Clint,
    I am actually trying IF for 24hours once a week at the moment. I am now in my fifth week and am stoked with the results. Without loosing any strength my body fat levels have dropped by 2%, without having to change anything else with my training or nutrition. Good luck with you project with Rusty, the man is a legend.
    Niko

  • Clint,

    Fasted training is the best for fat loss. Another good thing about working out in the morning is you get it done and don’t have to worry about it later in the day. Have you tried Xtend for BCAAs? Doesn’t taste nasty at all… quite good actually but that’s just my opinion.

    Alykhan

  • I’m a big fan of cardio in the morning…my body never feels right doing strength training. Just not ready or motivated to throw around heavy weights. I’d echo Alykhan’s recommendation for Xtend, especially the new formula.

  • smokinZOMBi says:

    Training in the morning = WIN
    btw, congrats

  • Trey says:

    Congrats on the wedding. Don’t do what I did. Being happy and married is the whole reason I need to IF in the first place.

    I’m better now though. Welcome back to the blogosphere!

  • Clint Nielsen says:

    @Alykhan
    Im a huge Xtend fan yes. And as @Dave also mentioned, the new formula is pretty good.
    Sure, it tastes like crap, but I’m not taking it for the taste!

    @smokinZOMBi & Trey
    Thanks guys. Looking forward to being a married man, and also breaking the ‘contented’ husband hold :)

  • Clint,

    When I focus on fat loss, working out in a fasted state is the one trick my friends choose to pass up time and again. Even when they see I’m clearly getting better results than they are they still act like skeptics. Oh well! It just gives me something to brag about. Also, I’ve found sipping on black coffee does offer a boost when training, especially in the morning. It’s also helluva lot cheaper than keeping the cupboards filled with products like Jack3d. I like to keep my nutrition simple, and only use a few supplements at a time.

    -Mitchell

  • Cufonggbu says:

    I’m doing gymnastics strength training, I’ve been training straight arm strength like back lever, planche, front lever etc, I wonder if I can train while in a fasted state, since strength training needs glycogen.
    Thank you

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