Morning Workouts

Bigger Stronger Leaner Competitive Bodybuilding
1

This isn’t a question, but more of an update. A few months ago I asked some questions about morning workouts, nutrition, and stuff like that. Well, I’ve tried some things out, and this is my account of what’s happened so far. So skip this thread if you’re never going to work out in the morning. :slight_smile:

I’ve been working out before work for 2 months now, and have started to get things settled with my mornings. I have a job where they want me here at 9:00, so this allows for me to get to the gym by 7:00, with the gym being about 2-3 blocks from where I work.

I start my morning around 6:30ish with a half serving of a regular MRP. Something like 15-20g of protein, 5-10g of carbs, and little to no fat. This isn’t much, but I’d rather keep down a little than have a lot come back up later. I drink this on the way to the gym.

My post workout nutrition is pretty crappy right now, but I hope for that to change soon. It’s currently a P+F+C meal. :slight_smile: Once I stop cutting, I’ll start throwing in a proper post workout shake, then a meal.

Some have said that strength or mass gains are difficult in the morning. For the first month, I was a true believer in this. Some mornings I felt drained, while other mornings I felt peppy. After 3 weeks or so, I was almost ready to give up. My workout partner wasn’t, so we journeyed onward.

I started cutting about 4 weeks ago. I don’t know if it’s been the diet or me just getting used to working out in the morning, but my poundages in the gym are going up while my body weight’s going down. I feel damn good in the gym in the morning now. You know those workouts, where you come in, and you’re just in that zone. I’m getting those just about every day now. I’m lifting more on most lifts than I did before going to morning workouts. Maybe it relates to the Zen thing Magnus brought up, because the gym is pretty desolate at 7:00 in the morning.

My schedule has just been four days a week: Mon - quads, hammies; Tues - chest, bis; Thurs - back (w/deads), calves; Fri - shoulders, tris. The goal is to hopefully look real good nekkid in the next 2 months or so while keeping my strength at least where it is for now. So far it’s working. I would love to switch to Westside, but I’m having difficulty finding a place around here that is Westside friendly. :slight_smile:

A problem I just came across last night is that I’ll be going solo for at least 4 weeks, and I personally think much longer than that. My workout partner broke his wrist in 3 places the other night on his dominant hand. He won’t even have surgery until next week because of the swelling. :frowning:

Anyway, sorry for the rambling on the T&N forum, but a lot of people weren’t in favor of morning workouts, and they seem to be working for me so far. So there’s hope!

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i would be willing to bet that the reason that you are making more progress now while cutting, is simply because you are monitoring your diet more closley. sometimes when we are training for mass, we just kind of let things go and not really monitor our food intake too much.

as far as the up and down feeling. i would personally go with a p+f about 1.5 hours prior to training and a nice ec stack about 1/2 hour prior to training. i follow that protocol and i never, ever feel down in the gym regardless of what time i train.

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One of the good things about morning workouts… very few blockheads are in the gym in the morning. Usually, everyone there is all business.

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I’ll second what P-DOG said about the P+F meal prior to your workout. I’ve been doing this for a few months (and I workout in the morning a lot), and I think it’s helped. This recommendation that Berardi makes (without as much regard for when you train, just to not have a P+C meal too close to training). My first meal usually consists of cottage cheese, grow, and some form of fats (PB, walnuts, etc). Also, and I know you know this, I’d cut out the P+C+F meal as soon as possible. Especially as post-workout. My training partner and I have made some great gains in the last year, and I attribute it greatly to using Surge during & post-workout. Definitly a “must” in the food/supplement category IMHO.

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Oh, yeah, one other thing. I’ve been working out in the morning for several years. It’s been my experience that it takes about 3-4 months for your body to get adjusted to getting up and working out first thing. Once you’re adapted, you’re fine. That sounds like what you’ve experienced as well. I’ve made strength gains working out in the morning. You’re still dealing with the body being in a somewhat depleted state, etc., though. Another good reason to use Surge during your workout in the morning, and to have the P+F meal prior.