A.M. workout?

R

RBurke

Active Member
Hi all.
I have been reading some stuff on weight training lately on the internet. There is so much conflicting information about weight loss, bodybuilding and cardio workouts! I looked at one web page called www.fatlosstips.com. This guy seems to be pretty smart about working out. He claims that working out in the morning before your first meal is the best time to do cardio for fat loss. I have been doing all of my workouts in the afternoon after work. However, I am open to doing my cardio in the mornings and weight training in the evenings. Has anyone had any experience with this? Do you feel like you are going to pass out from not eating before working out? I usually wake up very hungry so I am concerned that I can't really do what he suggests but I might give it a try. I am currently resting because I have shin splints. I am getting some custom inserts for my workout shoes this Thursday. I am seeing a podiatrist. I hope this allows me to workout more intensely without the constant nagging foot and ankle pain. Also, I stretch really well before and after my workouts. How important is it to do an entire hour of just stretching? :-hmmm Should I consider a yoga tape of some kind? Which one? They offer yoga on Tuesday nights at my gym. Will I be really sore the next day? Thanks for any input.
 
Hi,
I do cardio in the mornings. While my perseeved exhirtion (spelling?) is much higher than if I do them in the evening, I still get a good workout. I generally don't eat before my workout, just drink alot of water. If you wake up starving you might want to eat a bannana, granola or protien bar, or drink some orange juice or milk (depending on what kind of diet you adhere to) for some quick energy.

As for the YOGA, ss long as you respect your limits when stretching you shouldn't be sore the next day. You should actually feel looser and more relaxed. I do (or at least try to do) YOGA once or twice a week and love it.

I have three Yoga/Strecthing Tapes. My favorite is Living Arts YOGA Conditioning for Weight Loss. I also like my Jane Fonda's YOGA tape, but not as much. I highly suggest you consider getting a YOGA tape. I do mine in the evenings and it really helps relax me for a good nights sleep. :-sleepy But that's just my two cents worth.

Good luck on a speedy shin splint recovery.

Dawn
 
I started early a.m. workouts (between 5:30 and 6:00) a few weeks ago when I went back to work full time and didn't want to sacrifice any evening time away from my babies. Anyway, much to my surprise, it's going great. I seem to do better with wts, and I am not quite so good at the cardio in the am as in the afternoon, but it is coming along. I've never been much of a breakfast person, but after about a half cup of coffee and about a half hour of moving around (CANNOT fall straight out of bed and start jumping around; can't do it), it goes just fine. It's just a bit of an adjustment in the beginning. You'll soon start to appreciate having gotten it out of the way for the day!
 
I've been doing the 4:30 A.M. workout for a few months now and I love it. Like Sharris, I moved them to the mornings so that I wouldn't be taking any more time from my son. Now, I get sleepy and cranky if I skip the routine. Since it is my main workout, I usually alternate cardio and resistance. I pretty much do whatever floats my boat because I'm proud that I'm bothering to get up so early just to move around. However, I work abs 3-4 evenings a week, and try to do yoga/Pilates every night. As far as the fat loss goes, it's hard to say, since my diet has been rather yucky lately (I'm craving salads, if that tells you how I've been eating lately--Yikes!! :-rollen )

I hope your shin splints heal quickly.

Dawn, you've inspired me to try LA Yoga for Weight Loss. It's been sitting on my shelf for far too long!
 
Hi, RBurke, how the heck are you? I love a.m. workouts and I can't eat first so I eat after with no ill effects. I usualy do my strength training when my 3 year-old naps at 12:30 or 1:00 pm. I eat a fairly high in carbs meal 2-3 hours before and have a luna bar and a glass of milk after. I have been wearing orthotics for years and they are fantastic! Yoga is great to balance out strength training which can help make us tight and inflexible. I love the Living arts series-they have a website. I must confess I am very inconsistent about yoga though! How is it going? Shin splints are the worst! I used to have so many problems with my feet and lower legs. Without my orthotics, I would have had to quit running and hi-intensity aerobics. And they last for years. Are you a morning person? My energy is highest in the am. I am a Lark. My hubby is an owl though. He is a basket case in the morning. I find if I get things done first thing, I won't be in danger of skipping it!
 
Morning warriors

I have so much respect for people who work out in the am. I have asked a few professionals and all agree cardio in the am on the empty tummy tends to be more effective for fat buring because you burn straight into your body fat having no immediate food energy available.
I myself can hardly brush my teeth in the morning. I tried the whole cardio thing before work and my workouts were just too lazy, I couldn't do it. Everyone tells me if you keep at it, you get used to it and get up to the same speed. I suck, can't make it.
I do, however, do either yoga or weights in the A.M. 3 days a week.
With yoga, it depends on what kind. Ashtanga style power yoga leaves me as sore as if I lifted weights or worked legs at the gym. Plus it is hard! I sweat my yoo hoos off. If you are looking for stretching and relaxation, stay away from the power yoga for now. Look for tapes that emphasize flexibility and relaxation and not strenght or endurance training.
It is my opinion you can never stretch too much. Most people don't stretch nearly enough and that's what promotes injury. BUT, you probably don't require a whole hour to get the job done. Minimally, just be sure to stretch the muscle groups you worked after each and every workout, and hold each stretch for at least 30 seconds. Rest those shins, boy are those painful.
 
RE: Morning blues

I like to exercise in the evening after my last meal, which is around 5:00pm. Then at 6:30-7:00pm I roaring and raring to go!! I also heard that it's better to do am workouts and I tried, belive me I did!! I am NOT a morning person!! It takes all my energy to haul 3 kids out of bed and let in another three have them all get ready for school, feed breakfast, get my husband up and.... well you get the picture. Honestly though, I think certain people have natural ryhthms, some are early birds, others night owls, and alot in between. I have to follow my own natural ryhthm when it comes to exercise, let me be awake for at least 12 hours first;-)!

P.S. I dedicate a half an hour to stretching and yoga poses at night also. Usually about an hour before I go to bed.

Aimee
 
Hi. I am doing well I guess. I can't wait to get the inserts for my shoes. I've taken a week off from working out completely. We traveled over the weekend and I ate nothing but fast food. I tried to eat less of it. I made fairly good choices. I haven't gained any from it. I am still frustrated with the fact that I am not loosing. But, I will keep trying. I am a morning person for the most part. I get insomnia from time to time so I have more energy in the morning because I get so tired after lunch. It is often a test of my will to work out after work. I have to force myself. That is when I am the most tired during the day. I feel better after so I try to tell myself that I will feel better if I just do it. Sometimes, I want to workout in the afternoon. I feel juiced from sitting at my desk all day and feel like getting rid of some energy. But, I work out in the mornings on Saturday and I usually feel better getting it out of the way. I've never tried it on an empty stomach. If I workout in the afternoon without eating a small snack, my stomach burns and I feel like I will pass out. I usually have to eat something. Perhaps it won't be an issue in the morning. I might have to eat some yougurt or something. I just dread getting up an hour early when I've had an insomnia night. Perhaps I will start this when the time changes. I won't loose an hour then. I am considering trying yoga once a week at the gym. I feel more flexible than I did before working out but I have always been a stiff person. I get stress knots in my back from bad posture and tense muscles. I was wondering something else. Do you guys sit around holding your stomach in all day? I find this hard to do. It is especially hard to contract those muscles and hold it. I try to do this at red lights. I haven't noticed a huge change. Should I try to do this more? I will let you know if the A.M. workouts start producing better results for me. I will still be strength training in the afternoons. Hopefully, this will force me to sleep earlier and better. We will see. Thanks for the advice.
 
RE: Morning blues

Wow, I am glad to read this thread as I am struggling with the scheduling of my workouts too. Usually I end up doing them after I put the kids to bed, so I start between 8:30 and 9:00 pm. Usually I do have the energy for this, but what I hate is that "pressure" to get them to bed on time. If they're having an off night for some reason and take a long time to settle down, I have this frantic "need to work out!" feeling that makes it difficult give them real relaxed mommy time.

I am definately NOT a morning person - at least not a 5 am person, but yesterday I was waiting for a long distance phone call so I arranged to go into work late and did Cardio kicks at 8 am. Wow! I was so awake and energized for this, and felt GREAT the rest of the day. I realized that would be the perfect time for MY body to work out. Now if only that was not the time of day I'm supposed to be at work!

I am planning to try a 5 am workout and see if I can adjust my "biorythmn" to get used to it. Of course, if I didn't have a toddler that consistently woke up at 4:30 in the am, this would be a lot easier to contemplate ;-)

I really admire you morning exercisers. I really think that's the way to go, and MUST stop procrastinating and try it myself.

Sophie
 
RE: I too am a morning person

I also am a 5:00 a.m. work-out person. I have always been a morning person but after having kids, it seemed to ger earlier just to have some uninterupted time to myself. It does take getting used to and I should get to bed by 10:30. Latley, it hasn't happened because I am reading the forum so much!

If you do try it and stick with it, your body clock will adjust.
 
440 am

I get up at 440 every morning (M - F) and work out before getting ready for work. I don't even eat until around 730, because after working out, I''m not hungry for a while. On the weekends, I'm hungry within 30 minutes of getting up, no matter what time it is, so I think the morning workouts reduce my hunger.

I started doing this almost 8 years ago when my daughter was 3, because it was the only time I could have to myself. I would get up at 530, and work out for 20 minutes. I had always been a late sleeper, so it was very hard to do. I gradually moved it back over about a year, until I could work out for 1 hour before my shower time. It is now very easy, and my body is raring to go within about 10 minutes of getting up! I even wake up at that time on the weekends (but I go back to sleep!).

Sandi M.
 
Wow.

What time do you go to bed? Do you feel tired during the day or energized? I hope that it isn't dangerous either. My husband is afraid for me to do it because he's heard of people having heart attacks from early morning work-outs. I figure if I warm up properly, it should be ok. Are you doing Cathe tapes?
 
RE: Wow.

I think a good tme to workout is whenever the heck you can fit it in. The important thing is doing it!
 
I did it!

Hey Guys. I wanted to update on the A.M. workout. I got up yesterday morning and did it on an empty stomach. I did Step Fit. It is one of favorite tapes. It went pretty well. I had less energy but I haven't worked out in almost two weeks either. I ate some breakfast and headed to the gym to do backs and biceps. Does anyone have any good back exercises? I can never get mine to "burn". I get failure but no burn. It never feels like I've worked it well. I have the PS Back and Biceps. Maybe I will give it a shot.
Update on the podiatrist. I have flat feet. I didn't know because they don't really look flat but she said all my symptoms ie. shin splints, knee pain, and plantar faciatis are all symptoms of flat feet. They made a mold so that I can get some inserts for my shoes. I can't wait to work-out with no pain! Wow, there will be no stopping me then.
Check you guys later. Thanks for all the great inputs.
 
GREAT!

Hope your inserts work out for you! I think the PS back tape is really good. I also find that I have a hard time hitting the back instead of chest or arms. I really, really have to concentrate on squeezing the shoulder blades together and this helps. I have to zero in on every rep though to keep it effective. Pretend like you are trying to make your shoulder blades touch each other & see if that works for you. Let us know how the inserts work for you. Your-Friend-In-Fitness, DebbieH :)
 
RE: I did it!

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON Oct-30-00 AT 01:28PM (Est)[/font][p]Congrats on geting up for a morning workout. The first time and then the first two weeks are the hardest. Keep up the good work!!!!!
:-jumpy
Dawn
 
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