Fasted cardio and daily weights - does it work?

[lora-kate1]

I have been doing a three day split for quite a while now (3 days of 60 minutes cardio and three days of weights about 60 minutes - one day of legs and two days splitting up the upper body muscle groups) and I used to do a body part per day. (I never really noticed a difference in results between the two methods). I am trying to clean up my diet to lose about 10 pounds and want to make the most of my workout time.

I have been re-thinking all this after reading "Burn the fat Feed the muscle" and wondered what you all thought about my proposed rotation (below) and if anyone has tried this and seen results.

I have never tried fasted cardio so my 'plan' is to wake up 6 days a week at 6 am and do 30 minutes of fasted cardio (I think more than 30 to 45 minutes would be brutal) and then have my first meal of the day once I was done. I would either do the elliptical or half of one of cathe's cardio workouts and do the other half the next day (or one of her 30 minute cardios). With little kids I seem to eat breakfast later and later and this would at least ensure that I ate before 8 am and got my metabolism going with the fasted cardio and earlier first meal. Then after the kids are on the bus I would do either half a leg workout or 1 or 2 upper body parts (about 20 minutes per part) and some abs on shorter weight days. I thought of still doing the 3 day split but doing weights each day would then give my metabolism another boost. Also I don't know if I could do an hour of weights if I have already done cardio that day. I don't want to be totally wiped out. It is a bit of a drag chopping up cathe's cardio and weight workouts but I am hoping it would really get my metabolism going and I still would be only working out about an hour a day.

Oddly this seems to be more along the lines of the workout that most fitness competitors use. That may be irrelevant.

What do you think? Has anyone tried this? Is this just a case of 6 of one and half a dozen of the other?

Thanks!

 

[jansherman]

Hi Lora-Kate1,

I do most of my workouts fasted. I get up at 4:30 a.m. and workout for an hour before getting ready for work. I'm a teacher, and if I wait until after school to workout, sometimes it just doesn't happen. And, I'm a much nicer teacher after I've had my daily workout.

I do cardio and weights fasted 5 days per week, and haven't noticed any detrimental results. On the weekends I eat about 2-3 hours before my workout. I honestly don't notice a difference in my energy or strength levels whether or not I have eaten. The only time I think it makes a difference is if I'm doing a long run.

My advice is to try your new rotation for awhile. I think it looks well-balanced. Keep at it for 4-6 weeks, as it takes awhile for changes to take effect.