Eating & the gym...

BennyC

BennyC

BennyC

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Im a regular at the gym here at my uni, hitting it pritty much every day. A friend down there has said not eating before going is better for fat burn? While this theoretically makes sense as your burning off stored fat as opposed to whats just been consumed, however would this not raise issues with ones metabolism?

My theory might well be wrong so feel free to correct me!

Also any exercises or grips to help work the outer edges of the pectorals would be great too! I have access to a bench, bench press, chest press, fly/pec deck, chins/dips and a large variety of dumbells/barbells.

Thanks in advance

Benny C
 
Best time to lose weight is todo something when you get right out of bed noe even allowing yourself to brush your teeth :D.

As for not eating before the gym, how do you mean? Like you goto the gym at 4pm and not eat all day? Because that's no good. Or do you mean you had lunch at 12 goto gym at 4 then eat after? That's probably better.

I never eat before the gym anyways or eat a lot as I feel better when not bloated by food before any exercise.
 
I try and have a protein shake and a banana about 30-40mins before going to the gym. I would never go on a full stomach as your blood will be concentrated around your gut/stomach and you could pass out, furthermore you could give yourself a cramp or indigestion. The important thing is to get some protein down you within an hour of coming back from the gym. However it depends on what you want... fat loss or bulking or cutting.

As for fuller chest development, inclines and declines both on straight Olympic bar, and dumbell flies work wonders.
 
Depends on the time of day you are training. I used to find training in the after work the best time for me.

I'd eat a healthy breakfast. Then little and often during the day (chicken, pasta, tuna, Jackets etc). I'd make sure I'd have my last meal at around 4pm. This gave 2 hours to digest. I used to have a protien shake afterwards, then have a light snack when I got home.

Now days, I train mid-day'ish which is a little awkward. Again, I have a carbo breakfast, oats and stuff. Then a banana and a shake 1 hour before training. Then again afterwards with a little something more substantial. The problem with training mid-day is that 1. I have my main meal in the evening and 2. I have more time to "pick", so therefore, you're inclined to put on a little weight. 3. Eating before is aproblem becuase the food needs to digest. I think Freefaller is right about eating before training. I eat very little now between breakfast and training. This seems to be working for me.

That said, we are all different. You have to try see what;s best for you.
 
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Admiral Huddy said:
Depends on the time of day you are training. I used to find training in the after work the best time for me.

I'd eat a healthy breakfast. Then little and often during the day (chicken, pasta, tuna, Jackets etc). I'd make sure I'd have my last meal at around 4pm. This gave 2 hours to digest. I used to have a protien shake afterwards, then have a light snack when I got home.

Now days, I train mid-day'ish which is a little awkward. Again, I have a carbo breakfast, oats and stuff. Then a banana and a shake 1 hour before training. Then again afterwards with a little something more substantial. The problem with training mid-day is that 1. I have my main meal in the evening and 2. I have more time to "pick", so therefore, you're inclined to put on a little weight. 3. Eating before is aproblem becuase the food needs to digest. I think Freefaller is right about eating before training. I eat very little now between breakfast and training. This seems to be working for me.

That said, we are all different. You have to try see what;s best for you.
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In this magazine i read it said you lose more weight training in the morning (muscle and fitness mag dec 07)

Admiral Huddy - the above aint funny enough you need to include a joke else you aint gonna get funniest poster 08 ;)

Funniest poster of 2007

With 58 of 348 votes (16.67%)

Admiral Huddy
 
Admiral Huddy said:
The problem with training mid-day is that 1. I have my main meal in the evening and 2. I have more time to "pick", so therefore, you're inclined to put on a little weight.
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Actually the earlier you workout the better as a workout really cranks up your metabolism and all other kinds of good stuff in your body. Basically this just means anything eaten after a hard slog in the gym is much less likely to be stored as bodyfat ;)
 
I find a small meal (some fruit and shake for example) an hour or an hour and a half before working out lets me keep my 'eat every 2-3 hours' routine without killing me during the workout. Having said that I have experienced what Freefaller was talking about and nearly passed out. It's not nice.

I would try and train in the morning but it's just not practical and I'm a bad morning person as it is. :p I tend to go for a run and then hit the weights at 5:30/6:00 but it's all calculated to fit in when when I have to eat and what the weathers doing. I don't go to the gym so any running I do is in the great outdoors. Not fun when it's blowing a gale and widdeling it down.

Panzer
 
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Most likely but as I said, it's personal preference. I've never got on with training first thing.

However, training at 6pm means that I've had all day to charge up, so to speak and there's no chance of hitting the sofa and scoffing!
 
Admiral Huddy said:
Most likely but as I said, it's personal preference. I've never got on with training first thing.

However, training at 6pm means that I've had all day to charge up, so to speak and there's no chance of hitting the sofa and scoffing!
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Just talking the talk with a textbook 'in an ideal world' answer.

I'm actually the same as you an much prefer working out in the evenings, a lot of the time I finish my workout about 9:30pm-10pm
 
I'm used to getting up at 4-430 for work on some days. So 645's a lie in! Actually it feels pretty good, I then have a feast afterwards! :o

Besides, Huddy knows me personally, he knows I'm a nutter and can tell it's paying off :D
 
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I've had jobs where I had to get up at 4am... still never had the urge to hit that gym at 6:45am though. I mean it's still QUARTER TO SEVEN IN THE MORNING FFS!!!! :p ;) :D
 
Thanks for all the feed back guys. I go with a friend from upstairs in my uni halls, and were in there for 11 having gotten up at about half 10, so literally get up and go. Just wanted to check I wasnt shooting myself in the foot! I only have a full day of lectures on a Tuesday so I have every other morning free to go :)
 
Chong Warrior said:
I've had jobs where I had to get up at 4am... still never had the urge to hit that gym at 6:45am though. I mean it's still QUARTER TO SEVEN IN THE MORNING FFS!!!! :p ;) :D
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And I thought you were committed! :p I like doing a couple of days early from time to time helps kick start my day!

Benny - sounds good, but be sure to eat after you get back ASAP.
 
I want get into the habit of working out after getting up. I think it would be great to have a routine based around that.

I'm going back to work in a few weeks though, and depending on the site I'd have to be in as early as 7am...so I might end up going to bed at 9pm to get up at 4am! :D
 
Going to the gym nice and early is a great feeling, especially cycling down. Nice and empty, so there's plenty of equipment with no ques, and nobody looking at you.

Benny... how much protein per can is there in tuna?
 
Depends what you're doing in the gym that early. You don't want to be lifting weights on an empty stomach - it'll do very little for you. But if you're doing cardio then I hear it's good. Should ALWAYS eat 30minutes after a workout though with lots of protein and carbs.

As for your pecs. By outer chest you mean the clavicular head? ie this bit?

http://www.exrx.net/Muscles/PectoralisClavicular.html

Cause wide grip weighted-pushups can be good and wide grip incline bench presses are also good.
 
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