The TRUTH About Empty Stomach Cardio

It depends on when I work out. I am not hungry when I wake up. I do well if I just have my ganoderma coffee drink and exercise within an hour of that. Otherwise I go by how I feel. If I am a little hungry I eat some yogurt or a small breakfast and wait 1/2 hour and then work out.

Thanks for all the great info. Due to economy and husband losing one of his jobs I could not afford your 1/2 price sale. I hope you repeat it once in a while. I am going to buy your last book off Amazon, that should give me more info than I have now, at least.

@Dave – i agree Dave. And a lot of it is somatotypes too. Endomorphs will usually do better on empty stomach than ectomorphs. I have gone for several days eating around 30-50g of carbs a day, and still performed fine, where as i have a friend who is complete ecto and was running on empty after the first day. It really is just a lot of trial and error.
I also like to give the example of jay cutler and Ronnie Coleman. Both are body building giants who train completely opposite. Jay is volume training, Ronnie is intensity and heavy weights. Yet, every day there is new “research” coming out saying that volume training is better, or intensity is better, when clearly they both work; just depends on who is doing it. The problem is most people get caught up in the “I WANT RESULTS NOW!!!” mindset instead of making small changes and putting in the time and effort to really see results. I’m a trainer in NC and constantly see little guys coming in wanting ridiculous results in a few weeks. they try training, and get $500 worth of supplements and when nothing happens they give up and leave. The most important thing you can ever learn is yourself. and that goes for everything.

I recently purchased Cheat Your Way Thin, however I have an issue. Pro grade do not ship outside of the USA/Canada. I live in the UK.

I’m a newbie to supplements, workouts & fitness, so I don’t really know what to look out for. I don’t want to buy any old supplement, if it doesn’t have a similar quality to the supplements that Joel recommends.

Any help is really appreciated!

Kelvin.

Hey Joel…great program by the way…2 days and I am already feeling a difference. I’ve noticed when I don’t eat something before a workout, I am dying after my first circuit of weight/cardio (usually do 2 x 20 min circuits). If I have something small like yogurt before hand it does the trick to get me through my workout. If not, it is definitely not an effective workout.

Thanks hope evryone learns from this. I used to do the empty stomach cardio thing in the morning–sure I lost weight–I think I lost alot of muscle too.
Glad I eat a small healthy breakfats now.

Hi Joel,
I workout first thing in the morning [cardio or weights] and until I started your program 2 days ago I always had something before leaving the house…be it a low fat yoghurt, a banana or just a cup of skim milk and coffee. Seeing that this week calls for low carbs I really don’t have any clue as to what to et: the thought of a protein shake at that early time or anything like eggs, meat really makes me feel sick….I would really like to know what I can have that won’t ruin my workouts….It is the second day I have done it and I find that I have a mild headache….
I also have another question. In your program you never speak about milk is that for a reason? Or are we allowed milk on low GI/GL days?

Many many years ago I used to do 3 hours on a treadmill 1x/week and didn’t eat anything beforehand. I’ve learned (after the fact) that this was full of mistakes.

Mistake 1: I should have eaten at least a protein shake about 1 hour beforehand.

Mistake 2: I wasn’t doing short enough intervals on the treadmill, as I did a steady run, a program, and then a progessive decline program.

Mistake 3: 3 hours is WAY too long for 1 interval session period! (I now do about a 15 minute interval session and don’t use my treadmill at all).

Mistake 4: I can’t even guess the damage I was doing to my body. I honestly don’t know how I did it but I managed to for several months. When I finally stopped, I gained weight and felt defeated, especially because I didn’t lose much weight throughout that process. Thankfully now I know how to train better. I just need to work on the eating part and yes I’m going to start the Cheat Your Way Thin program realistically in about 2 weeks (need to select meals/grocery lists/plan/prep).

Hi Joel, how’s it going…thanks for sharing interesting info and comments. With respect to empty stomach training, if you’re fully recovered and fueled up a day before hand, generally speaking you could train on an empty stomach, although it depends on the training you’re doing

(Variables to consider i.e., eating patterns, exercise, amount of sleep, stress, hydration level, etc…if you plan to skip a meal before training make sure you are fit and healthy).

It wouldn’t make sense to short cut by skipping a meal for the sake of burning more fat when you’re actually slowing the metabolism and release of energy.

From experience, you’ve got to know how to eat according to time and activity levels (type of activity, intensity and duration of the workout.)

If the workout involves a lot of heavy lifting, tough, intense and short breaks, I’ll eat protein with fats (flaxseed oil) to increase muscle growth & burn more fat.

20 minutes afterwards eat carbs (bannana with wheat grass shot), this combo quickly energizes, shortens recovery times, keeps metabolism stoked, it’s a longer term advantage.

Joel,
Thank You!!!!!! for addressing empty stomach cardio…….I have been doing this for years since body for life and i would get the the gym by 900 by this time i am up two hours do my cardio then i go right into my weight training now were talking three hoursmaybe four since a got up and run home and eat and still feel so depleted….. I AM SO HAPPY YOU ANSWERED THIS QUESTION …I WAS WONDERING WHY IT WAS NOT ADDRESSED IN “CHEAT YOUR WAY THIN”
THANKS ELAINE

I have heard the myth dispelled by others before and of course heard others argue with them vehemently that they were wrong. Sometimes it seems so hard for people to let go of what they have believed.

Many if not most of my workouts are on an empty stomach. Not so much because I believe it is a benefit, but because it seems the only time I can make my workouts is first thing in the morning when the gym opens at 5:30am. For my “resistance” workouts I typically drink a simple carb & protein shake/drink before, during and after my workout so perhaps with this new knowledge I will start to do the same for my “non-resistance” workouts.

I tried empty stomach cardio once and I felt like I was going to get sick. Now I’ll have a bowl of cereal or oatmeal, then wait an hour before I get started with my workout. My energy is up, I perform better, and best of all, no upset stomach!

Jessica

@karen –
Maybe have a glass of skim milk with a scoop of protein powder a bit before? I started doing this, and am in the same situation you describe (actually, I have to start at 5AM on the dot).

You have to go with what works best for your schedule, and what works best to keep you on track. I have tried both – running on empty and running with some food in me. During the work week, I do much better when I’m up and running on an empty stomach at 5:30am. I feel better physically which makes me feel better psychologically. I have accomplished something before most people are up! I am more apt to follow my fitness plan throughout the day (eating and weight training) and I’m more productive over all. If I don’t start out early, I get anxious about not having enough time to accomplish my daily goals before the kids get home from school. And there is no way I’m getting up at 5:00am to eat before I run at 5:30 – nope. That said, on the weekends, I love to wake up a little later, have some oatmeal with the kids and then go for a real ass kicking run. You have to do what works best for you!

I always workout on an empty stomach. I usually workout fairly early in the morning. I have a double shot of espresso, give myself an hour to work and wake up, and then go outside and workout. I have been doing this for about 3 years, whether it is “cardio” workout or otherwise. I have felt like I was lacking energy during my workouts.

Part of the reason I don’t eat before I workout is because I follow Ori Hofmekler’s “The Warrior Diet,” and only eat one meal a day. I eat that at night, about 2 hours before bed. When I wake up, I feel strong and I workout. It’s been that way for about 3 years, and I have never thought about changing it.

Matt

Hey Joel, As usual you post progressive—>>proactive topics. Thanks.
Spinning is my early early a.m. workout. Followed by .5 or so free weights-barbell work. Cardio or lifting I wouldn’t be tempted to go w/o eating some sensible protein/carb. combination. Then post-workout I’ll have eggwhites,nut seed, cottage cheese right after. Then some oatmeal w/apple raisan etc. along w/Yerbamatte rainforest tea.

All this to say,You are right there —->>nutritional feeding of the body, &(the)total importance of timely nourishment. No matter what. Thanks for your scientific awareness here. Best to you & yours, Nekomas

I am a former competitive swimmer, and spent 15 years of youth going to an early morning workout prior to school. These workouts were always on an empty stomach, as there was not time to digest anything before getting in the water. Accordingly, I just don’t feel like eating when I first wake up. I do intense HIIT cardio in the mornings, and feel like eating when I am finished.

JUST DRINK CHOCOLATE MILK DON’T HAVE TO MAKE ANYTHING
PERFECT CARB TO PROTEIN RATIO

I’m not sure I have an option – I always workout on an empty stomach….I have 4 kids (ages 2-15) so if I don’t workout as soon as I get up (4:30-4:45am) I don’t have time to workout – I’m dealing with 2 different bus stop times and taking my little one to daycare before I head off to work. When I get home from work it is running the kids to activities/cooking dinner/helping with homework/etc/etc until I go to bed. My husband travels a lot so I’m usually doing all this myself. I’m guessing working out on an empty stomach is better than not working out at all, but if anyone has a suggestion let me know…Thanks!!

When you are doing anything with high intensity you better be eating. Your body needs good fuel in order to perform. Listen to what your body needs, it will tell you and you’ll have much better workouts. This is great stuff for my patients, thanks! Steve Edling D.C.

Joel – I think the information is great about eating before a workout for weight training, but does that apply to the 2 min easy/2 min fast stationary bike workout as well? At 61 I’ve spent many years getting right out of bed, throwing on the gym clothes and doing some sort of workout on an empty stomach. I think I would get pretty tempted to just move on with the day if I eat first. Most of the information of yours that I’ve read seems to be focused on age group lower than mine. I know a lot of things transcend generations, but with arthritis and the aftereffects of several knee operations some information focused on that group would be helpful. I started Cheat Your Way Thin on Saturday and found “cheat” day the hardest. I’d been focused over the last two months on Isabel’s diet program and it was hard to cheat. I made a valiant effort, but intestinally paid for it on Sunday.

Well, it seems to make sense. I am always afraid of eating before doing cardio cause i fear that my stomach would ake. I guess there is no use eating and going out to run just after, you really have to wait 30minutes. I have a question to Joel though: I am at the begginin of the “cheat your way thin” program, that I try to achieve meticulously. Is it possible to have oatmeal (as you say before your morning cardio) if you’re on a “low carb” day?

Like some of the other comments, I get up at 0440 and I am working out hard by 0500. No time for food and I haven’t felt my performance suffer. I do high intensity cardio whether it is running, biking, or rowing. On days when I get to actually ride on the road though I have to eat after two hours or I am spent. Also, I feel no nausea or sick feeling when I am hitting the cardio hard like I do with food on my stomach. There is nothing worse than burping chocolate protein shake the entire workout. But, that is the really early stuff. On days I get started at 0800 I will try to have a shake made with milk an hour or so before the ride.

All I know from my last post..(two above this one) Nourishment as is appropriate for the effort, is essential. Body fat, weight..(I)don’t even think about it. Joel’s program ROCKS(!!).. Thanks for reading. Yours, in ultimate HITT.

Oh yeah I get up & going at 4:20 am for a good HITT @ 5:45 a.m. LOL Thanks for reading.
Best, Nekomas

Hello Joel,
Well after reading your article on “empty Stomach Cardio” I’m a bit confused. You were the “Body for Life Champion” and if you followed Mr. Phillips’ carefully researched plan, it says to do cardio on an empty stomach. So who’s Carefully researched plan do we go by? WHO did the research? What’s it gonna be boy? Yes or NO????????
I’ll let you sleep on it. lol

I just am attempting the cheat your way thin, now what do suppose I can eat? Oatmeal is not on the plan? Your whole deal here is getting more and more confusing, I am on the calorie and carb restriction poriton of your plan and now I you say eat oatmeal and a protein before my workout? I always do my walk and now I have added weights to my am and before breakfast workout and I feel great. I found a protein powder that is 0 carbs and a lite soy milk that is about 2 carbs a cup so today I walked briskly for 10 min then did a circuit (that put me out of breath) for 15 min then drank that drink and I really felt GREAT!! I am not really too hungry in the morning and I prefer not to eat until later.