Training Series 001: The Fasting Method
How To Train On Fumes
One of the “new” experimentations that numerous fitness/wellness consultants have been implementing with their clients is fasted state weight training and cardio. Now you are probably wondering why I used the quote-unquote around “new.” Well, this idea of fasted state of training isn’t technically new per say because way back before we (meaning society) implemented the 3 meals a day (Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner) ideology, our caveman ancestors had lived the fasted life by eating only when they were hungry by going out to hunt. The rest of the time, they were fasting until the next hunt.
After hearing a lot about the benefits from fasted training, I thought of giving it a try. Since switching over to it, I have felt and noticed the difference. For instance, every morning I would wake up and head to the gym I felt just right in the sense that I didn’t feel too heavy or out of it. During my workouts, I felt more focused and clear minded, and this is without any pre-workout mixes or espresso/coffee. Post workout, you would think I would feel starved, but since I consume enough water (I average about 25 fluid ounces per workout) and eat a pretty filling dinner I can manage to roll into a late morning/early lunch meal without any issue.
Backing up from my personal experience with the fasting method, what does “fasted state” even mean? The “fasted state” is defined as roughly about 4 to 6-hour timeframe from your last meal. This idea of the fasted state is that your body has taken the time to digest and metabolize a solid portion of what you consumed at your last meal. For me, this means I usually finish my last meal (“dinner”) around 10:30pm — 11pm due to my transition it intermittent fasting (more to come in my nutrition series).
Key Benefit
When it comes to the key benefit of implementing the fasted state in your routine, it is your body’s hormone optimization, which is a 2-part benefit. With an empty stomach, your body triggers both insulin sensitivity and growth hormone production, which are both major aiding factors in building muscle as well as burning fat. Speaking to insulin sensitivity, our fasted state promotes our body to release insulin into our blood stream less often which then makes it easier for us to lose fat and improve blood flow to muscles. How does this happen? Essentially, fasting resets your insulin sensitivity by dropping its level thus resulting in altering your body’s demand for insulin. Once this takes place, your body begins to take on fat as the main source of energy to burn.
Part 2 of the hormone optimization benefit from the fasted method is growth hormone production. Growth hormone (GH), as the Men’s Journal states is, “a magical elixir of a hormone that helps the body make new muscle tissue, burn fat, and improve bone quality, physical function, and longevity.” Some of you may still think that increasing your growth hormone will make you just bulk, but that is not the case. Increased GH plays just as large as a role in muscle building as it does in fat burning so need to fear of getting to muscular where you look like a GI Joe action figure.
Potential Hurdles
Along with the benefits of the fasted method, there are some potential hurdles that you may run into when you are first starting out. The first is that hungry feeling that you will get especially when you are first starting out. Trust me when I say this it isn’t fun at the beginning. You will think to yourself why am I working out when I can eat as much as a horse right now. One way to combat that is to fill up on water beforehand. This will keep you feeling full, while hydrating you at the same time.
Coupled with that hungry feeling is the mental fragility you may go through in terms of not thinking you will be able to train as hard because you don’t have any fuel (food in this case). Now I am not saying that it is going to be easy to get there like I said for the first couple of times you try it out it won’t be because your body will need to adjust accordingly to how you switched it up. However, once your body acclimates the results will come for sure (some faster than others).
Getting Started with an Action Plan
There will be a lot of bellyaching when you first start (maybe literally — just a joke…a bad joke). You will overcome it thought if you take it easy and gradually test out what works for you. So, don’t go full throttle the first week because going from 0 to 100 real quick as Drake says won’t do yourself any favors. That said, here is some guidance that I wanted to share from my personal experience starting out with the fasted method:
1. Ease into Fasting. It’s a process and experiment. Some people can dive right into it feeling fine well others need to wean themselves off slowly by reducing the amount they eat before they hit the gym.
2. Experiment with your meal times. Right now, I work out in the early mornings so that means that my last meal is around 10pm — 11pm. Others may hit the gym in evening so mess around with your eating schedule a little bit to see what will work.
3. Consume water. I repeat drink water. A lot of it. Water not only keeps you hydrated, but also keeps you awake and full.
Even with this action plan, there is no guarantee that fasted weight training or cardio will work for you. Each of our body’s compositions are very different. Our DNA and genes differ from nearly everyone except may identical twins (though there are some differences there too). However, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try this out because what is the worst that can happen. You hate it and go back to your original scheduled program/ Oh no, gasp. Again, this is just a method that has continued to work for me and I recommend you giving it a try to see if it works for you.
