What to eat before early AM training when doing carb cycling?
Hello All,
I am 38 yrs old; 5'7", 138 lbs + 15% body fat. I have been able to add about 3 lbs of weight over the past 6 weeks without increasing body fat. My goal is body recomposition. I am happy with the slow progress, but seems like I dont have much energy to lift heavy in AM. I am doing carb cycling, which I think is helping tremendously to keep my body fat in check.
I workout within 45-60 mins of walking up. I consume 2 slices of multi-grain bread (total 200 cals, 34 grm carbs) + a scoop of whey protein about 30-45 mins pre-workout.
My calorie/macros are:
High Carb/calorie day: 2500 Cals, 330 grm carbs, 165 grm proteins, 60 grm fats
Moderate Carb/calorie day: 2300 Cals, 280 grm carbs, 165 grm proteins, 60 grm fats
Low Carb/calorie day: 2100 Cals, 230 grm carbs, 165 grm proteins, 60 grm fats
My work-out spilts are:
Day 1: Leg --> High carb day
Day 2: Chest/Triceps --> Moderate Carb day
Day 3: Rest/Cardio --> Low Carb day
Day 4: Back/Biceps --> High Carb day
Day 5: Shoulders --> Moderate Carb day
Day 6: Rest/Cardio --> Low Carb day
Day 7: Rest/Cardio --> Low Carb day
I have two questions:
Ques 1. As I work-out first thing in AM, does it make sense to have low carb day before my heavy lifts? Should I consume some carbs a night before? If so, how much and how long before going to bed?
Ques 2. Do you think 2 slices of multi-grain bread 30-45 mins before hitting the gym is a good or bad idea? Should I change the type of carbs I consume? What about a banana or instant oats?
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Not sure what you mean. But what you need to do is take a daily view rather than a weekly view. Within the day fuel your body with what it needs when it needs it. Carbs 1-2 hours before. During and post work out. HIT (weights or hiit) uses carbs for fuel preferentially.
No carbs night before... no purpose in this. Fuel the body according to its needs... a.m. stores of carbs are low, so prefuel the workout. Perri work out eats blood and muscle carb stores fast so drink vitargo to keep fuel topped up... post workout to fuel again and add Fuel for the post workout afterburn. Then later in day when body is running normally/at rest, fuel with low carb eats and get fats and greens and fibre in too
Id get something more complex (carbs) in with an absolute minimum of 1 hour but ideally up to 2 hours before am workout. No closer than 1 hour prior to workout though. Bananna and oats together with protein would be solid. Get a decent 100g of carbs in there.
Thanks man! I guess I need to wake up an hour earlier than what I am used to and start pre-workout carbs. I hit the gym around 4:30-4:45 AM. I am gonna try Oays+banana+whey 1-1.5 hr preworkout
138lbs and you are recomping. Then you go on to state that you have gained 3 pounds. So what are you doing exactly, trying to gain body mass or cutting up?
If the latter , then why even talk about carbohydrates at all? Carbohydrates are a fuel source. Do you wish to use consumed carbohydrates as your fuel source to power your workouts or stored bodyfat? Likewise, consuming a high carbohydrate meal prior to bed will only increase the likely hood of you gaining stored bodyfat. If you are trying to cut up then consuming carbohydrates would be counterproductive. If attempting to bulk, then eat away, who cares.
You have to be truly , specifically, focused on your goals. Recomposition is an overused generic term used to mean - get in shape. But what does that mean? The more specific you are in what you wish to achieve the more likelihood of you actually achieving your goals.
My goal is to slowly reduce fat (or keep the same %) while gaining muscle. In the past, my problem with bulking was that I would gain quite a bit of fat also. Then during cutting I would look very skinny without any muscle definition. This time around, I am going at a very slow clean bulk on my lift days and then calorie deficit on rest days. I am pretty happy the way I feel and look in the mirror now.
The ONLY frustration is that I have no power/energy to lift heavy in AM. I am gonna try the suggestions people gave here....
Thanks all!
Just a minor clarification - there was a typo in my original post. I am 42, (not 38), not that it matters a ton.
Thanks a lot for all the comments.
Back to my 1st question: Does my carb cycling technique makes sense - i.e. have low carbs on rest day, which is the day before my (early AM) heavy lift day and then I consume carbs whole day after heavy lift work-out is done?
I know this isn’t popular but I train about 15 minutes after I wake up. Then I eat my usual breakfast about 30 minutes after training.
My simple pre workout meal:
200g oats
2 scoops whey
5g glutamine
1hr later pre workout:
bcaa, glutamine, caffeine and 20mg halotestin(NO advice just my pre wo...!)
Are you cooking your oats like oatmeal or just drinking them?
I mix them with hot water, wait 15mins then I add the protein powder add a bit hot water again and eat it like an oatmeal. Tastes delicious!
Have yet to try halo but looking forward to the day.
I like that nutrition format
It treats me like a freak. crazy stuff!
But now back to the TO's question
Q1: I'd always run high carb before heavy workouts.
90-120g long chained carbs 1hr before bed should be ok, but it depends on your body type and metabolism.
Q2: I'd prefer oats with whey like I wrote in one of my comments above
Thanks! By long chain carbs, do you mean complex carbs - like brown rice etc?
I understand the logic in that but carbs usually make me lethargic for awhile. I do pop 4 Solgar baca caps when I wake up to piss . I lay them out before bed every night.
Really Sam? I feel more tired when I eat less/no carbs.
That’s my go to bro! +1 but not the post workout lol just the pre
I understand mate, yes very effective and I have no full stomach like I have after a regular bigger meal, example: chicken + rice.
Exactly bro! My stomach doesn’t feel weighed down and it helps give me energy throughout my workout. I do use BCAA’s post workout as well. Good stuff brother!