Ramadan – a month-long holy time for Muslims – is starting soon. This article will help those of you who practice Ramadan fasting (or actually, just about any intermittent fasting) understand how your eating, lifting, and cardio should be adjusted.
Important Note #1: I am not Muslim, so am not qualified to discuss the spiritual aspects of Ramadan. If I get something wrong, please forgive my ignorance.
Important Note #2: I’m commenting here about body composition goals: muscle building and/or fat loss. I am not commenting on athletic performance or competition. (A short summary of Ramadan fasting and sports performance is here and here but there are many studies on soccer/football performance impacts of Ramadan fasting if you search PubMed.)
What Is Ramadan Fasting?
From Wikipedia, on Ramadan:
The most prominent event of this month is fasting. Every day during the month of Ramadan, Muslims around the world get up before dawn to eat Sahur or Sehri or Sahari (meaning “something we eat at Sahar”), then they perform the fajr (or Sobh) prayer. They have to stop eating and drinking before the call for prayer starts until the fourth prayer of the day, Maghrib. Muslims break their fast at Maghrib (at sunset) prayer time with a meal called Iftar. Muslims may continue to eat and drink after the sun has set until the next morning’s fajr prayer call. Then the process starts all over.
For those of you non-Muslims, this sounds an awful lot like intermittent fasting, or semi-fasting. Except for one important thing: the timing is reversed.
When I’ve written about semi-fasted cardio and lifting, I’ve assumed (more…)
Join the forum discussion on this article, or comment below.Continue reading about Ramadan and Working Out – Lifting, Cardio, Fasting
- Does semi-fasted cardio help with fat loss?
In the bodybuilding world, “morning cardio” or “semi-fasted cardio” is often cited as a key for getting uber-ripped. But is it true?
Recently I wrote about fasting for fat loss and muscle growth.
But the concepts around semi-fasted cardio training have been around longer. Seems like there would be conclusive science on this right? Unfortunately not.
Nonetheless, today I’ll take you through enough science for you to draw some lessons and I’ll finish with 10 tips for you. (more…)
Continue reading about 10 Steps Towards Semi-Fasted Morning Cardio For Fat Loss
You’ve heard the preachers, including me, talk about how important it is to eat every 2 to 3 hours. And how important breakfast is.
But are we right?
- Does fasting help or hurt fat loss and muscle building?
Two counter-approaches contradict the above recommendations:
a) Intermittent Fasting (complete fasting for at least 24 hrs once a week or so)
b) Semi-Fasted Cardio (first thing in the morning after about 12 hours of not eating)
Today we’ll cover the pros and cons of intermittent fasting. Then next week we’ll cover “semi-fasted cardio”.
Here’s today’s outline:
- Pros and Cons of Fasting
- Roots of Fasting
- Fasting for Fat Loss
- Fasting for Muscle Gain
- Making Fasting Easier – 10 Tips
Let’s start with a summary, then follow with the details:
Pros And Cons Of Fasting For Fat Loss And Muscle Gain
Pros For Fasting
- Possibly very effective for fat loss, as studies show increase fat burn compared to carb burn, during fasting (much more detail on this in the rest of the article!)
- Easier, for some people, than being in slight caloric deficit each day
- Most people get a natural “high” on those days; better attention; surprising increase of energy
- More time for life; less time cooking, eating, and doing dishes
- Increased natural growth hormone: potentially good for muscle gains (much more detail on this in the rest of the article!)
- Disrupts the body’s expectations about food, thus preventing diet plateaus (hypothetical)
- Confidence – any time you try something difficult, and then turn that into a habit, you will feel more confident in yourself; this will lead to you accomplishing more over the course of your life
- Bragging rights – most people are impressed with someone who has the discipline to fast one day a week
- Potentially clears the body of toxins and waste
- Anecdotal benefits to a whole range of health issues, from reducing arthritis and migraines to improved skin and hair
Cons For Fasting (more…)
Continue reading about What You Need To Know About Fasting for Fat Loss, Muscle Gain
