If you are trying to build muscle and also reduce fat, then by exercising in the morning before eating you increase the chances of burning fat as you will deplete the sugar reserves more if there is nothing to replenish them.

It is like have a fat loss and muscle growth cycle within one day – morning for losing fat, afternoon / evening for building muscle.

Please forgive me but I’m not understanding something, you mentioned that after weight lifting “Weight training will also deplete the muscles of glycogen, so after training you need to ensure that your sugar levels are topped up, otherwise your body will break down fats and proteins”, is this not what I want, for my body to break down fat?

Also, you mentioned that many bodybuilders start there morning off with cardio on an empty stomach. What does that accomplish?

I apologize for asking a barrage of questions, but I was never taught the science behind weight lifting and I really need to know this things and I noticed that you are very knowledgeable so I want to take advantage of this.

Kindest regards,

Rob W.

Basically muscles use glycogen for fuel. Glycogen is sourced from carbohydrate. If you do a lot of cardio before you lift, your muscles will be partially depleted (not fully after a 1 mile jog though). However, doing cardio after weight training is not recommended either. Weight training will also deplete the muscles of glycogen, so after training you need to ensure that your sugar levels are topped up, otherwise your body will break down fats and proteins (as you were advised).

The best solution is to do your weight training and cardio at separate times. Consider one workout for fat burning and the other for muscle building. Many bodybuilders do their cardio in the morning (sometimes on an empty stomach) and then have breakfast, a snack, then lunch, and then do their weight training. But then this is what the pros do, they have more time than the rest of us!

You will still get good results by doing it all at once. A 5 minute light cardio workout will not drain you of all your sugar, it will help warm up the muscles first.

The thing about any advice is that it is often talking about the optimum way of doing things. Athletes and pro-bodybuilders, and very serious amateurs, may want to do it the optimum way, but this does take a lot more time.

Just remember, rest and nutrition.

I have recently started working out with the goal of not only losing weight and becoming lean but also to increase overall strength .

I was recently speaking with someone and they were giving me some advise with regards to my regimen. I told them that I usually start my workout with a 1 mile run on the tread mill before moving to weights. They encouraged me to only warm up on the treadmill for only 5 minutes and he explaining that by going to weights 1st, our body uses all the nutrients that is stored in our muscles and then once that is depleted they will go after fat for fuel instead of muscle. So with that being said, my cardio should be done at the end of a workout. Is there any truth to this?

Also, what are the benefits of incorporating Burpees (Squat Thrusts) into my workout. I saw a youtube video with this guy who was incredible ripped and he encouraged burpees (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRmUxTC0GbM)

Sorry for all the questions:-)

Kindest regards,

Rob W.