Morning Nutrition

My wife just got a job as a teacher so she will start driving our car to work and I'll start riding my bike. Riding is just over 8 miles one way. I've done the ride for two weeks now, but I feel tired when I get home and skimp out out my workouts.

To resolve this problem, I'm going to wake at 6am, do foundation, and then immediately take my ride to work.

I won't have time to eat when I wake that early. I do plan on making a heavy smoothie that I can throw in my backpack and drink upon arriving to work though. Are there any supplements I should take in the morning because I'll be training fasted, such as bcaa? Or even a pre-workout?

I also train fasted first thing in the morning at 6am and I really enjoy it. I just drink water and take about 8g BCAA pre-workout. After training, I'm eating breakfast (oatmeal, scrambled eggs, an apple and a teaspoon of molasses) before cycling 6 miles to the office.

 

I'm not sure wheter the BCAAs are really necessary, I take 'em just to be safe

i also train 'fasted' only like 1 glass of juice in me

I took BCAA's for a while, but, to be honest, I saw no difference in the needed length of recovery nor hypertrophy or exercise endurance (hunger was the biggest hindrance during workouts, not fatigue). So, I cut them out of my routine. There was a recent article about the mass conditioning of men by the supplement industry arguing that you need all this extra to be tip-top and at your healthiest (which actually isn't true). Frankly, eat a big dinner the night before, sleep at least 8 hours and you should be fine. I train fasted pretty frequently and it doesn't have any detrimental effect on my training. Just have some caffeine (if you're one to partake typically) and some glasses of water to wake up your internal systems and you should be good. Those are my two cents.

 

Here is said article on the supplement industry: http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2015/08/07/430347355/men-looking-to-get-ripped-are-at-risk-of-abusing-legal-supplements

I trained fasted for a long while. Didn't really bother me. I did see slightly faster improvement when I started eating breakfast beforehand. But I have time to do that. If you don't, don't worry, just worry about getting in the training.

I typically have to leave for work by 6am so I wake up at 4:30, drink some water, and then start moving around by getting a few things ready for the day which helps my body to wake up.   Then I go straight into my warmup & foundations training.  Afterwards I force myself to sit down and eat a solid breakfast (paleo style) before leaving, which either my wife or I have prepared the night before.  Since having started this routine I find myself not needing my morning cup of coffee anymore and I feel more relaxed for the rest of the day knowing that I already got my training in for the day.  Next up, I will try to implement the stretch series a little better into my evenings (just don't have the time in the morning unless I start waking up at 3:30am  ).  Bottom line is I love this routine.  

I would leave the Stretch series to off-days or the evenings. They're a nice cooldown. I do 3-day Foundations and so I do the stretch series on my off day. Not sure about your scheduling, but it allows me a nice balance of strength training and then recovery.

These are the responses I was hoping for. I was just nervous because I have always ate before a workout and wasn't sure how to handle it without food.

The leangains guy is a huge proponent of bcaa and many bodybuilding and powetlifting sites encourage most every supplement. It's the wild west on the internet...

I think I'll try to just have some water in the morning and see how my workout goes. Maybe I'll try bcaa after a month or two if I feel that I'm not making process like I was.

Also, in regards to the stretch series, I'm hoping to do it after I get home when I'm really hot after the ride.

If you have only been riding your bike to work for two weeks, you probably aren't fully adapted yet. When you've been doing it for a month you most likely won't feel tired when you get home. Then you can go back to working out after work (if you prefer; I couldn't imagine skipping breakfast).

There are many research studies on supplements like BCAA and dozens of different recommendations from all kinds of websites and forums. But keep this in mind: if such supplements do make any difference at all, it's only really the last minor detail after you get your training, recovery, nutrition, calories, macros, drinking, etc. all dialed in.

I completely agree with Luzian;

"But keep this in mind: if such supplements do make any difference at all, it's only really the last minor detail after you get your training, recovery, nutrition, calories, macros, drinking, etc. all dialed in."

 

I generally recommend that people get at least something small in their system before a workout to keep you from bonking, but I also know many people who have nothing but water and they do just fine. A small amount of smoothie prepared the night before works great, or you can make your own "electrolyte beverage" by adding some orange juice and pinch of salt to your water. Always pay attention to your energy and level of mental clarity, as these are usually the first to go if you're not getting enough nutrients! Definitely get a good meal after your workout and/or bike ride to replenish energy and nutrients. 

 

Good luck!

I always train fasted during the week. Depending on the day I wake around 5.15 and straight into it. Water through the workout, then protein shake with milk before getting on the bike and riding 11km. I usually have breakfast when I have settled in at work usually around 7.30.

 

The exception is Saturday where I would usually do some conditioning about an hour and a half after my protein shake.