Intermittent fasting is still a huge thing, especially the 16:8 method: fasting for 16 hours, eating in 8 hours.
Intermittent fasting doesn’t affect the quality of your exercise; on the contrary, fasting is more effective for weight loss.
In combination with exercise, interval fasting is even more effective in losing weight. The key to success, however, is how you exercise – and when.
Cardio vs. strength training: The right training for you
When you fast, the body uses fat reserves as a primary energy source, which means that the glucose stores are almost depleted.
Cardio training triggers more stress, affects your performance, and causes muscle mass loss.
So the biggest mistake in fasting is to focus only on cardiovascular training instead of strength training.
Fasting and strength training: the role of hormones
Intermittent fasting is not just a healthy way to lose weight. It cal also regulates some hormones, which can help you in your workout sessions.
In a state of fasting, the body produces more growth hormones. In interaction with testosterone, these promote muscle growth.
So for more strength and gains, try intense training with few repetitions.
Here’s what the perfect workout looks like With Interval fasting
Targeted workouts are essential, short, and intense. And a split workout is strategically better than a full-body workout.
Your workout session when fasting should last between 45 minutes to an hour, including breaks.
The formula for success is many sets and heavyweight – but few repetitions. But, of course, always in combination with the proper technique and quality.
The number of exercises depends on the trainee’s level—for example, a maximum of five different exercises per workout.
Which exercises make up a workout?
A workout always consists of at least one basic exercise or multiple exercises, in which several components are trained.
We recommend isolated exercises because they promote muscle building and also have more significant hormonal benefits.
What equipment do I need?
The training can be without heavyweight, but it can more strenuous in terms of volume.
You have to do much more strenuous exercises to get the same effect. So, training with weights is more efficient for those who have limited time and want to get the most out of it.
If you go into higher reps and use little weight, you’ll burn out your muscles and get into catabolic metabolism. That’s why we recommend heavyweights.
Women and heavyweights!
Some women fear that weight lifting will give them too many muscles.
There is a difference between strength training and bodybuilding.
You don’t get a bulky look from strength training; you get strong. And bodybuilding is training for shape and aesthetics. You can only get wider by eating more than you need.
Fasting makes it easy: The stomach wall retracts a few centimeters, and the appetite-regulating hormone ghrelin is also inhibited. As a result, you automatically eat less.
This effect causes you to lose weight. So you can’t get wider or gain weight at all.
When do you exercise during interval fasting?
If your focus is burning fat, you should work out on an empty stomach. Since the body is in ketogenic metabolism, it draws the energy you need for training from fat reserves.
Another option: train after your first meal. But in this case, you should avoid carbohydrates and focus on fat and protein.
How often to exercise?
In general, fasting does not limit your training frequency. Instead, it depends on your daily routine and training condition.
But we recommend three effective sessions times a week rather than poorly done five times a week.
In other words, perform exercises correctly and get the most out of each workout. Quality is more important than frequency when it comes to workouts.
Can I do other sports besides strength training?
Of course, you can practise other sports. For more mobility, we recommend yoga, Pilates, Tai Chi, or swimming.
In addition, challenging bodyweight exercises like push-ups or pull-ups can add variety to your workout routine. And they also release growth hormones.
Are there risks of raining during Intermittent Fasting?
There is no specific risk of training while fasting.
The only risk is circulatory problems. Because there is virtually no sugar in the blood, many struggles with dizziness during endurance training. And this is only a problem for people trying IF for the first time.
Carbohydrates can also cause fatigue during both the eating and the fasting window.
If fasting also makes you feel tired all the time and you struggle through the day, you should reconsider whether intermittent fasting is right for you.
How to avoid injuries during training?
To avoid injuries during training, our experts have the following tips:
- Warm-up: Before going into the training sets, warm-up well. The work sets must be hard, and without a warm-up, it can quickly lead to injuries – regardless of fasting.
- Promote mobility: Yoga, for example, gently stretches muscle areas and helps make strength training more manageable.
- Increase workout intensity slowly: Increase weights one step and don’t go straight from 50 kilograms to 100 kilograms.
- Always log workouts: Whether you’re a beginner or advanced exerciser, make a note of your workout exercises, number of reps, and weight, for example. Then you know where you stand and can slowly increase.
What about carbohydrates after training?
Simple carbohydrates are essential for effective muscle-building due to the insulin effect.
If you’re on a ketogenic diet, you can use a cyclical ketogenic diet, where you get all the benefits of ketosis without completely giving up carbs.
So we recommend whey protein shakes because it has the highest insulin release of all shakes.
For vegans, maltodextrin is suitable as a carbohydrate source directly after training.
And don’t worry, the carbohydrates cannot be converted into fat after the workout because it goes directly into the glycogen stores.
What’s important here is the amount. How big the serving of your shake should depend on your body fat percentage.
For example, if you’re a woman who has under 16 percent body fat can drink up to 70 or 80 grams of protein powder and up to 60 grams of maltodextrin.
For those just starting fasting, don’t overdo it with the shakes and start with 30 grams.
Another good news for all carb lovers: carbohydrates in the evening are perfectly okay because they help you sleep better and deeper.
