Ramadan (fasting) and weigh lifting

I would like to get everyones opinion. I am a 22 year old male and have been lifting for about 3 years. Once a year as part of my religion I must observe Ramadan which is a month of fasting. During this time I cannot eat or drink anything (including water) from dawn to sunset. I do not plan on gaining any muscle during this period but I am concerned that I may end up losing muscle mass. I would appreciate advice from anyone on what I should do to maintain my current muscle mass. Also I lift 5 days a week, and do cardio 3 times a week. Should I stick to this current schedule during Ramadan?

So today, Nov 5th is the 9th day of ramadan and thus far I have gained 2 lbs, most likely I believe this is do to my metabolism being slown down, therefore, my body is hanging on to everything I eat once the sun sets


I would greatly appreciate any advice any of you may have on what I should do to maintain my current weight at muscle mass.

Previous Ramadan thread

There's a little info in there.. You are the second person to ask about that. I was kinda hoping the original poster, Walid, would come back and give us some updates.

Marc C. David - NGA CPT
Author of NoBull Bodybuilding
www.nobullbodybuilding.com

Saeedy I have many Muslim friends in addition my old roomate is Muslim. One of my friends is a serious bodybuilder and I know from talking to him how hard this month can be for Muslim bodybuilders.

I think he alters his fasting so he can still drink water or protein shakes during the day, and makes up for it by praying extra times or extending the fast to two months. I'm not too familiar with Ramadan, and I guess it all matters about how "flexible" your faith is and how your family will react.

Maybe you can use the month to "cut-up"?

Keep us updated

Saeedy,

During Ramadan I advise you to NOT do aerobics more than once a week and alter your work outs in the following way:

Use only isolation exercises to spare your central nervous system.
Use low reps, heavy weight and do not go to failure because of increased levels of cortisol
Rest a solid two minutes between sets to recuperate.
Work out 3 times a week with weights and only do aerobics only once.
Use creatine before sleep.
During the period you are allowed to eat do not start feasting even though that might be your tendency.
You combat cortisol by eating smaller meals every 45 minutes!
Your first meal should be carbs only!
45 minutes later have a protein and fat meal.
45 minutes later have another carb only meal and again 45 minutes later eat a protein and fat meal.
Repeat this till you go to sleep.
If you want to eat something during the night take cream and whey protein isolates mixed. This will be flavoourless but nothing beats it.

My roommate was Muslim and we used to work out together.
This stratefy works for many different reasons.
Just make sure you separate the carbs from the protein and fat and eat in the order prescribed. Fasting, even for a short while, messes with your digestive system and your hormonal system, even though it is good for the spirit.

Blessings and good luck.

Just rest for a month instead, it will do more harm than good to train during this period...

This turned into quite an interesting thread. Thanks for the posts. Welcome SnapIT an Doval.

Very informative post Doval. Great information.

Marc C. David - NGA CPT
Author of NoBull Bodybuilding
www.nobullbodybuilding.com

ORIGINAL: mda1125

This turned into quite an interesting thread. Thanks for the posts. Welcome SnapIT an Doval.

Very informative post Doval. Great information.

*sniff* i thought my post was informational too... at least it was correct... i am always right, just ask the resident dwarf... ;-)

You told him to rest a month.

Marc C. David - NGA CPT
Author of NoBull Bodybuilding
www.nobullbodybuilding.com

ORIGINAL: mda1125

You told him to rest a month.

Yeah, and when do muscle grow?

And when do they begin to atrophy?

We know that rest is important.. when working out.

There's rest in-between workouts and then there's a layoff period.. I'd say a month is a bit long to consider it rest.

Doesn't your body make changes when exercise is introduced on a regular basis? And won't those changes reverse if you lay off?

If I do cardio for 11 months and then take a 1 month break, will I not lose ground? Sure I will. Will I still have made progress.. yes. But for Ramadan, I don't think the poster wanted to take a month off, but rather wanted to know the most efficient way to workout given the constraints.

Marc C. David - NGA CPT
Author of NoBull Bodybuilding
www.nobullbodybuilding.com

prolly most of those who read my initial posts mighta realized from the name i'm muslim too...
i had the same problem, i did basically stop working out for teh whole month (lunar month) which was from like nov 6 to like december 5 or something like that..
before i took a month off, i was benching 45 lbs on each side of bar comfortably (but this isn't in a routine, if i just went into a gym, without a million other chest exercises)
right now i feel 35lbs on each side the same as i did 45lbs... you know what mean?
its just as hard for me to lift these nowadays...
the month for my working out was pretty bad, too much of a rest if you ask me ;)
, next year i'm actually planning on working out in evenings

tho, thanks for the post, i'll try to keep the eating that way next year when ramadan comes around...
(usually i have the tendency to "pigout or feasting" right when i am finally allowed to eat at sunset)

edit: wanted to add this note, before the month i was at a measily 129lbs, now i am 120.. *sob*

Maybe it was fat.. water and and oh so tiny tiny bit of muscle??

I've love it if somebody would really write up or make a detailed post about eating and training during ramadan.. it seems to be a very popular subject.

Marc C. David - NGA CPT
Author of NoBull Bodybuilding
www.nobullbodybuilding.com