This morning marked the final medicine ball session of the year. Next week, I’ll be transitioning into a strength and hypertrophy phase—the first phase of Mass Explosion.
I never eat before my early morning med ball workouts. I’m up at 5:00 a.m., take some BCAAs as outlined in Lean and Mean, and I’m on the field by 6:00 a.m. Once I’m done around 7:00, I head home, shower, and then eat breakfast. I’ve followed that routine for years, and it works great!
When it comes to weight training, though, it’s a different story.
I need to break the fast before lifting—otherwise, my performance suffers. I wake up at 5:00 a.m., eat by 6:00 a.m., and train a couple hours later. Without a proper breakfast, my workouts simply aren’t as effective.
Apparently, I’m not alone. A study published in the Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research found that “omission of a pre-exercise breakfast might impair resistance exercise performance in habitual breakfast consumers.”
Bottom line: Taking an anti-catabolic agent like BCAAs may be sufficient before fasted cardio or med ball work, but if you’re lifting weights in the morning, it’s best to fuel up with a healthy breakfast. Check out one of my go-to options: The Leftover Dinner Breakfast.
Want to know more about my med ball sessions? Here’s a look at my 6 a.m. medicine ball ritual.
