Fasting and Weight Training: Say What?!

The first time someone suggests that you, as an avid weight trainer, should fast you will balk at the idea. And respond with a 5 minute lecture about the need for a continuous supply of nutrients, the effect of protein deficiency on muscle mass and wrongly conclude that fasting is a generally bad idea except for religious purposes. While all your arguments against fasting are valid, there are other factors at play as well. Read on to learn them!

Nutrition Intake

Here's a really nasty one for starters: You have all kinds of garbage camping out in your intestines, especially if you eat lots of meat and dairy products while skimping on the fiber (can you say “Average Weight Trainer”?). This means a slew of bad things. For one thing, your nutrition intake may be less than optimal thanks to all the gunk blocking the way.

Your risk of cancer can increase, since some of what is camping out inside your intestines is likely to be toxic. It is said that many obese people have as much as 20 lbs of general sludge in their intestines. While this is a far cry from what you or I will probably ever get even close to, it's a nasty enough image to reach for the carrot juice right away.

But general cleanup is not the only benefit of fasting. If you feel like your metabolism isn't as perky as it once was, a week of fasting may be just what you need to get a fresh start. Another reason to fast is to simply give your digestive system a break! If you're a typical weight trainer, you are munching down 5-6 meals a day, month after month.

(Side Note: Dedicated weight trainers even get up in the middle of the night to chug a protein drink. Talk about working around the clock!)

What About My Hard Earned Muscle?

Ok, so what about the obvious risk of losing some of that hard-earned muscle mass? Well, you will probably lose a bit of muscle in the process. That said, with a typical 7-day fast we're not talking about excessive amounts here, and if you lose a pound or two of muscle it will most likely come back within a month once you're off the fast.

Think back to a time that you were injured or a maybe a friend was injured and one arm or leg seemed out of proportion to the other, uninjured limb? How long did it take for the previously injured muscles to snap right back to the size they once were? Muscle loss during fasting works the same way, and most do not lose anything they don’t regain within a month or two after ending the fast.

There are also certain steps you can take to minimize muscle loss. First of all, keep training! And don't start fiddling around with light-weights either, keep the same resistance and intensity as you normally would and hit those muscles mercilessly! This may sound tough to do when fasting, but thanks to the natural sugars from the juices (if you decided to consume juice on your fast) you'll actually feel pretty energized—as long as you keep the workouts brief and intense rather than prolonged and dull. Another key part of successful fasting is to ease in and out of it. Going from a regular high-calorie, high-protein diet to nothing but juice and water will shock your body.

Best Fasting Method

Ok, time to let the rubber hit the road. No fast should exceed one week, including 2 days of wind-up in the beginning and 2 days of wind-down at the end. This doesn't have to be complicated, just drink plenty of water and increase your intake of fruits, grain products and vegetables while phasing out meat, dairy products and the like. The second day of he fast, phase out the grain products and vegetables so you only eat fruit and drink juices, along with tons of water.

(Side Note: Aim to get at least 1-2 gallons of pure drinking water in addition to the juices.) Drinking all this water will help thoroughly flush your system and keep your belly somewhat filled at the same time to combat the hunger.

The third day you phase out the fruits and go to juice and water only. This is where your discipline is put to the test, but as a weight trainer you're used to exercising your willpower so you have an advantage over most people.

The sixth and seventh day you simply reverse the phase-out of grain products and vegetables, and on day eight you can carefully reintroduce meats and dairy products into your diet. This is not the time to pig out—try small quantities of lean chicken or fish and keep the emphasis on veggies for a couple of days while ramping up the meats until you feel that you're body is ready for it.

• Day 1-2: Cut out meat and dairy; and increase intake of whole grains, vegetables, and fruits. Drink lots of water.
• Day 3-5: Cut out whole grains, vegetables, and fruits; increase intake of water and juices if you are consuming juices.
• Day 6-7: Add back whole grains, vegetables, and fruits; continue to drink lots of water.

After Fasting

After the fast, you'll feel more energized, healthier and somewhat purified. Food will taste better and be better processed by your digestive system, and chances are you will find it easy to break through previous plateaus in terms of weight training. If your goal is to change up your diet after the fast, go for it.

Continue to eat a diet of whole grains, vegetables, and fruits. As well as, include some nuts and beans in the mix. Both nuts and beans are power packed and contain a lot of needed nutrients for the body. Meats and dairy can be added back in at anytime, just stick to lean cuts and less process choices.

All in all, after a week fast, it allows the body to have a clean slate so to speak and gives you a new awareness of eating a clean diet that aids the body in functioning and working at an optimal level.