Exercising during Ramadan: Weightlifting and Cardio

Within two weeks, a special month is approaching. Ramadan is the 9th month on the Islamic calendar and it's where Muslims all over the world fast from dawn to dusk. Most people in Ramadan feel that there is lack of time to exercise, so they decide to ditch training all together - either because of the lack of time or proper planning.



This post will include the following:

• Possible weight lifting times, with pros and cons. 
• Possible cardio times, with pros and cons.
• What I did last year (training-wise) & worked well for me.

p.s. Before applying any of the below, consult a physician or a nutritionist. I am neither. This is based on knowledge gained through previous research & personal experience.  

Ramadan & Weightlifting: 

Generally, the body uses carbohydrates as a main source of fuel, secondly fat, and thirdly, muscle. While fasting, your body mainly uses fat as a source of energy, and if you did not have enough or proper nutrition, it will use muscle. In other words, lack of proper nutrition may cause a loss in muscle while fasting. More on nutrition in Ramadan next week.

Studies suggest two main options for weightlifting in ramadan.

1) two hours BEFORE breaking the fast:

Pros: The idea behind training before breaking your fast, is simple. You can eat right after training (iftar), and can have multiple meals for recovery.

cons: Training on a fasted state means training with low blood sugar, meaning you may feel dizzy and some may get nauseated. Also, your body will lack the energy to go through, say a heavy weight-training session, and use your muscle for energy, instead of carbs or fats, causing muscle breakdown and increase in corsitol hormone (aka "stress hormone".)

My conclusion: I personally don't see the benefit of weightlifting while fasting, as you don't have the energy to go through a moderate-intense workout. Unless your plan is to lift light weights, and personally prefer it; knowing you will not get dizzy or injure yourself & understand how to eat properly to maintain your muscle mass.

2) two hours AFTER breaking your fast:

Pros: Training after iftar (2-3 hours later) would mean your body has the right amount of energy/calories to go through a grilling workout and you'd be hydrated enough through the workout. Lets not forget lack of hydration could lead to dizziness.

cons: The cons, muscle-gain or loss-wise, are slim to none; so no cons there! The issue is mainly finding the "right time" to fit in a good workout session during Ramadan. Training during Ramadan should be short and avoid useless "exercises"; such of those bicep curls or leg extensions.

My conclusion: I mainly prefer working out a few hours after I have eaten Iftar, because I have the right amount of food in my system to go through a good weight training session and I am not afraid of losing muscle mass. Also, it's best to stick to compound lifts, instead of isolation exercises. It is also possible to GAIN muscle in Ramadan as per some studies, but it's not something I know well in terms of details to share as of yet.

Do read my PREVIOUS POST to understand why I value muscle perseverance.

Ramadan and Cardio:

When it comes to Ramadan and Cardio, it's very simple. It really depends on your goal.

Do you want to lose fat but don't care much for muscles? Then the best time to train is before breaking your fast, although training in a fasted state DOES burn fat because lack of glycogen, so your body uses fat for energy. However, it also uses muscles for energy, hence losing muscle mass. Again, remember, muscle mass is an active tissue and requires more calories, and the more lean muscle mass you have, the more calories your burn = less body fat.

My conclusion: It's doable if A) you can handle low-impact cardio, B) not get dizzy due to lack of hydration, C) don't care much for muscle loss.

Do you want to preserve muscle mass, and gain little or no fat? Limit cardio session to 2x/week, keep them short but intense, anytime between Iftar - before Sahoor, will just do. Your cardio session should not be longer than 45 minutes. I prefer 20-30 minutes.

My conclusion: It's the safer choice to do intense cardio after having broken your fast, and between the hours it's permissible you eat. If you wish to do cardio while fasting, make sure to stop immediately if you felt a spell of dizziness.


What I did last Ramadan:

Last Ramadan, after doing a lot of research, although still learning, I found that FOR ME training two hours after I have broken my fast worked very well for me. Not only I had energy during my workouts, I saw strength gains and I recall this was the month I added 5kgs (55kgs that time) into my DEADLIFT (sorry, it's the lift of my life!)

Last year I had a 4-split training program; which means 4 days of weightlifting broken into A) legs, B) Back/Biceps, C) Chest/Triceps, D) Shoulders. Frankly, it was waste of time as a routine, however I did gain strength, lifted heavier and started doing half chinups all during Ramadan.

As for cardio, I did a 20-30 minute boxing routine twice a week. I firstly did gain a bit of fat the first week as my body was adjusting to the new routine, but soon after that I was able to maintain my weight and muscle to fat ratio.

This year I plan to do the same in terms of time to workout and almost similar workout routines. That would be three days weightlifting (sticking to big lifts; i.e. deadlift, squats, pull ups, chin ups, bentover rows, chest press, and a few other olympic lifts). Also will be doing an MMA class twice a week as I do now, but at night. My training routines will not be more than 45-minutes, except MMA, which would be one hour. In addition I will have one light-day (i.e. either brisk walking or yoga), and finally one full day of rest, most probably Friday or Thursday.

I very much realize the importance of Ramadan to our souls and us understanding there are many unfortunate people out there who lack food and water that we have an abundance of. It is also the month of forgiveness. However, I think it's also important to keep taking care of your health nonetheless, and have the chance of knowing how to do so, should you choose to keep training in Ramadan. As a fanatic, I cannot stop. So, if you plan right, you can still carry on your religious duties as well as have a balance between your life and religion. Hence, I wrote this last year: Prayer can make you stronger - literally. 

In other others, it's all about trial and error and learning what works for your and your body!

Also, please keep in mind the above cannot be achieved without a proper nutrition plan in Ramadan. This will be for next week's post. 


Yours truly,
GymFreak @999Fitness

Please leave your comments below or if you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask!