By: Tim Rigby (Courtesy of Inside Fitness)
There’s an old saying that the harder you work, the greater your results. One example of this is completing heavy compound lifting first thing in the morning before you consume a single calorie (water is okay). This is what is meant by the term “pre-prandial”. Studies have shown that taxing multiple muscle groups simultaneously, such as when you’re powerlifting or doing the Olympic moves of clean and jerk or snatch, will spark growth hormone (GH) release especially if done in a fasted or calorie-depleted state. Chances are that you’ll really hate the grind of such a protocol, and feel weak or lethargic at the time; plus, the amount of the weights you use will likely be lower than to what you’re accustomed. Nevertheless, if you want the gains that ensue, keep plugging away.
Why is GH important? It’s essential for just about every fitness goal you can list: building muscle, gaining strength, losing weight and burning fat. It’s essentially what keeps you young and literally re-vitalizes your body. Perform such a strategy with some level of conservatism, however, since if you’re not used to this kind of training and abruptly begin doing it more than twice a week, your body may react in a defensive mode and put you in a state of overtraining.
