How long after a meal can you do strength training?

For healthy fitness people without basic gastric problems, strength training with light weight and low intensity can be started 30 minutes to 1 hour after a meal. It is best to wait 1.5 to 2 hours for training with medium to high intensity and involving heavy weight compound movements. If you eat a large meal full of heavy oil and high protein, such as skewers, a whole steak and pasta, you must allow at least 3 hours of digestion time.

But if you really want to be honest, you have to stick to this time. Many enthusiasts who have practiced for many years are the first to disagree. Many people have the experience of just eating two meat buns, cycling to the gym for 20 minutes, and going directly to the bench press set. They did not feel any discomfort. On the other hand, some people even rested for two hours after meals and suffered from acid reflux and burping as soon as they deadlifted. To put it bluntly, the core depends on the individual’s digestion speed and tolerance. There is no one-size-fits-all standard.

I met a sophomore guy in the gym before. He had a dinner with his classmates at noon on the weekend and ate three bowls of braised chicken and two large bowls of rice. It took him only 40 minutes to practice deadlifting. As soon as he reached the second set of 120kg, he turned red and vomited on the edge of the deadlift table. The cleaning lady scolded him for almost ten minutes while mopping the floor. After that, every time he came to practice, he would eat a simple meal of oats and chicken breasts two hours in advance, and he would never dare to act like a monster again.

Why is there such a difference? In fact, the essence is a problem of blood supply. After eating, the intestines and stomach must mobilize a large amount of blood to digest food. If you suddenly put on a heavy weight, the skeletal muscles will compete for blood supply, and the peristalsis of the intestines and stomach will be affected. In mild cases, it will cause flatulence and gas. In severe cases, you will vomit directly like that guy. People with reflux esophagitis will be burned by gastric acid and have a sore throat for a long time. Some people also say that practicing gastroptosis immediately after a meal is actually a bit exaggerated. This problem can only occur if you do heavy weight training with high abdominal pressure immediately after meals for a long time. Occasionally, it will not have such a big impact.

There’s really no need to hold a timer. If you’ve almost rested after eating, stand up and take a few steps. If your belly doesn’t feel bloated and hard, and you don’t feel the food pressing against your chest, you can try doing two sets of empty bar warm-ups first. If you have acid reflux and no gas problems, just practice as normal. If you have a fast metabolism and just eat a bowl of vegetable salad and a piece of toast, and your hands are shaking after being hungry for two hours, but you still hold on and dare not practice, then you will easily faint due to low blood sugar, and the gain will not be worth the loss.

Friends who have chronic gastritis, gastroptosis or gastroesophageal reflux should be cautious. It is best to stay half an hour to an hour longer than the generally recommended time. When practicing, try to do as little heavy lifting as possible that requires holding in force for a long time. Otherwise, if the abdominal pressure is high, you will still be uncomfortable.

To put it bluntly, fitness is about doing whatever feels comfortable. All time suggestions are just reference. Don’t impose other people’s standards on yourself. If you can practice well, you won’t feel uncomfortable. It’s better than anything else.