Training During Ramadan

Written By Muaz Inaam

BismiLlah al-Rahman al-Rahim

In this post I will detail some of the principles that guide my training during Ramadan, the goal being to retain as much strength and muscle mass as possible with the least amount of time and effort. Now, it’s certainly possible to make significant gains during Ramadan, but that requires more time and energy than I am willing to put towards training during this month. Most of my trainees feel the same way. They want to train, but not at the expense of missing out on time with their family or at the mosque. And so we focus on maintenance instead.

Before proceeding, I want to note that what you will find below is not a concrete program but a set of principles that you can use to structure your training. I do give concrete examples, but these are meant as a guide. Try them out, see how your body responds, and adjust them as necessary.

If you have any questions about how to apply these to your particular situation, feel free to reach out, and I will be happy to help in any way I can.

Tip #1: Train More Often

Now this may sound counter-intuitive: why would you train more often during a time when you feel like you’re lacking time and energy? The idea is to keep your training sessions short and easy but to do them more frequently. If you’re used to training 2 lifts in a single training session, split that same session over two days. This is a great way to minimize fatigue but still maintain high volume. One-Lift-a-Day programs are a great way to keep things simple, and they are even used by elite-level powerlifters.

A sample program might look like this:

  • Day 1: Squat (Heavy) 5 x 3-5 @ RPE 7

  • Day 2: Bench Press (Light) 3 x 8-12 @ RPE 8

  • Day 3: Deadlift 3 x 5-8 @ RPE 6-7

  • Day 4: Squat (Light) 3 x 8-10 @ RPE 6

  • Day 5: Bench Press (Heavy) 5 x 3-5 @ RPE 8

Another option is to choose 3-4 lifts and train them as often as possible, but to keep the volume and intensity of each session very low. For example you might squat, bench, overhead press, and deadlift each session but for only 2 sets of 5 at an RPE of 6. This is a great way to really refine your technique and get moderate weights to start feeling very light and easy. I’ve even had trainees hit PRs during Ramadan following a similar protocol. It’s important to note that while the volume for each session is very low, the overall volume for the entire week can be quite high.

This is a modified version of Pavel and Dan John’s Easy Strength Protocol. You can find more details on that program here.

Tip #2: Use RPE to Determine Your Loads

It’s common to employ some method of overload over the course of a training block. If you benched 150lb for 8 reps today, then a week from now you should try to hit 155lb. However, in Ramadan, I recommend being more flexible and using RPE to determine your loads. Your energy levels will vary significantly, and some days you might feel quite strong and on other days less so. Listen to your body and choose a weight that challenges you but doesn’t beat you up. On most upper body lifts or any machine exercises, you can push the RPE up to 8-9, the exception being the standing barbell overhead press. For that, along with any free-weight lower body lifts, like squats and deadlifts, I would aim for an RPE of 6-7.

Tip #3: Limit Volume on Squats & Deadlifts

Squats and deadlifts are great because they engage and stimulate your entire body, but this also means that they produce a lot of systemic fatigue in the body. Ramadan is a time when systemic fatigue is already high, so you want to limit your volume for these two lifts. Personally, I like programming them as a sort of warm-up. I have my trainees shoot for 2 sets of 3-5 reps at an RPE of 6-7 and then move on to something less systemically fatiguing, like bench presses or lunges.

A sample program might look like this:

Day 1: **Easy DL + Easy SQ + Rows 3 x 8-12

Day 2: Easy OHP + Bench Press 3 x 8-12

Day 3: Easy DL + Easy SQ + Chin-ups 3 x 5-12

Day 4: Easy OHP + Bench Press 3 x 8-12

Day 5: Easy DL + Easy SQ + Rows 3 x 8-12

**Easy just means 2 x 5 @ RPE 6. These should feel like warm-ups and not require a rest period longer than 90 seconds. It’s important when doing these to treat them as you would a skill like archery. Be very deliberate about every aspect of your technique and work towards getting that perfect set-up and making each rep identical to the previous one.

Tip #4: Focus on High Yield Movements

Because your time in the gym is limited during Ramadan and your energy low, it’s important to focus on movements that will target multiple muscle groups. Instead of trying to squeeze in three exercises for your front delts, chest, and triceps, choose a single movement that will target all three muscles, such as the incline bench press. Stick to a simple 5 sets of 8-15 and call it a day. A sample program might look like this:

Day 1: Incline Bench Press 5 x 8-15

Day 2: Bent Over Rows 5 x 12-15

Day 3: Dumbbell Lunges 3 x 8-12

Day 4: Off

*I used a variation of this three-days-on-one-day-off program last Ramadan and really enjoyed it. I especially recommend this if your training focus is hypertrophy over strength.

Bonus Tips: Sleep & Nutrition

It can be hard to get enough sleep at night during Ramadan, especially when it falls in the summer. The tarawih prayers can run late and fajr prayer comes in early. It becomes necessary to take a nap during the afternoon or evening to make up the deficit. If naps simply don’t work for you, you might feel like you have to skip out on tarawih or cut it short in order to get to bed early. One thing I’d recommend trying is to return from the mosque right after ‘isha’ and to pray your tarawih at home. On your own, you can complete all twenty rak’as pretty quickly and still get to bed at a decent time (and you won’t have to sit through any mid-tarawih fundraisers!)

As for nutrition, I would recommend the following:

  • If you are concerned about losing muscle, the best thing you can do is to maintain your current bodyweight. You can’t lose muscle if you aren’t losing weight.

  • If you are planning to lose weight this Ramadan then make sure to do the following so that you can minimize muscle loss:

    • Aim to lose no more than 1% of your bodyweight each week.

    • Aim for .75-1.0g of protein each day per lb of bodyweight.

    • Keep your training volume high (see the programs described under Tips #3 and #4).

My Plan for this Ramadan

Here’s how I plan on training this Ramadan:

  • Walking: I will be aiming for 5-7,000 steps each day. I find that steps help keep my energy up during Ramadan, and with the weather warming up, I look forward to spending some time outside.

  • Kettlebell Swings: I plan on doing 100 swings each day. Some days I will do them all at once within a 10 minute window. Other days, I might spread them out throughout the day.

  • Push-ups: I plan on doing 100 push-ups each day, spread out throughout the day. I will aim for 20 pushups after each prayer.

  • Deadlift & Bench Press: I will try to do these daily and aim for no more than 10 reps for each lift at an RPE of 6-7. I like playing with the following rep schemes (2 x 5, 5-3-2, 3 x 3, 4 x 1)

As for nutrition and supplements, here’s what I’ve got planned:

  • Suhur: Decaf Latte + Protein Bar + Chobani Protein Shake (~50g of protein)

  • Iftar/Dinner: Meat + Bread/Rice/Lentils (~40g of protein)

  • Post-Tarawih Snack: Protein Shake (~30g of protein)

  • Supplements: AG1, Electrolytes, Creatine, and Vitamin D

Concluding Remarks

Although the focus in this piece is Ramadan, the principles I detail here apply to any season of life that doesn’t leave you with much time or energy to train. Everyone can squeeze out 10 minutes for a daily dose of deadlifts or pull-ups. It might seem insignificant at first, but the volume adds up, and you might surprise yourself with some PRs down the road.

And finally, I leave you with a prayer I learned from one of my teachers:


يَا قَوِيُّ يَا عَزِيْزُ يَا عَلِيْمُ يَا قَدِيْرُ يَا سَمِيْعُ يَا بَصِيْرُ

Transliteration: "Ya Qawiyu, Ya 'Azizu, Ya 'Alimu, Ya Qadiru, Ya Sami'u, Ya Basiru"

Translation: "O Insuperable of Might, O the Invincible, O the All-Knowing, O the All-Powerful, O the All-Hearing, O the All-Seeing:"

‏رَبِّ قَوِّنِي بِفَضْلِكَ عَلى طَاعَتِكَ وَحَبِّبْنِي إلَيْكَ بِكُلِّ تَقْوِيَةٍ

Transliteration: "Rabbi Qawwini Bi FaD Li Ka 'Ala Tha'atik Wa Habbibni ilayka Bi Kulli Taqwiya"

Translation: "O my kind and tender Lord, strengthen me by Your grace for Your obedience and make me beloved to You with every increase in strength."

‏وَلَا حَوْلَ وَلَا قُوَّةَ إلَّا بِالله

Transliteration: "Wa La Hawla Wa La Quwwata illa bi Llah"

Translation: "And there is no power to change anything nor is there any strength except through Allah."

Muaz Inaam https://thestrengthblock.com
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