Do you exercise before the sun comes up or in the evening to unwind after a long day of work? Morning workouts have the benefit of getting the job done before other commitments and distractions interfere with your workout plans. Have you ever planned on exercising after work and then had something come up that made it impossible? If that happens too often, it’ll be harder to make progress. What if you have the luxury of doing a resistance workout any time of day? What’s your best option? Some research suggests there may be advantages to resistance training later in the day.
Does It Matter What Time of Day you Strength Train?
One of the benefits of working out at home is you can exercise according to YOUR schedule rather than dealing with the limited hours a gym is open. This gives you lots of options. After all, you have 24 hours in a day. Surely, at last one of those hours will work.
According to one study, if you can choose when to resistance train, the evening is best. In this study, researchers asked a group of healthy men who had weight trained before to work out in the morning, prior to 10 A.M for 10 weeks. They asked another group of men to work out after 6:00 P.M for the same 10-week period. Did it make a difference when they trained? Yes, when the guys worked out affected their gains. Those who trained in the evening lost 4% body fat and gained 3% lean body mass. The morning trainers? They lost no body fat and only gained a small amount of muscle over the 10-week period.
Another study that look at adolescent boys found grip strength was almost 6% higher when the kids trained in the afternoon compared to the morning. This isn’t surprising. Strength is usually greatest when your body temperature is higher, in the afternoon and evening, as opposed to the morning. If you can eke out a few more reps or lift a little heavier in the afternoon or evening as opposed to the morning, you may get greater gains. In addition, you’re more flexible in the afternoon and evening. Being flexible lowers your risk for injury and maximizes your range-of-motion.
Drawbacks to Evening Weight Training
One problem with strength training in the evening is the fatigue factor. If you’ve had a long day at work, you may be tired and have less motivation and focus to devote to a workout. Lack of motivation and focus may be a limiting factor even if you have more strength than you do in the morning. A good compromise may be to resistance train in the afternoon while your energy level is still relatively high and your body temperature is still higher than in the morning. Research also shows you have greater tolerance to pain in the afternoon. This can help you push a little harder.
Morning Workouts Have Benefits Too
As mentioned, doing a portion of your daily workout first thing in the morning makes it less likely you’ll skip working out entirely due to other commitments. On the other hand, exercise is a commitment in and of itself and needs to be prioritized. Sometimes morning is the only time you can fit it in. When you work out first thing in the morning, you begin your day with something productive. Unlike resistance training, aerobic exercise is less subject to decrements in performance based on time of day. Aerobic exercise and high-intensity interval training jumpstarts your brain by ramping up your cognition and creativity. Some people feel more energized for the rest of the day when they work out in the morning. Plus, exercise has mood-elevating benefits. It can help you approach the day in better spirits!
Aerobic exercise first thing in the morning may have benefits. If you exercise first thing in the morning without eating, your body is forced to tap into fat stores as fuel. You burn more fat but you may find it difficult to ramp up the intensity when your glycogen stores are low. If you plan on doing moderate intensity cardio, doing it before breakfast may help you burn fat but if you plan on ramping up the intensity, eat a pre-workout snack of carbs and protein before getting started. If you have low blood sugar, always eat a snack before working out. Fasted cardio isn’t for you if it causes you to feel weak, lightheaded or faint due to blood sugar that’s too low.
The Bottom Line?
Ultimately, the best workout time is the one that works for you and the one you’ll stick with. Cardio in the morning and resistance training in the afternoon or evening is the ideal combo based on research — but it’s not a good option if you can’t fit it into your schedule.
Keep in mind that we’re all a little different. The best approach is to choose a time when you feel the most motivated and energetic. If your motivation and energy level is high, you’ll push yourself harder. Don’t be afraid to experiment by training at different times of the day. Keep a record of your workouts and how you feel during and afterward to see which workout time is best for you. There are no hard and fast rules that dictate when you have to work out. You’re limited only by your schedule. When you work at home, you can slip in a workout when it suits you best.
The good news? If you train with focus and intensity and combine it with good nutrition, you’ll make gains no matter what time of day you work out.
References:
Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. Dec. 23(9). 2451-7.
Pediatr Exerc Sci. 2010 Nov;22(4):613-23.
Related Articles By Cathe:
Prioritizing Fitness: Why You Should Make Time to Exercise Even When You Don’t Have Time
4 Types of People Who Benefit Most from Working Out in the Morning
Related Cathe Friedrich Workout DVDs:
All of Cathe’s Strength & Toning Workout DVDs
