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When Is The Best Time To Workout | Pros And Cons Of Going To The Gym At Different Times

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Have you ever thought about when to exercise?

Not just from a “where does it fit in my schedule” standpoint, but from a “what time of day influences results in the right direction” standpoint.

Well, I have news - WHEN matters. Its consideration can help you with the other when (wink wink).

So if you want to win the idea is to get the equation of energy, compliance, hormonal response, equipment availability, and time in your schedule to be as close to perfect as possible.

This article will solve that equation. Let’s go!

SECTIONS:

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How The Circadian Rhythm Impacts Your Workouts

Our bodies run on a biological clock referred to as the circadian rhythm. It specializes in regulating the sleep-wake cycle, and can be heavily influenced by light, as well as daily habits.

While your circadian rhythm may bounce to the beat of a different drum than the next person’s.. Similar lifestyles will breed commonality between rhythms. Still it’s individualized with the chief determining factor being how your life is lived.

[8] A Prototypical Circadian Rhythm

[8] A Prototypical Circadian Rhythm

The circadian rhythm determines when you release melatonin, when your testosterone levels peak during a given day, cortisol release rates, when and at what pace you cool or raise your core temperature, and even blood pressure variance.

An example in action would be with the average 9-5 Jack or Jill. An ideal time to workout would be the evening.. For it is the greatest point hormonally and temperature-wise.

This time period is when you exude the lowest amount of the catabolic hormone cortisol.. Cortisol being catabolic means it breaks things down, IE muscle protein stores.

Although in the evening you have lower testosterone levels, it’s not as troublesome as one would assume. Weight training boosts testosterone, so once you get going you’re good in that department.

With that considered this is simply the “in theory” best time because we have other factors to account for coming soon.

Note: the circadian rhythm and how it tends to impact your states throughout a day is cool to know, but you don’t have to pattern your life accordingly. It can be tampered with and will adapt to the way you choose to live - if you do it consistently enough.

Pros And Cons Of Morning Workouts

I’m a morning lifter. By morning I mean around 4-10 am by the way. I’m a much better contributor to society when I start my day with a session.

It’s not uncommon for Jack or Jill to befriend cardio here too since it’s easier to do so fasted. You can hop out of bed and get right to action, but I suggest against fasted cardio.. Not a recipe for ample muscle growth in natural athletes. Ensure you hydrate too since you just got up. Look at the color of your urine, I can almost guarantee it’s tainted if you had a good night’s rest.

A morning sweat session starts the day right and will give you a boost in mood and a boost in energy for the rest of your waking hours. Another benefit is you don’t have to think. 

When you workout later in the day that “will I do it?” hangs over you and the potential for interference multiplies. “Something” could come up, like not feeling like it.

Getting it in early leaves room for a possible second workout, you’ll be wide awake heading into work, and the crowd is better than in the evening. Being able to actually use the equipment is pretty important.

The case against early workouts is having to set your alarm sooner than usual, especially with the need to get some food on your stomach before lifting. But the pros outweigh the cons.. just make a shake and get it going.

Pros And Cons Of Midday Workouts

The key hook for midday workouts is freedom. 

It’s a gym-specific pro, because if you lift in your garage I assume there’s no wait unless your black lab is hogging the bench. Gyms are nearly empty midday - you can superset your heart out. With midday I’m referring to roughly 10-4 pm.

By now you’ve started eating, hopefully so there’s no worry about going in fasted. You can lift or do cardio.. should be hydrated by now too.

It’s refreshing to enter a nearly empty gym without having to get up super early. If you time it right you can still do two-a-days while still making it between the sheets at a decent time.

Traditionally natural energy should be at a serviceable level around now and the session will get you through the day while avoiding that usual midday drop off that leaves you begging for a nap. 

What’s not so good is if you don’t have the option to show your stuff midday.. the job or other obligations could get in the way. Lunchtime lifting is often an option too - problem is you’ll have a strict time limit and may not be able to squeeze all the sets you’d like to in. Cardio would flourish in this slot though.

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Pros And Cons Of Evening Workouts

The most popular option for getting the work in is after work. You’ll see a grand influx of activity in the gym, which can be a problem or a solution.

By evening I’m highlighting 4-9 pm and on one hand you’ll struggle with touching the equipment you want to touch. This’ll make your workouts extra long or they’ll be incomplete, but the other hand is social motivation. If you’re like me and enjoy having a gym nemesis this is the perfect time.

By now you’re certainly able to be hydrated and will have consumed a few meals. Most importantly your core temperature is likely at its optimal point for performance - it won’t take as long to warm up.

Convenience of stopping by the gym after a day on the job is what makes this period so popular. You get in there, let your frustrations of the day out, then head home.

Another potential plus is that the national library of medicine conducted a study, which concluded strength training in the evening resulted in greater strength and hypertrophy gains compared to an identical program in the morning [2]. 

The asterisk is that nutritional habits weren’t optimally regulated:

Did the morning group train fasted? 

Were they hydrated? 

Solid warm up? (contradictions in My Thoughts)

Another evening workout red flag is energy, particularly if you have a taxing job. By the end of the day you may be kaput and biologically better or not without energy or the ability to get to a station in a timely manner - all advantage is lost.

Keep in mind if you enjoy pre workout it’s possible your sleep will be hindered by the timing.

Pros And Cons Of Late Evening Workouts

Are you a night owl? Get off work late? On the morning shift? Regardless if you fancy the deep night or are considering swiping your keycard late here are a few reasons to or not to.

Later in the evening things start slowing down in the gym, so more equipment begins to free up. By late I’m talking after 9pm.

You’ll be hydrated and dependent on the time of your most recent meal, food can be on your stomach, but your core temperature is starting to descend. 

According to how you’re wired this can prepare you perfectly for bed or make it hard to sleep even without pre workout, yet if you take pre workout you’re almost guaranteed sleep deprivation if you don’t give yourself a cooling off period.

Another pitfall is some gyms aren’t open late. It’s always good to have this option, but you’ll be forced to crash the sheets at a later time and if you’ve been up all day your energy won’t be as high as for earlier sessions.

How To Make Your Chosen Time The Best Time To Workout

Biologically there may or may not be an optimal time to put your muscles to use, regardless here’s how to even the odds wherever the hour hand sits:

  • Core temperature is priority one, the rest falls into place to conquer the task. So warm up like you mean it, not a half-ass warm up. A good solid warm up will raise your core temperature for peak performance despite time of day.

  • Hydrate before. Hydrate during. Hydrate after. One of the morning drawbacks is not being hydrated due to the nightly fast that occurs while snoozing. Get your h2o in and that problem is solved.

  • eat before the lift. This is vital to optimize hypertrophy, limit catabolism, and speed recovery.

  • Try a pre workout. A solid pre workout has the ingredients that’ll benefit you with energy and more. My current favorite is Total War.

  • Most importantly be consistent. Your body adjusts to life. If you’re there 7 am every day your body will make the changes to be as ready as possible at 7 am every day.

My Thoughts

When you workout is far down the list of configurations if compliance is of concern. The best time to workout is when you’ll most likely workout. Being there is first concern, the rest is about gaining percentage points.

Evening is allegedly better for expanding the guns, yet studies aren’t thorough and a few others even contradict the claims. 

For example another national library of medicine study showed no statistical difference in strength or hypertrophy results morning vs. Evening [6].

A science daily study concluded morning workouts give you better sugar and fat metabolism, but evenings burn more calories post exercise [7].

Nonetheless.. When you train your body will rewire its circadian rhythm if done consistently enough. I’ve been going mornings so long that when I do HIIT the rare night lift I have to give myself a pep talk (those chats get ugly 😆).

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So, It’s About That Time

When you train matters in the practical sense more than the best results sense. When will you most likely have consistency? That’s the big question, the rest can be accounted for. Your circadian rhythm shall adjust to you so consume your pre workout meal, get a solid warm up in, and put those muscles to use. Be Great.