I get asked a lot about what is the best time during the day to train. As you can probably guess there’s no definite answer to this questions. In order to determine the most optimal time for doing your workout, you should look at a few elements that could give you a hint. To figure out the best time to work out, we gotta find out when we can have the highest quality training. This depends on the following factors:
Body temperature – it is scientifically proven that in order to produce maximum intensity the human body has to be warmed up. Very often this optimal body temperature comes in the second part of the day. Due to this fact a lot of people feel comfortable to train in the late afternoon or evening. That’s when you are going to see the gyms packed. Of course, keep in mind that work schedule also dictates gym occupation. Most people are relatively cold in the morning and this is why they don’t feel comfortable training then. Try to listen to your body and find out when you feel most productive and hit the gym hard.
Neural Alertness – Neural alertness very often coincides with optimal body temperature. Most people often feel tired in the morning and their body still hasn’t fully woken up from the deep sleep state. In the late afternoon/evening, however, you feel much more focused and alert. This is why you should train at the moment at which you feel mentally prepared and psyched up. On the opposite, some people on the opposite feel very focused in the morning and can do work very efficiently during this period because their mind is rested.
Carb Intake – Carb intake often dictates the quality of your workout. In the morning people are carb depleted and they don’t have the necessary energy to carry an intense training session. Most people are carb loaded till the evening and they hit the gym when they feel their muscle fuller.
Goal – If your goal is to build muscle, then you need to be training super intense and heavy, so you will need your muscles to be filled with glycogen and neural alertness to the max. If you want to lose fat then the best time for you would be when you are carb depleted and your neural alertness is high.
Final word from me:
If you wan to gain muscle I would suggest training late afternoon around 4-6 p.m. If your goal is fat burning, then I would suggest training in the morning around 7-9 a.m. Training very late at night might ruin your sleep, so try to avoid it. Training very early in the morning is fine, as long as you take some BCAA’s and protein before working out…and don’t forget the most important part of early morning training – good coffee!
To get a complete Personal Workout Program, click HERE!
