Training in the morning or the afternoon…which is best?
Some people have no option but to train in the morning and some people claim that they are not morning people, so they choose to train in the afternoon. Either way, you are finding time to train, but which one is best? Stay with me and we will investigate when you should train and why.
We all seem to lead crazy, hectic, unbalanced lifestyles these days with long hours at work, kids, kids’ sports, homework, girl/boy scouts, husbands and wives, the essential social media time etc. It is the fortunate and diligent few that make time for self-development and a little rest and relaxation. With all this daily mayhem, how do we find time to take care of ourselves and ensure we maintain our health and sanity?
Whether your goal is to lose body fat, build strength or build muscle or all the above, there are perceived and scientific benefits of training in the morning as well as the evening and some may even overlap.
Let’s look at them individually
Perceived Benefits
Scientific Benefits
Clearly, training has so many benefits both, perceived and scientific. Looking at the above tables, the greater benefit tends to lean toward the morning sessions. There seems to be more perceived benefits in the morning as compared to the evening and on the scientific side of things, based on what your desired outcome they are, all thing considered, equal.
Research on this subject is still limited, but if we look at our circadian rhythms as the graph at the top shows, if you want to build muscle, both morning and evening are beneficial as testosterone is highest in the morning, but growth hormone is highest at night. At the end of the day, if you want to perform at your best as it relates to lifting heavier, evenings seem to win, but if you are looking for overall health benefits, I would say mornings take the blue ribbon.
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