The best time to workout in the gym. Is the best time to exercise early in the morning, afternoon or late evening? Exercises before and after meals

Every person who starts doing fitness at some point asks the question: What is the best time to train? This question depends on many factors, but we will try to answer it as clearly and accessible as possible.

I would like to note that everyone who has pulled himself together and is involved in any kind of sport is already at the right way, and it doesn’t matter what time of day he practices. The main thing is that he does it! You need to understand that even after reading our recommendations, you yourself choose the training time in accordance with your busy schedule and your desire.

Scientists have proven that the best time to train is... gym, this is 4-5 hours in the afternoon (Based on a scientific study published in the journal “Sports Medicine”). But who said that you can’t study at other times? Let's look at the pros and cons of training in different times days.

Morning workouts

Morning workouts are incredibly enjoyable! For example, Dwayne Johnson always works out in the morning. Even before dawn, at four o'clock in the morning, Dwayne goes for a run so intense that after it you can wring out your clothes. This early cardio helps him perk up and sets the right mood for the rest of the day. Let's look at the pros and cons of morning classes.

pros

• Exercising in the morning speeds up your metabolism.
• You get a charge of vivacity and positive energy for the whole day.
• Morning workouts are very disciplined. As practice shows, it is much easier to accustom yourself to morning workouts than to afternoon or evening workouts.
• Since everyone is still asleep, you will have much less time to spend on distractions.
• In the morning, during exercise, the fat reserves in your body are burned first, which means this time is great for cardio training.

Minuses

• If you don't like or aren't used to getting up early, it will be difficult for you to force yourself to exercise at such an hour.
• In the morning, the muscles are not yet warmed up, so without a good warm-up, the likelihood of injury is high.
• If you have a strength workout planned, you will have to get up even earlier to have a good breakfast or take a portion of a gainer, otherwise you will not have energy.
• If you exercise at high intensity, then by the evening you will feel very tired and your efficiency will greatly decrease.

If your goal is to lose weight, and it is not difficult for you to get up early, then the best time for you to workout is in the morning. You can see the training program for losing weight in our article High-intensity interval training for burning fat. Yoga or meditation classes are also suitable for this time of day. It should be noted that in the morning our joints are less elastic, so active activities should be avoided. If you still decide to do strength training in the morning, do not neglect the warm-up and be sure to eat 1-1.5 hours before training.

Let's look at what scientists say about the ideal time to exercise. Consider the opinion of scientists from Williamsburg, a US city. Here, scientists selected 100 untrained men for the experiment, who trained at 8:00, 12:00, 16:00 and 20:00.

The results showed that activation of fast-twitch muscle structures, which are responsible for lifting weights, is better when body temperature is higher, which occurs in the afternoon. Thus, they established the best time for training: from 16:00 to 20:00.

Now let's turn our attention to the research of scientists from Washington. They argue that you need to train depending on your body type and metabolic rate. Endomorphs with slow metabolisms should train in the morning to burn off internal energy and fat reserves.

Ectomorphs with a thin physique are forced to train in the evening so that by the time of training they have the necessary supply of energy and nutrients obtained from food. Mesomorphs, people with an average build and metabolism, can train both in the morning and in the evening. You can learn more about body types in the article Body Types.

Scientists from Washington say that you should listen to your own biorhythms, and also note that if you exercise at approximately the same time, your body will get used to it.

Daytime workouts

Daytime training is more suitable for schoolchildren or students, as well as those whose work schedule allows them to devote 1-2 hours to training in the afternoon.

pros

• Body temperature is slightly higher than in the morning. It will be easier and more comfortable for you to start exercising.
• Glycogen reserves in muscles and blood sugar levels are at a good level.
• Improves blood flow to the brain. After training, you will be able to work even more productively.
• Reduces stress levels after work and study. You can throw out all the negative energy in the room.
• At this time, endurance increases. This is what is important for weight training.
• Research shows that this is when our lungs are at their most efficient.

Minuses

• Distractions that may prevent you from starting your workout at the scheduled time.
• If you train during your lunch break, the downside is that you are limited in time and the training may end up being unfinished.

To summarize, it should be said that at this time the most effective exercises will be strength exercises, stretching, crossfit and other exercises that require endurance and strength. Before such training, you should definitely take care of your food intake.

Evening workouts

Who is suitable for evening workouts? They are ideal for those who feel sluggish and sleep-deprived in the morning. They are also suitable for swimming and team events sports

pros

• Body temperature in the evening is ideal for training.
• In the evening, during training, you can get rid of the stress accumulated during the day.
• Your energy is at its peak between 6 and 9 pm. Place the main part of your workout during this period; you can leave the cool-down and stretching for a later time.

Minuses

• Evening workouts can cause sleep disturbances, in which case you will have to change your workout schedule.
• Until the evening, you can come up with a number of excuses for yourself not to go to training. The habit of studying in the evening takes longer to form than at other times of the day.
• Fat burning will be ineffective due to high blood sugar.

The best time for strength training and mass training

Evening is the ideal time for strength training. You can familiarize yourself with mass training in our article Mass training program. However, you should provide dinner 1.5-2 hours before training, so as not to burden your body with a heavy meal before going to bed.

It should also be remembered that there are many other equally important components of successful training. The most important of them are:

• regularity of training
• good and healthy nutrition
• rest
• desire and faith in the result

If you have the opportunity to engage in this type of exercise at the recommended time physical activity, which is most suitable for this, then this is great: you will naturally help your body quickly achieve the desired result. If you don’t have such an opportunity, then don’t be upset, your body will choose the best time for training itself, the main thing is to listen to it well and help it find this time.

And in conclusion, a summary video on this issue from the leaders of fitness and bodybuilding in Russia.

We looked at all the pros and cons of training at different times of the day. Adjust the time of your workouts to suit your goals and your well-being, this will make it easier for you to organize yourself and you won’t want to miss workouts. One way or another, the main thing is not the time of training, but its content and consistency. Always exercise at the same time, then your body will get used to the load and adapt to your training schedule.

Bodybuilding is one of the most popular types sports for today. The fitness industry is taking over everything more people from year to year. More and more people are beginning to understand that playing sports is not only a tool for gaining beautiful body, but also a deposit successful health. Most athletes who are just starting to engage in strength training have many questions about proper training, diet, adherence to a regimen, etc. In this article we will look at one of the important issues, we will talk about training time in bodybuilding - what time of day is best to train, how long should training last, how much time to spend on training per week.

According to statistics, more than 60% of athletes train in the evening. This is due to the fact that most gym goers have work, and therefore there is simply no way to train in the morning or afternoon. There are also athletes who come to the gym earlier in order to train alone and not have to wait in line for the necessary equipment. But when is the best time to exercise, scientifically speaking? Having studied this issue, American scientists came to the following conclusions:

• The optimal time for strength training is from 4 to 6 pm;
• An athlete’s strength indicators after 12 noon increase by an average of 3-5%, the same applies to endurance;
• The likelihood of injury in the evening is 15-20% lower than at morning time;
• Evening exercise 2-4 hours before falling asleep improves sleep quality.

Despite the fact that scientific research is beneficial for evening workouts, we are all individuals and it is best to select a training schedule that suits your body. Surely you have heard that people are usually divided into 2 types - larks and owls. The first go to bed early and get up very early, while others, on the contrary, tend to stay awake until late at night, and then get enough sleep until lunch. So, morning workouts may be suitable for larks, but it is best for owls to exercise only in the evening.

Even if you decide to exercise only at a certain time, you still need to listen to yourself before each workout. If you feel tired, lethargic, or lack of strength, then you shouldn’t go to training - it will be of little use and the likelihood of injury increases. Also, when choosing a time to train in bodybuilding, take into account all your affairs - you should have the opportunity to eat an hour and a half before class, and also rest for an hour after training. Going to the gym immediately after a hard day at work, and even on an empty stomach, is stupid, it will only do harm.

As for the optimal duration of training, in bodybuilding athletes are advised to exercise for about 1 hour. Modern experts have found that if you train for too long (2 hours), the level of catabolic hormones that destroy muscles increases greatly.

As for the amount of training, each case also needs to be considered individually. It all depends on your regimen, nutritional status, age, and level of training. If we are talking about amateur bodybuilding, then two or three hour sessions per week are quite enough. Some amateurs work out 4-5 times a week, but with poor nutrition and too much intensive loads this will certainly lead to .

What time of day is best to train for bodybuilding?

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What days do you think people most often visit gyms and fitness clubs? Monday, Wednesday and Friday are the correct answer to this question. Maybe you also know the right time? Yes, yes, from six to eight o'clock in the evening. According to statistics, it is at this time that about 65-70% of athletes come to training. It’s not surprising, because the working day is ending, which means you can work out your own body. Why does the peak occur on odd days? Here, everyone has their own options: some need to get themselves in order after a stormy weekend, while others want to complement their ruined Monday with grueling workout in the hall.

But seriously speaking, most people have simply become accustomed to the original schedule of classes and no one is going to change anything radically. Is it necessary? Let's figure it out now.

So, sports have already moved from the category of a thoughtless “rocking chair” and now invariably keep pace with the development of science. Researchers are constantly conducting various experiments so that athletes can improve their results and achieve the goal of “faster, higher, stronger.” Somehow they received an excellent proposal to find out whether there was a best time for training, and they actively began to find out. So let's take a look at what they found out.

Important: in the following note we will talk about various studies that provide data on what time is considered the best for more effective transformation of the body and building sculpted muscles. Let's look at each in order.

Experiments number 1 from the Department of Kinesiology (in Williamsburg, USA)

The essence of the experiment: The researchers recruited 100 trained men with good health who performed various strength exercises daily. Moreover, the strength test was carried out at different times:

• At 8 cheers;
• At 12 noon;
• At 4 o'clock in the afternoon;
• At 8 pm.

results: the most high performance muscle performance was achieved in the evening (when fast movements were made). This is because the activation process muscle fibers, which contract rapidly, occurs at a time when body temperature is higher. Which also happens in the evening.

Another one important detail What the researchers paid attention to was the different levels of hormones throughout the day (cortisol and testosterone). Testosterone actively takes part in building muscle mass, and cortisol, on the contrary, actively destroys it and promotes intensive fat deposition. Studies have shown that the amount of testosterone in the blood is higher in the morning, but after training it becomes significantly higher. But cortisol in the body is least in the evening (the lowest level is at 7 pm).

Conclusion: The ideal balance for training is high levels of testosterone in the blood compared to low amounts of cortisol. This allows you to build muscle and burn fat more effectively. And this time period occurs in the evening.

Important: Despite the research, do not forget that each body is individual and has its own characteristics of wakefulness and rest at different times of the day. It is due to the chronotype (features of the body’s functioning during the day) that indicators of the activity of physical functions are formed (for example, hormone levels, cognitive functions, body temperature, etc.). Chronotype is the explanation why some people easily wake up early in the morning and feel just fine, while others crawl out of bed and take a heavy dose of coffee before returning to normal.

Final conclusion: as scientific research shows, it is better to exercise in the gym in the evening, but everyone must decide for themselves individually how best and most conveniently to exercise in accordance with their condition and chronotype.

Experiment number 2 from the University of Washington (in the USA)

If you want to know the best time for the most effective workouts, the first thing to determine is your body type.

For endomorphs, whose metabolic process is slow, the ideal time for training is the first half of the day (12 noon). At this time, the body uses available energy to obtain energy. body fat. Ectomorphs who have thin bones, evening workouts are best when the body has sufficient calorie reserves for effective training. Mesomorphs can choose both morning and evening workouts. You need to pay more attention to how you feel after classes. In the morning, for example, you may have a lot of energy or, on the contrary, very little energy, so it’s better to focus on your own feelings.

What is the best way to train when you need to build muscle and remove excess fat?

The first thing to do is to include cardiovascular training in your workouts and do them regularly at the same time. Moreover, the break between physical exercise approaches should be no less than 6-8 hours. This requirement is explained very simply - in the process of training with weights, the body’s reserves are depleted, and if you add cardio training to this, the body begins to use it as fuel. muscle tissue, that is, the so-called muscle burning process occurs.

For example, if your work schedule allows you to go to the gym only in the evenings, then cardio exercises should be performed in the mornings.

Experiment number 3 from Sportsmedicine magazine

Human life is subject to so-called circadian rhythms (cycles of wakefulness and sleep). It is through them that body temperature, metabolism, blood pressure and other physiological indicators are regulated. These rhythms operate 24 hours a day, but they can be changed based on environmental signals. One of these signals is the time of day.

Most rhythms are considered innate, but some can be changed by a person himself, for example, by setting a certain time for training, eating, or getting up in the morning with an alarm clock. That is, the body’s ability to train more effectively will adapt to the time allotted for training. For example, if you constantly worked out in the evenings, and then suddenly decided to switch to morning workouts, then at first the classes will be very sluggish. But don’t worry, circadian rhythms are very flexible and can be adjusted to suit your needs, and this will take no more than one or two months.

So, based on various scientific studies and experiments, the following conclusions were drawn:

• The best time to exercise (when the human body reaches its highest temperature) is 4-5 hours after lunch;
• At 12 a.m strength indicators increase by 5%;
• The most top scores anaerobic productivity (increase by 5%) are observed in the evening;
• The body's endurance, including anaerobic, is much higher in the afternoon;
• The likelihood of getting injured in the gym in the morning is 20% higher than in the evening;
• Physical activity improves sleep quality (if done 2-3 hours before bedtime).

Now that the research part has come to an end, it’s time to move on to the practical component. Now we will analyze the day in detail and decide what time is best to be active.

Number 1. Hello sun, at 5 am

In the morning, body temperature is very low, especially in girls. And this only means that the most optimal type of exercise for this time is yoga. It helps to relax your joints and makes further training easier, creating the necessary body mood.

Number 2: 7am is the time for cardio.

Early cardio loads will set the background for the rest of the day, making it more effective. After waking up (but still without breakfast), the human body contains a minimal amount of glycogen in the muscles and liver, as well as blood sugar. This is the ideal backdrop for quickly and efficiently resetting overweight. This opinion is confirmed by studies that have proven that fat burning in this state is 300% more effective. It is also important that intense cardio exercise (about 35-40 minutes) improves metabolic processes, which makes it possible to actively burn fat deposits for several hours afterwards.

Number 3. Take up outdoor running or endurance exercise at 3 pm

A long and leisurely jog after lunch (about 1 hour) will allow the heart muscle to pump blood more efficiently, the joints will become more flexible, and the body temperature will rise.

Number 4. Let's ride a bike at 16.30

Excess calories will go away several times faster if you sit behind the wheel of a bicycle. As studies show, at 16.40 body temperature (especially in women) rises to its maximum, muscles become more flexible, and blood viscosity noticeably decreases.

Number 5: It's time for weight training at 5 p.m.

Body temperature during this period of time becomes the highest, which allows you to increase the effectiveness of training (there is less cortisol in the blood, and more testosterone). Also at 5 pm, the human body adjusts to a new energy cycle, and the body receives an additional powerful surge of energy.

Number 6. Shall we swim at 7 pm?

If you need maximum effect from swimming, then the most effective time for this is the interval between 6 and 8 pm. Reflexes at this time are the best, and the muscles are as flexible as possible.

Number 7: Team play time at 8 p.m.

After work and even rest, the best time comes for team sports. At 8 pm and later it is best to do:

• Dancing;
• Football;
• Volleyball.

After such loads, reaction, flexibility and speed improve, and they will also give energy and positive emotions for the rest of the day.

With this we come to the end of this part and deal with independent determination of time.

We determine for ourselves the ideal time for training.

As a summary of all of the above, I offer several specific recommendations in order to determine your best time to play sports. So, let's begin.

First. Ideal time = whatever is most convenient for you

Each of us depends on some of our own specific circumstances. Study, work, holidays, family, etc. do not always provide the opportunity to fit into the best window for training. Of course, it’s good that you know about the ideal time for studying from a scientific point of view (at 7 pm), but if you physically can’t get to that exact time, don’t worry. And yes, you don’t need to rush to the gym immediately after work, snacking on the road without knowing what. This will not improve your health, but quite the contrary. Remember that after the main activity you need to rest for at least 30 minutes, and eat 1 hour before going to the gym.

Bottom line: adjust your schedule to fit your schedule, and don't stress yourself out trying to hit the scientifically perfect time.

Second. Ideal time = systematic training

If you have determined for yourself the days of the week and the time at which you actively work out in the gym, the body will get used to it over time and show greater efficiency during these periods. It is much better for results to be consistent and systematic than to constantly search for that perfect time to train.

Third. Perfect timing = rely on your knowledge

About 70% of people cannot be categorically classified as either larks or owls. That is, it turns out that this majority is indifferent in relation to their circadian rhythms. And in order to determine for yourself the best time to play sports, you need to use the data shown in the table below (see figure).

Fourth. Floating chart - no big deal

There are also people who do not work according to a fixed schedule, for example, from 9 to 6. For such cases, it doesn’t hurt to have your own schedule at least a week in advance and fit training days into it. If today, for example, you are sure that you won’t be able to get to the gym, you can train at home or wherever you are now. For such people, there is no need to purchase a gym membership, which includes visiting schedules. It would be much better to pay a one-time fee or even walk around as a hare. Those who work at night are advised to test their body to determine the time when the body most readily “responds” to stress.

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The question of when it is better for a person to exercise - in the morning or in the evening - has been discussed by experts for a long time, but there is no definite answer to it and, probably, there cannot be. Still, an individual approach is needed here.

"Owls" train in the evening, "larks" - in the morning

If life just begins for you in the evening, and getting up in the morning is equivalent to execution, then the best time for you to train is the evening. If you are a “morning person” and have been accustomed to getting up with the first rays of the sun since childhood, then morning workouts will be optimal for you.

Choose your workout time depending on your activity

If you are primarily engaged in mental work and spend most of the day in a chair in front of a monitor, then it would be nice for you to stretch your bones in the gym in the evening. But if you spend the whole day running around visiting clients or carrying bags, then it’s better to train in the morning, because in the evening you won’t have the energy to train.

Choose your workout time depending on your health condition

Much depends on the person’s health status. For example, if you have heart problems, don't try to exercise in the morning.

When we sleep, our heart also rests because blood circulates more slowly. For several hours after sleep, the human body experiences such phenomena as increased heart rate, accelerated metabolism, and increased blood pressure. And the additional load can lead to adverse consequences.

Choose your training time depending on your goal

Set a goal for yourself. If this is weight loss, then you need to train in the morning. This is due to the fact that after sleep, blood sugar levels are low, and if you exercise before breakfast, the body will be forced to draw energy not from carbohydrates, but from fat. Therefore, morning workouts allow you to lose weight three times more effectively than evening workouts. And training on an empty stomach burns 300% more fat than training after eating.

What time of day to train – morning, afternoon or evening – depends on the person’s physiology. If you are a night owl, train in the evening, if you are a lark, train in the morning. There is no need to torture the body by doing the opposite. There will be no benefit from this. And if you have chosen a certain time, do not change it in the future.

If your goal is to gain muscle mass, then it is better to train in the afternoon or evening, but not until late.

I train when I can

Most people train when circumstances and sometimes finances allow it. It's no secret that the main stumbling block to going to the gym is work. If you have a normal work schedule - from 9 to 18, then it is not possible to train in the morning and afternoon, although, according to experts, peak times muscle activity is just daytime. But, as a rule, a person has only the evening to train.

If a person has the opportunity to train in the morning, he happily grabs this option, since the attendance of the gyms in the morning and in the evening is incomparable (there is no crowd there in the evening), and it costs him less.

In any case, if you have decided on a time to visit the gym, then let it be stable. Build your routine so that exercising at this time of day brings you benefits.

In conclusion, let’s summarize all of the above, giving recommendations that will help you choose the optimal time for training.

Train in the morning: if you are a morning person, if you don’t have to go to work early, if you don’t have heart problems, if your work is mobile, if you want to lose weight, if you want to complete the entire planned program in the gym, avoiding a large influx of people, if you want to free up your evenings for other things.

Morning workout advocate:“I train in the morning, three times a week, from 10 to 12. At this time I feel a surge of strength and a desire to train. All the exercise equipment is available, there are not many people. I worked out, and the whole day is free, including the evening.”

Train during the day: if your working hours allow it and you are sure that you can do it regularly; if there is a gym in the office or near it.

When it comes to the best time to train, it is important to separate strength training in the gym for the purpose of muscle growth and weight loss. These are fundamentally different activities, implying different metabolic processes - which is why it is extremely difficult for the body to burn fat and build muscle at the same time.

Workouts for weight loss are aerobic (that is, requiring the cells to consume oxygen), and strength exercises for muscle growth - anaerobic. Cardio's effectiveness for burning fat increases when blood glucose levels are low (which literally forces the body to burn fat reserves), while strength training is not possible under such conditions.

In other words, morning workouts are ideal for burning fat and increasing endurance, while workouts for muscle gain are recommended in the afternoon. However, you can also exercise early in the morning - you just need to follow the tips described in our material (for example, take a portion of a gainer before training).

Why is it hard to exercise in the morning?

Strength training early in the morning is much more challenging for most people than training in the afternoon. The main reason for this is that the body simply does not have enough energy in the morning - muscle glycogen stores and blood sugar levels are minimal, and the energy from fat stores cannot be used to perform strength exercises.

Let's say you are doing - just a minute ago the body did not know about the upcoming load, but now it needs energy. The source of this “fast” energy can be exclusively glycogen reserves from the muscles working in this movement, but not fat depots. In order to get energy from fat, the body will need at least 15-20 minutes.

How to swing correctly in the morning?

If you exercise early in the morning without sufficient glycogen stores, your blood sugar levels will drop, making your workout much more difficult and leading to brain fog or even fainting. For a full-fledged strength training for muscle growth, the body needs at least 100-150 g of carbohydrates, stored in the form of glycogen directly in the muscles.

A hearty breakfast an hour and a half before strength training will help saturate your muscles with energy, but in real life, not all athletes have time for such a breakfast. The situation is aggravated by the fact that in order to successfully gain weight at the end of the training, the body again needs calories for closure - or a second breakfast in the case of morning training.

Strength training early in the morning

For strength training early in the morning (especially when there is no time for a hearty breakfast), it is critical to take it immediately after waking up - otherwise the body simply will not have enough energy. By the time you arrive at the gym, carbohydrates from sports nutrition will already be absorbed and their energy will enter the bloodstream.

However, after finishing your morning strength training, it is still important to have a full breakfast and provide your muscles not only with carbohydrates and proteins, but also with vitamins and minerals. Also remember that it will take about 1-2 weeks for your body to get used to this type of training regimen, and don’t be discouraged if the first few days seem too difficult.

Morning workouts to burn fat

Let us remind you once again that fat burning occurs exclusively when blood glucose levels are low. The reason lies in the fact that insulin, increased by sugar, is necessary for the formation of energy reserves, while the hormone adrenaline is needed to remove this energy from cells (1). In this case, insulin and adrenaline cannot be synthesized by the body at the same time.

For this reason, for weight loss, it is recommended to last at least 30-40 minutes - in this case, the body first uses up glycogen and carbohydrate reserves, reducing insulin levels, and only then adrenaline increases, activating fat burning processes. Good news is that in the morning this process happens much faster.

Cardio on an empty stomach

In most cases, immediately after waking up, glycogen reserves in the body are minimal - which is why slow cardio performed in the early morning leads to maximum fast weight loss. Moreover, any breakfast (even a protein isolate that does not contain carbohydrates) will force the body to primarily burn the calories of this breakfast, and not fat reserves.

The main rules of morning workouts for weight loss are an empty stomach and the most moderate pace of exercise (running is definitely not recommended) lasting at least 30-40 minutes. Immediately after completing such a fat-burning workout, it is recommended to take 2-3 capsules, while a full breakfast is acceptable no earlier than half an hour later.

Is it possible to train in the evening?

Unfortunately, late evening is the worst time for both strength training and weight loss training. Fat burning training will be ineffective due to the presence of sugar in the blood (glucose levels decrease only 4-5 hours after the last meal), and strength training can cause sleep problems due to overstimulation of the central nervous system.

If you have absolutely no other choice and can only go to the gym in the evening, plan a large meal 2 hours before your evening muscle-building workout, so that only a light dinner is left afterward. Also carefully study the composition of sports nutrition, making sure that it does not contain other stimulants that disrupt sleep.

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Morning workouts on an empty stomach are best for weight loss, but before... strength training For muscle growth, it is recommended to take a portion of gainer in the morning. Exercising late in the evening is the worst option - the presence of glucose in the blood will block fat burning, and general fatigue during the day will not allow for exercise. strength training with maximum efficiency.

Scientific sources:

1. The Stubborn Fat Solution, Lyle McDonald,