Can I have it? Could you get even more benefits from waking up like Mark Wahlberg with a 4am crew workout?Or could you trade your happy hour plan for a fortune and be just as healthy? when Do you train problems?
The short answer to this long-standing debate about time is usually simple. Any time you can work out is the best time to do it.But really there teeth The best time to train, according to Dr. Sean Arendt, CSCS, Chair of the Department of Exercise Science, University of South Carolina. “In fact, the science suggests that there is a slight performance boost depending on the time of day,” he says. “The question is, is it important enough? most people?The answer is “No.”
men’s health fitness director Ebenezer Samuel, CSCS If you can’t fit your workouts into that optimal time frame, or you can’t train consistently if you try, it doesn’t matter if your performance improves a little, he says. Schedule your workouts when you can and build from there.
Arendt, Samuel, and Dr. Mike Nelson, CSCSAn associate professor at the Carrick Institute explains not only why there is a perfect time to train, but also how to ensure you reap the benefits if you do take advantage of the opportunity. They also explain why other times of day are better for certain athletes, and why those with competitive goals should consider rearranging their training schedules…at least for a while. .
Best time to work out
“There is some relevant evidence that peak performance, particularly strength and power, tends to occur a little later in the day, especially in the mid to late afternoon,” Arendt says. “So if you want to optimize your strength with your training, you can get the most out of it over that period of time.”
Afternoon training is also great for building endurance.In a research review on the effects of training time. Published in Strength and Conditioning Research Journal This month, scientists concluded that by training in the afternoon, study participants were able to work longer before reaching exhaustion.
There are many potential reasons, Nelson said. He mentions his theory regarding cortisol levels and spinal disc hydration. “From a fuel standpoint, you’ve probably already eaten a few meals,” he says, which can give you more power for your workouts. “But if I had to narrow it down to one thing, I’d say it’s probably related to circadian rhythms. Most people feel more awake in the afternoon. They’re probably drinking coffee or another stimulant. I guess he drank it.”
Should you rearrange your entire life to train after school? Probably not. Arendt says the differences in strength, power and training effectiveness are small.
“If you’re working with elite-level athletes, is it enough to just say, ‘Let’s do a little training later in the day’? Yes,” he says. “But for most people, it’s not a big enough difference that it matters.”
What about the benefits of early morning training?
One reason for some early-waking training habits is that testosterone levels are thought to be highest in the morning. While this may be true, its effectiveness decreases with age. Testosterone blood sampling is often done first thing in the morning. That’s when T levels are most concentrated. However, this level of change slows down for men over 45 years of age.
Anyway, it might not matter. Even if you’re young, it doesn’t seem to make a difference if your circulating testosterone increases during a training session, Nelson said.
in one small study Nelson cited 12 participants who performed bicep curls with one arm one day and the other arm the next day, all at the same time increasing the amount of testosterone circulating in their bodies. He said he did a series of heavy leg exercises to increase his volume. If having more testosterone flowing affected the results, we would expect the high-testosterone arms to be even stronger and larger by the end of the 15-week testing period. “At the end of the study, we saw no difference between the right and left arms,” Nelson says. “They do rise as a result of hormones. But they don’t seem to have much of a direct effect on strength or hypertrophy.”
Really the best time to work out
According to Samuel, it’s not just about training whenever you can. You will have the most success if you create a schedule and stick to it.
“The more consistent and regular your time is, rather than random, the more your body, diet, and mental state will adapt to what you’re trying to do,” he says.
Your body begins to create a rhythm that prepares you for training at training time. And perhaps more importantly, he says, be mentally prepared. This will give you the focus you need to bring maximum intensity to your training.
“I think there are two kinds of people here. First, the whole workday is weighed down in the morning, so they end up rushing through training thinking about what’s going to happen.” Because I have to go to school, take my kids to school, and do everything else that day,” he says. An afternoon or after-work workout would be best for this person.
Another type of man, he says, gets so wrapped up in work that he skips training. It’s best to skip training in the morning, even if it means you’re not physically optimal.
Nelson agrees. “If he misses even one day of practice during the week, the difference he would have made by lifting in the afternoon is erased by the fact that he missed a session,” Nelson said. If you train at the same time consistently, your body will get used to training at that time. And research on changing the timing of training also supports this. If they have enough time to change their training times, their bodies will adapt and their performance will improve.
However, there is one caveat here. Weight training late at night can affect your sleep.
“There is ample evidence that this can have a negative impact on sleep. This is especially true if the intensity is high late in the day and within a few hours of bedtime,” Arendt says. But low-intensity work, like a walk or moderate aerobic exercise, can actually help you sleep, he says. So if a late night walk makes you feel good and helps you sleep, give it a try.
When competitive athletes should work out
Competitions change the calculus of when to train. Train at the same time as your competition to get your body used to performing at that time of day.
“The first question I ask people I train with is, ‘What time will you be competing?’ And the second question is, ‘Can you train at that time?’ That’s ideal,” Nelson says. “It’s physiological and psychological.”
Getting used to competition times in this way means your body and mind are primed to perform during the times you need to perform. But even if you can’t move your training around year-round, like because you have a game in the morning and you’re really busy in the morning, don’t worry, Samuel says.
“You don’t have to do this for six months before the competition,” Samuel says. “Practice it in your last month or two before a competition, and it’s worth a lot. Optimize your life so you can focus on the times you need to compete. It will be rebuilt.”
In other words, the best time to train is not the time of the day when everyone is pulling themselves together, but the time when the world stands still and the gyms are packed with intellectuals tapping into this secret knowledge. It’s like a magic hour. The best time to work out depends on you, your goals, and when you can do the work that will help you achieve them.
Greg Presto is a fitness and sports reporter and videographer in Washington, DC.
