Best Time for Weights??

BFGOODMAN

Hey was just wondering which and in what way these factors would affect dumbell/bench/punchbag usage,if any!
I would ussually get up early in the morning and off to college,back in the evening,where ussually i wouldnt do much,maybe a bit of bench pressing or a while at the punch bag.I've found myself ussually ending up using dumbells pretty much before i go to bed.Bit of a stretch,good few reps of different lifts,shake loose, then bed.Im aware muscles need rest to grow but is doing them jus before sleeping doing me any good or is it preferable to eat after these or what? Basically just do these things to keep a bit fit,keep a bit of muscle on the arms,ye kow yerselves.Any info much appreciated.

indough

Don't you find it hard to sleep after doing weights just before bed? Personally I either get up early and do them first thing or midday when I get the chance. When I leave it too late in the day I find that i've not got much energy left for anything other than lazing about. I suppose that's probably just a matter of personal preference more than anything though.

arybvtcw0eolkf

Well your testosterone levels are highest in the mornings, unless you have sex or a peddle, so its thought that morning workouts are more productive.

Speaking for myself I find afternoon or early evening best for weight training since my body has been fed (fueled) throughout the day.

After training its essential to feed your body.

crotalus667

I like to get up around 6:45 -7 make breakfast and eat it 7:30-8 shower 8-8:30, then I go to the gym for opening at 9:)

Colm_OReilly

I haven't noticed any significant shift in ability personally between AM/PM workouts, nor have I noticed this in any of my crossfitters who attend evening and morning classes.

I'll report back in a few months if there's been a trend change.

On a related note, it doesn't sound like you're doing much at all, which means you're probably getting minimal benefits, if any. If you're going to put the effort in you can surely spare 3 30 minute blocks a week and devlop a good habit.

Colm

rubadub

I had thought of waking up early, scoffing down food half asleep then waking up 60-90mins later for a weights workout. I usually set my phone snooze to 20mins, so it would just be a change in that. You could have hot porridge/cold museli in a thermos by the bed, or some energy bar & milk.

This way you wake up with full energy levels ready to lift, and you can eat well all day knowing it is PWO meals all day- wake you up well too.

Vegeta

rubadub wrote:

I had thought of waking up early, scoffing down food half asleep then waking up 60-90mins later for a weights workout. I usually set my phone snooze to 20mins, so it would just be a change in that. You could have hot porridge/cold museli in a thermos by the bed, or some energy bar & milk.

This way you wake up with full energy levels ready to lift, and you can eat well all day knowing it is PWO meals all day- wake you up well too.

I would love to do this but I love my sleep and find it very tough to get out of bed early

BossArky

crotalus667 wrote:

I like to get up around 6:45 -7 make breakfast and eat it 7:30-8 shower 8-8:30, then I go to the gym for opening at 9:)

Isn't showering before the gym a bit of a waste of time?

crotalus667

BossArky wrote:

Isn't showering before the gym a bit of a waste of time?

errrrr no :rolleyes: I like to be clean before I go to the gym and get all sweaty (takes about 5 mins for me to get up a decent sweat on:cool: ),

rubadub

Vegeta wrote:

I would love to do this but I love my sleep and find it very tough to get out of bed early

Go to sleep earlier? easier said than done though...

I might give it a go, that is the advantage of a home gym, most of my stuff is right there in my room, you could workout in the raw if you want! I would normally shower in the morning and after a workout so it is sort of saving time, - wake at 6, eat in bed, but alarm on snooze, get up at 7- immediately warm up and workout until 7.50- then it is my regular shower time, so off to work fully woke up and eating like a pig all day

Dragan

Before i started college, when i used to train in Pinnacle every saturday morning ( pesky college!!! :mad: ) i used to wake at 7, eat and omlette and oats, go back to sleep till half 9, eat more oats and some whey and then head into the gym.

It's easily doable!

As for training in the morning vs the evening, i have done both and found benefits for both.

Training in the morning would energise me for my day, training in the evening was fantastic street relief.

I find the argument of better hormonal levels in the morning vs being well fed in the evening will cancel each other out.

Sure, you might recover better in the morning based off better hormone levels but you should effectively get a better workout in the evening from being all full of food.

For me, that point falls into the moot 10% that is not worth worrying about. Train hard and when you can, sleep well, eat well. 30% of your throught processes around training should be dedicated to all those points as it's that 90% that brings the most gains.