I used to train first thing in the AM to get it out of the way for the day. I was also interested in fasted training to mobilize more lipids to address body comp.
Ryan,
This is going to go off track a little but there some interesting information on it.
Fasted Training
As you know, it does promote more body fat to be utilized for energy. That in part because...
1) Consuming carbohydrate and protein elevate insulin; insulin blocks fat from being burned.
2) Your body been in the longest, lowest aerbobic state there is, sleep. What few calories burned during sleep are predominately fat.
Calorie Intake
While Fasted Training does burn body fat; it play a minimal role in burning body fat.
As Dr Brad Schoenfeld has stated, what little fat burning effect occurs is quickly erased by consuming when more calories are consumed during the rest of the day.
So, whoever said, "Calories Count" was on the money.
With that said, let look at the dogma that Muscle Burns Fat/Calories; it burn less that most have been lead to believe.
Calories burned by muscle vs. fat: another myth bites the dust - Lani Muelrath | Mindful, Active, Vegan Living
..."Muscle tissue has been observed to burn roughly seven to 10 calories per pound per day, compared to two to three calories per pound per day for fat. Therefore, if you replace a pound of fat with a pound of muscle, you can expect to burn only approximately four to six more calories a day."
Some other article I have have indicated more calories are burned than the information stated above. However, it still not that much.
I shifted my training to the afternoon. I’d rather not, but I found that I couldn’t get going and had lower strength in the AM. So for now I training in the the late afternoon/early evening.
Circadian Rhythm
This has to do with your body's cyclical rhythm of your body temperature. You body temperature fluctuates minutely during the day. However, small fluctuations are big numbers.
Some interesting information on this is from Charlie Francis (one of the greatest Sprint Coaches) about...
"Those Whacky East Germans
"The East Germans understood the role of additional heat when an extensive review of world record performances revealed how often the record setter was at the early stages of a cold and running a fever when the record was set. (Later into the cold, the adverse effects outweigh the benefits, of course.) This led the East Germans to experiment with de-natured viruses to generate a slight fever immediately prior to a world record attempt!"
Source:
High Octane Training 2 | T Nation
Your Circadian Rhythm is genetic. It determines if your are a...
Early Bird or Night Owl
Early Birds perform best in the morning; their body temperature is elevated then. They are less efficient in the evening.
Night Owls perform best later in the day and evening; there body temperature is elevated then. They are less efficient in the evening.
Warm Up
One of the primary functions of a the Warm Up to increase body temperature.
One of the main issue with many is they turn the Warm Up into a workout. Doing so, mean you burn yourself out before you get to you top set; you end up lifting less than you are capable of.
Warm Up need to be kept to a minimum.
"Grease The Grove"
The main purpose of a Warm Up to is a practice the movement with a light load, progressively increasing it so that the pathway forms between the muscles and your nervous, allowing you to push or pull the greatest load in that movement.
Take Home Message
1) Train when you feel you best.
2) Increase your body temperature prior to training: coffee/caffeine, a warm shower, etc.
3) Fasted Training minimally increase body fat usage.
4) Increasing muscle mass minimally increases the caloric fat burning effect; diet it the key.
Kenny Croxdale