all posts post new thread

Old Forum Training time morning or afternoon

Status
Closed Thread. (Continue Discussion of This Topic by Starting a New Thread.)

Huls

Level 4 Valued Member
I was wondering what time of the day is the best to do your training programm, like S&S or ROP.
In the morning I noticed that I have almost no energy, since I don't eat while I sleep:), but would the morning training be better for fat burning, or will it do more harm than good?
At this moment I prefer to train in the late afternoon after work, since I have more energy and feel stronger. But I was just wondering if this is the best option or not, since I read quite often on this forum that people train at like 5 in the morning.

Thanks.
 
Hi Rob,

As always different rules work for different people. I train on the afternoon. Others find their best performance time early morning. Just train when it is right for you. However if you want to maximize fat burning rate you can add a very short (30 second to 5 minutes) session of swings or sprints on the morning (before you eat and when fasted during the night). This could help a lot.
 
Rob, I've messed around with both but as Piotr says the preference is very individualised. my current S&S practice and eating loose structure is this: eat light during the day, carbs from some fruit and a little veg, generally, an omelette, nuts and fruit, S&S late pm, eat like a pig thereafter. im not a morning person at all but did a few morning easy running sessions, and for a short time, some more intense running. Didn't work for me, if I'm honest and found that I ate more, and not in a good way. On recovery days, or days where I don't train, or days where I train in the evening, I just lay off the starchy carbs, do a session and eat some carbs after. Training in a fasted state can mean 2 things, one is a fast, ie no food or the second, semi-fasted in the sense that you haven't eaten in such a way to raise blood sugar to illicit a massive insulin response and thus block any potential fat burning. So if max fat loss is required maybe good to train fasted but if lean anyway then fat loss isn't so much a deal so it is more of a maintenance eating structure. bearing in mind I'm lazy and have an innate bias towards activity later in the day.
 
I read somewhere that Bulgarian lifters would take a spoonful of honey about 10 min before a training session to give them a boost. A spoonful of honey would probably help if you are trying to train in the morning as well. Probably best to take it upon waking, then start your training about 10 min or so later to give the honey time to digest.

 

-Phil
 
I do morning myself.

I wake up and have about 4-6 oz of coffee black chased with 8oz of water. Then I walk my dogs for a mile or so. Then I hit my current training session(S&S) with plenty of water during (I live in AZ and train outdoors so it is hot) then eat afterwards.

 

 
 
If I train in the morning, Murphy's Law rules supreme. I'll stub my toe, drop my bell, lose concentration, hate what I'm doing, contemplate whiskey as a breakfast drink. I'm a night person. I train at night. I'm happy while doing this. Morning people baffle me, but God love 'em, we can't all be on the same internal clock.
 
http://www.poliquingroup.com/Tips/tabid/130/entryid/2069/Tip-601-What-s-The-Best-Time-To-Train.aspx

Also check out John Kiefer.  He's pretty much the current guru on training & nutrition timing and has a ton of free interviews on youtube.
 
Thanks Matt, interesting link.  Seems to imply that training is best in the morning, performance is best in the evening?  The Fat Loss afterburn effect (not exactly sure what that technically is, thought it would be indep. of time of day) is another consideration, and also interesting (personally thought morning would be better.)

I have noticed what the article says regarding strength anyway.  Makes sense now why powerlifting meets I know of favoured 7pm ?
 
Thanks everyone for sharing experience.

Matt, thanks for the link. That's quite interesting. Strenght and burning fat is highest in the late afternoon and early evening, so I will probably keep on training around those times:) Although I also would have thought that, at least for burning fat, it would be better in the morning. So that's interesting. I will also check out John Kiefer to learn more about this topic.

Thanks again.
 
personally I have more energy and feel stronger in the afternoon - but - with work commitments and my desire to spend time with my wife and children, the afternoons/evenings create too many hurdles and I end up missing days.  so, the way I look at it is, my time is early in the morning, no distractions and no excuses - so I am one of the 5am guys, but if I had all day everyday I would be the GTG King.
 
Status
Closed Thread. (Continue Discussion of This Topic by Starting a New Thread.)
Back
Top Bottom