When is the best time to train in the morning or evening? Choosing the right time to exercise - when is the best time to exercise

The question of when it is better for a person to train - 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, cannot be. Still, an individual approach is needed here.

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

If life is just beginning for you in the evening, and getting up in the morning is equated with execution, then for you the best time for training is evening. If you are a “lark” and have been used to getting up with the first rays of the sun since childhood, then morning workouts will be optimal for you.

Choose the time of training depending on the type of your activity

If you are mostly engaged in mental work and spend most of the day in a chair in front of the monitor, then it would be nice for you to stretch your bones in the gym in the evening. But if you run around customers all day or carry bags, then it’s better to train in the morning, because in the evening you won’t have the strength to train.

Choose your workout time based on your health condition

Much depends on the state of human health. For example, if you have heart problems, do not try to train in the morning.

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

Choose your workout time according to 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 lowered, and if you exercise before breakfast, the body will be forced to draw energy not from carbohydrates, but from fat. Therefore, morning workouts can lose weight three times more effectively than evening workouts. And training on an empty stomach burns 300% more fat than training after a meal.

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

Max Rinkan, man.tochka.net expert

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

I train when I can

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

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

In any case, if you have decided on the time of visiting the gym, then let it be stable. Build your regimen so that classes at this time of day benefit you.

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

Exercise 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 program in the gym without a large influx of people, if you want to free up evenings for other things.

Proponent of training in the morning:"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 simulators are available, there are few people. I worked out, and the whole day is free, including the evening."

Practice during the day: if the working day allows, and you are sure that you can do it regularly; if in the office or not far from it there is Gym.

When is the best time to train in the gym - this is one of the most frequently asked questions. While some people lace up their sneakers at dawn and go to work out, others can't get themselves out of bed until noon.

Opinions also differ among connoisseurs. Someone claims that it is better to do it in the morning, and someone - in the evening. Everyone is trying to make their own arguments. But what does science say about this? Let's try to figure out what is the best time to work out in the gym? Morning, afternoon or evening?

BIOLOGICAL RHYTHMS

The circadian rhythm is governed by the 24-hour rotation of the Earth. This affectsbody functions that play an important role in its readiness for physical activity: blood pressure, temperature, hormone levels, metabolism and heart rate. These fluctuations in the intensity of various biological processes in connection with the cycles of sleep and wakefulness of a person are called circadian rhythms.

The circadian rhythm of our body determines whether we are an owl or a lark. Therefore, our chronotype plays a big role in deciding when to train. Owls find it easier to train in the evening, while larks do it in the morning. If you have such a clear preference, then it's pretty easy to decide which schedule is right for you. Although it is interesting to know that no matter what time we consider the best, almost all of us are physically stronger and more resilient at the end of the day.

Scientists have found that while circadian rhythms are innate, we can change them based on our behavior. For example, using an alarm clock, meal planning and workouts. Research shows that our ability to maintain a high intensity workout will adapt to the timing of our workouts. People who constantly train in the morning have accustomed their body to work at this time of day. And when they switch to evening exercises, they do not feel so strong. Therefore, if circumstances do not allow you to train at your preferred time, this is not a reason to be upset. You can change your rhythms and your body can adjust to the new workout times. However, it may take about a month for the internal clock to reset.

BENEFITS OF WORKOUT IN THE EVENING

Body temperature is an important factor inquality training. A cold body is a rigid muscle that does not allow you to work as efficiently as possible, and they are also susceptible to sprains. Elevated body temperature makes muscles more elastic. It increases, as a rule, during the day, reaching a peak in the evening. In the afternoon, among other things, better time reactions, speed. Heart rate and blood pressure are low. All this improves performance and reduces the chance of injury.

This is also supported by scientific data. For example, a study published in 1998 in the journal Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise looked at the effect of time of day on muscle performance in a group of young untrained men. Each of them performed a series of endurance exercises at 08:00, 12:00, 16:00 and 20:00. performance was morehigh in the evening.

And in a study published in 2009 in The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, a group of young men over 10 weeks showed a greater increase in both muscle (3.5% compared to 2.7% with morning group), and strength during classes in the evening (from 17:00 to 19:00).

BENEFITS OF EXERCISING IN THE MORNING

Research shows. That the best time to exercise is in the evening. But if you have problems with planning and sequencing in your training regimen, then it is better to choose the morning. In the afternoon and evening, training often conflicts with other responsibilities and activities. Plus, a whole day of stressful work can wreak havoc on your willpower.

Morning workouts can also be a good option for improving sleep quality. If you have trouble sleeping, read the article "". Because the physical exercise increase heart rate and body temperature, exercising too late can disrupt sleep, while a study published in 2014 in the journal Vascular Health And Risk Management found that physical exercise at 7 a.m. (compared to 1 p.m. or 7 p.m.) can help you sleep more soundly at night.

And an experiment published in 2011 in The Journal of Strength And Conditioning Research tracked blood pressure and sleep levels in people aged 40 to 60. Each participant did moderate walking on a treadmill at 7:00 am, 1:00 pm, and 7:00 pm for 30 minutes three times a week. The researchers found that all participants who exercised at 7 am experienced a 10% overall reduction in blood pressure and a 25% reduction in nighttime blood pressure.

Morning cardio - one of the first assistants in burning fat. A study published in 2013 in The British Journal Of Nutrition reports that people are able to burn up to 20% more fat by exercising on empty stomach which is much easier to do in the morning than in the evening. This once again confirms the popularity of hungry cardio. So if you are a morning person or prefer to work out in the morning for some other reason, feel free to head to the gym, just make sure your muscles are warmed up.

BENEFITS OF WORKING IN THE DAY

A great way to take a break from mental work in the middle of the working day if there is a gym near your work. Training in the daytime is good because you have already managed to wake up, but have not yet had time to get tired mentally and physically. Also, this training option is suitable for those who work late or are too tired after work.

Hormonal levels are also important in determining optimal workout times. Hormones like testosterone and cortisol change throughout the day. Testosterone peaks in the morning and falls at the end of the day. But despite the fact that the level of this hormone reaches bottom point in the evening, its level after training is greater in the evening than in the morning. In addition, peaks of the stress hormone cortisol, which plays a large role in fat storage and burning processes muscle tissue, fall in the morning and decrease during the day.

In other words, the testosterone-to-cortisol ratio (when testosterone is highest relative to cortisol) is better in the early evening than in the morning.

Since testosterone is so important for muscle growth and strength, in theory this makes the evening less of a "catabolic" time to train. But that's just in theory, because short-term changes in hormone levels don't really say much. Our body is very highly adaptive, and everything is very individual. Moreover, in addition to this, there are many much more important factors affecting the final result.

Results

You don't have to be a circadian expert to determine the best times to hit the gym. Just try to work out in the morning, afternoon or evening and choose what suits you! The most important thing, according to experts, is the choice of the time of day when it is easiest for you to stick to the regime.

As in life, so in sports, everything should have its time. The best time to exercise is the most effective in terms of results. If you choose the wrong one, then training does not help you achieve your desired goals. What is the best time to gain weight? When is the best time to go to the gym and when to work out

All this depends on the goals pursued. What does a person want: to keep his body in good shape, lose weight or, conversely, gain? It is these goals that determine the best time to train.

Scientific research

Scientists from different countries are constantly conducting all kinds of research related to identifying the most suitable period of time for playing sports. And what did they come to?

American researchers said that the best time to train the body is determined by the type of its addition. People are divided into three main types: If a person belongs to the third type, then he has a very slow metabolism and is more prone to gaining extra pounds. For this type of sports, the morning time is most suitable. It's from about 7 to 10 o'clock. At this time, there is very little glucose and glycogen in the body, and it is forced to take energy by oxidizing fats.

When a person is an ectomorph, his metabolism is very fast and there is a predisposition to thinness. For this type, the best time for training is in the evening, as the body has enough energy and strength. And he really needs them in training.

People with an average body type are called mesomorphs. Their metabolism is normal. There is no tendency to be overweight and thin. These people are the luckiest, because for them the best time to train can be any: morning, afternoon and evening. It all depends on the desire and well-being.

Other scientists from the city of Williamsburg did a series of experiments, dividing the day into four periods: 8, 12, 16, 20 hours. At a certain time, several participants performed exercises with heavy weights. It should be noted that previously these people did not go in for sports.

The experiment showed that in the evening they were most effective. This is due to the contraction and work of fast muscle fibers. They are most productive during evening weight training when body temperature is slightly higher. Another important reason that was identified during this study is testosterone and cortisol levels. The first is responsible for growth muscle mass. The second is for destruction.

IN calm state testosterone levels are highest in the morning. When training is in progress, its level rises much stronger precisely after evening classes. Conclusion: if the goal is to build muscle mass, then it is better to train in the evening.

The best time for a fat burning and weight loss workout is in the morning, as cortisol levels are higher. But everything is not so simple here. This will be discussed in more detail below.

Early bird training

When a person wakes up very early, for example at 5 o'clock, feeling at the same time full of energy, then early training is suitable for him. Only you need to take into account the lowered body temperature at this time. Ligaments and joints in the morning are not very elastic, so the most active exercise Not the best option. well and breathing exercises and yoga is a great choice. Little energy is expended, and the body is charged with strength for the whole day.

Burn fat from 7 to 9

It is these morning hours that are suitable for burning fat and cardio training. Cortisol levels are high at this time, glycogen is low, and the body takes energy from adipose tissue. It is best to do no more than 40 minutes at a moderate intensity. If a person does not have problems with pressure and heart, you can increase the pace and cut the time in half. It is necessary to focus on well-being, since not everyone can do it in the morning.

Aerobic classes - from 15 to 16 hours

At this time, the body temperature begins to rise actively and reaches its peak by half past four. These watches are great for active forms of fitness, which include cycling, aerobics, dancing and running. They will have a beneficial effect on the process of fat burning, and will also help strengthen the respiratory and cardiovascular systems.

High-intensity and strength training - from 17 to 18 hours

This is the best time to train with heavy weights. During these hours, you need to go to the gym or do interval and high-intensity training. They require a lot of stamina. In the evening, the body temperature is higher, as well as the level of the hormone testosterone. All these factors have a positive effect on strength. This increases the productivity in training.

Workouts after 7 p.m.

At this time, the body temperature begins to decrease, and body flex, yoga, tai chi, stretching are suitable for the body. They have a calming and healing effect, contribute to the formation of the correct and beautiful posture, strengthening deep muscle layers, developing endurance and flexibility, and also have a positive effect on the psyche.

Conclusion

Given all of the above, we can say that the best time for training depends on the individual characteristics of the human body, as well as its goals. For weight loss, the best hours are in the morning, and for pumping up muscles - in the evening. Just before you start exercising, you need to visit a doctor to find out more about the body and make sure that there are no contraindications. And while playing sports, it is important to monitor nutrition and sleep, since the result will appear only with the right approach to all three components. If at least one of the factors is left without attention, then, even choosing the best time of the day for training, you can suffer from exercises for a long time, but still remain overweight or, conversely, underweight.

The basic rule of successful sports is regularity. In addition, experts usually advise doing at the same time. But what is the best time to choose? When is the best time to exercise: morning or evening? Let's try to understand these issues.

The human body is subject to daily rhythms. By nature, our body is programmed to be active at a specific time and rest at a specific time. Moreover, for different people, these segments may differ: someone feels a surge of energy in the early morning, while others have maximum productivity in the afternoon. Therefore, there is no exact recipe for when it is better to play sports. Training will be most effective if it coincides with the individual rhythms of a person.

During the time of activity, there is a fluctuation of two parameters important for a person:

• Physical activity in which the muscles may perceive the load positively or not.
• Psychological activity in which the brain can actively perceive everything new or resist the reception of any stimuli.

It is important to choose the time for training, taking into account your biorhythms. For 2-3 weeks, monitor your well-being to identify when you usually experience drowsiness, apathy, and irritability. Training at this time will not be very useful: even if you force yourself to go to work out, the body will only get very tired.

Conversely, noticing that you have desire move, be active, try to schedule sports at just such a time. Training at the peak of activity, in which the muscles will enjoy the work, will contribute to the active burning of fat and the acquisition of beautiful muscle mass.

To keep track of such periods of your well-being, you can keep a special diary.

Having determined the daily biorhythms, you can correctly distribute vigorous activity and rest. Plan sports and other activities for periods of activity, including mental during the periods of its decline - daytime sleep, meditation or just relaxing.

According to biorhythms people are conditionally divided into "owls" and "larks":

• Larks are people who get up easily in the morning and are as active as possible in the first half of the day, but it is difficult for them to stay awake at night.
• With owls, everything is different: they get up extremely difficult in the morning, feel tired and apathetic, but in the afternoon their performance increases.
• There is also a third type called the dove. People who belong to him can work equally effectively both in the morning and in the evening, without feeling a lack of energy.

Thus, the best time for sports will be determined by biorhythms. It is better for larks to train in the first half of the day, for owls - in the second. Then the training will be held with maximum benefit and pleasure.

It also happens that the rhythm of a person goes astray. This can be affected by factors such as shift work, travel and flights, time changes, small children, pregnancy, and so on.

However, some studies have shown that rhythms can be changed. For example, if a person starts exercising regularly in the morning, over time his body will get used to it and will be ready for it. Experts insist that the adjustment of the biological rhythm is especially important for athletes who are preparing for certain competitions. They advise postponing training to the time of day at which the upcoming competition is scheduled.

What is the best time to exercise

Scientists believe that the optimal time for fitness is when normal body temperature is at its highest and muscles are warm and supple. For most people, it is 16-17 hours. In addition, there is evidence that in the middle of the day a person is 5% stronger than usual, and in the afternoon - more enduring.

In the morning, the body temperature is considered reduced, and it is not recommended to resort to serious activity - a simple exercise is enough. In other time periods, biorhythms have the following features:

• 10-12 noon. At this time, the concentration of adrenaline is maximum, so sports that require endurance and attentiveness are optimal.
• 14-15 hours of the day. Activity decreases, and it is better to rest at this time.
• 15-16 hours of the day. Muscle tone is increased, you can resort to strength exercises.
• 16-19 hours. You can run, and swing, and resort to aerobic species activity - the body at this time reacts to the loads as favorably as possible.
• 20-22 pm. Body temperature gradually decreases, energy decreases, fatigue is felt. It is better to postpone serious loads at this time - you can do yoga and other activities that contribute to relaxation.

Speaking about what is the best time of day for playing sports, it is also worth considering the dependence of the time of playing sports and eating. It all depends on your goals, but as a rule, all trainers advise you to eat light meals a couple of hours before class. And here do not exercise immediately after eating- the body will be too hard. The only exceptions are gainers and proteins, which athletes usually consume before or after training.

What is the best time of day to do different sports?

The answer to the question of what time of day and will depend on what kind of activity we are talking about. Let's take a closer look:

• Run. If you want to run in order to lose weight, then it is best to do it in the morning, before breakfast, after drinking a cup of tea or coffee - so the body will begin to actively burn fat reserves. You can run in the evening, but preferably no later than 2-3 hours before bedtime, otherwise insomnia is possible.
• Charger. Charging is a classic start to the day. It helps to wake up faster, stretch the muscles and the whole body, so it is recommended to do it in the morning, even before breakfast, after visiting the shower and washing. After eating, any load can provoke digestive disorders.
• Workouts for gaining muscle mass. For those who want to accelerate muscle growth, the second half of the day is considered the best time. In the period of 14-16 hours, the muscles are most susceptible to stress, and the metabolism is as active as possible, and as a result, classes will be very productive.

Researchers agree that exercise improves sleep quality. And it doesn't matter what time you train. But it is better to try to avoid strong activity just before bedtime - the body may not have time to adjust to rest, which will provoke insomnia. In general, vigorous exercise at least an hour before bedtime will not have a negative impact, therefore, as such, there are restrictions on how long you can play sports. But keep in mind that lack of sleep will negatively affect your activity and training results.

Features of effective sports for "larks"

If a person is a "lark", then the best time for you to exercise for weight loss is in the morning. At this time, you will be active and productive, training will bring joy and good result. You can use exercises for all muscle groups, outdoor running, swimming, cardio.

Also to combat excess body fat in the morning, you can use a hoop with massage balls. Rotating it for 15 minutes to energetic music, you will get not only a slender waist, but also a great mood for the whole day.

Morning workouts have a lot of benefits. They help you wake up faster, set you up for an active day and energize, leaving your evening free.

In addition, exactly morning is considered the best time specifically for weight loss. Glycogen stores in the body are very low, respectively, it will be burned fat. But to build muscle mass, it is better to do it in the afternoon, but in such a way that it coincides with your physical and psychological recovery. Classes should be intense, but not too much, because you still need to leave energy for the whole day.

Features of training for "owls"

What time do you play sports? After noon. In the morning, his body will be completely unprepared for stress. In addition, if a person’s hormonal background “swings” slowly, activity in the morning can even provoke a strong deterioration in well-being.

The first workout can fall on a period of 12-16 hours. Usually this is a lunch break, which can be replaced by a gym or aerobics.

Strength training is best scheduled after work. In the evening, an owl, unlike a lark, is full of energy, and can exercise with benefit and pleasure. After training, it is recommended to dine with protein food.

Evening workouts also have their benefits. The working day is already over, you can take your time and do your best, besides, the muscles and ligaments are already quite warm, which minimizes the risk of injury. After a workout, you can fully relax, and the body will recover overnight.

Thus, at what time it is more effective to play sports, everyone can choose individually, depending on their biorhythms. But remember that in any case, regularity, consistency and a sense of proportion are very important.

When talking about the best times to train, it's important to separate weight training in the gym for 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.

Weight loss workouts are aerobic (i.e. requiring oxygen consumption by the cells) and strength exercises for muscle growth - anaerobic. The effectiveness of cardio for burning fat is enhanced by low blood glucose levels (this literally forces the body to use fat stores), while strength training in such conditions is impossible.

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

Why is it hard to train in the morning?

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

Let's say you are doing - a minute ago the body did not know about the upcoming load, but now it needs energy. The source of this "fast" energy can only be glycogen stores 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 in the morning?

If you exercise early in the morning without adequate glycogen stores, your blood sugar levels will drop, making your workout harder and leading to a cloudy mind 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 a strength workout will help energize your muscles, but real life not all athletes have time for such a breakfast. The situation is aggravated by the fact that in order to successfully gain mass at the end of the training, the body again needs calories to close - or a second breakfast in the case of morning workouts.

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 already assimilated and their energy will enter the bloodstream.

However, after the end of the morning strength training, it is still important to have a full breakfast and provide the muscles not only with carbohydrates and proteins, but also with vitamins and minerals. Also keep in mind that it will take about 1-2 weeks for the body to get used to this kind of training regimen, and don't be discouraged if the first days seem too hard for you.

Morning Workouts to Burn Fat

Once again, we recall that fat burning occurs only at a low level of glucose in the blood. The reason lies in the fact that sugar-boosted insulin is needed to form energy stores, while the hormone adrenaline is needed to remove this energy from cells (1) . At the same time, insulin and adrenaline cannot be synthesized by the body at the same time.

For this reason, it is recommended to lose weight for at least 30-40 minutes - in this case, the body first spends glycogen and carbohydrate reserves, reducing insulin levels, and only then adrenaline rises, activating fat burning processes. The good news is that this process is much faster in the morning.

Cardio on an empty stomach

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

The main rules of morning workouts for weight loss are an empty stomach and as much as possible moderate pace load (running is definitely not recommended) lasting at least 30-40 minutes. Immediately after the end of 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.

Can you exercise in the evening?

Unfortunately, the 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 overexcitation of the central nervous system.

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

***

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

Scientific sources:

1. The Stubborn Fat Solution, Lyle McDonald,