When is the best time to Workout

I love to workout in fact I’m obsessed with it so for me the best time to get my workout in is whenever I can. I usually get mine done first thing in the morning before I get distracted by the to do list of the day. I do this for two reasons 1. If I don’t get it done first thing it throws off my mojo and 2. If I don’t get it don’t right when I wake up I stress about it till I get it done. I’ve worked out as early as 4:30 in the morning and as late as 4:30 in the morning. So for me the best time is anytime I can.

Determine the best time

Here’s the short answer whatever works for you and your lifestyle. If you hate mornings and can’t open your eyes till your 2^nd cup of coffee and the thought of working out before the sun or the Milkman is up is just too much for you. You might not be a morning person and a later workout would be the best thing for you.

Or you might be one of those really annoying people who are bright eyed and bush tailed first thing in the morning if that’s the case morning workouts might just be your cup of tea.

Another thing to consider is work/family obligations. I’m a divorced father with 4 kids. My time with my kids is precious so my workout times will get moved around according to how I’m spending time with them. I’d rather workout at midnight or later because that’s what time I finally get everything wrapped up with my kids and get the little ones to bed.  or I’ll wake up super early to get my workouts done before they wake up I’d rather do one of those two things than to have my gym time interfere with what little time I have to spend with them during the week. The point is to find what works best for you and then don’t be afraid to modify your schedule accordingly.

Consistency

Consistency is the king. It doesn’t matter how well planned your workouts are or how advanced your training protocols are if you aren’t showing up every day  because you hate working out in the morning you won’t see any progress towards your goals. If on the other hand working out at 8-9 at night feels great for you and it relaxes you and you sleep really well after an evening workout you’re going to show up every day because you’re having fun and feel great during and after your workout. Listen to your body and figure out what time of day you have the most energy and arrange your workouts to happen it those high energy times. You might even find that you like different types of workouts at different times of the day. Maybe you like getting up and just moving first thing in the morning if so do light cardio or yoga workouts first thing in the morning and do your serious weight training workouts later in the day.

Performance needs

What are your goals? Do you play a sport?  You want to make sure your training doesn’t interfere with why you are training in the first place. It might not be a good idea to do a heavy back and bicep workout the day before a major bike ride with lots of hill climbs. Or leg day before a backpacking trip. You get the idea. So what’s the best time to workout? It depends on you.