Post: #1

In University I have few mandatory obligations other than studying. I want to time my lifts so that I reap as much secondary gain as possible. Secondary gains from lifting for me are if I lift at night I'm pumped from the gym before going out. If I lift in the morning my day is more productive as I start on that high, thus I'm more social, thus greater day approach success. These are two simple examples.

College brozyns, what are your optimal lifting times and what are some of your lesser-known secondary gains from lifting?

Post: #2

Morning. Hit the whole day confident and ready to kill shit.

I always do a few sets of curls and flys before going out, but a morning lift is way more valuable.
Effects your whole life, not just game.

Just lift as early as convenient.

You can pump up pre club, but nothing beats a day of that post gym mentality.

Post: #3

Also, swing by the Zinc Made Me A Better Man thread and follow the instructions... that shit is a god send.

Post: #4

I'm no expert, but I recently wrote an ebook about testosterone for a client, and one thing I learned is that your cortisol levels are higher in the morning-time. So working out then can be bad on a hormonal level and fuck with your testosterone.

Afternoon or evening lifts are apparently a better idea.

Then again, testosterone is significantly higher in the morning too, so I'm sure it's pretty debatable.

I used to like lifting in the mornings more, but recently I've been trying to get back into it and am finding the afternoons preferable. A nice walk in the morning seems to do it for me, and then hit the gym after I clear some work off my plate. Helps me sleep better too.

Beyond All Seas

"The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe.
To be your own man is a hard business. If you try it, you'll be lonely often, and sometimes
frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself." - Kipling

Post: #5

I find lifting around early afternoon to be optimal, between 14-16. Get work done by noonish, then go lift.

Post: #6

I lift immediately when I got enough free time. Usually after work, and if I am not working, then in the morning. I cannot relax or get the training out of my mind unless I train which is why I have to do it right away so I can focus on other things.

Post: #7

It totally depends for person to person. Before you start worrying about optimizing time, focus on whether you actually are IN the gym at all. If people did a count of how often they hit the gym, they'd find their weekly average over the course of 1 year is quite low. Hit the gym 3 times a week every week for a year and you're well ahead of everyone else, no matter your hormon levels.

Post: #8

For me and I suspect most guys, morning is better.

Once you've done your workout for the day it is impossible to not-do it for that day. That relieves you of the decision whether or not to work out, you don't have to spens the day suffering the anticipation of slogging through your workout after you're tired or whatever, always thinking, "ah balls I still have to lift today," and it's impossible for anything to "come up" and give you an excuse to skip it.

Once you're done, you're done. Work out first thing after breakfast if your schedule allows. For me it's usually the most important thing I do in a given day.

Post: #9

I say morning strictly on anecdotal broscience evidence.

I perform better lifts earlier in the morning. I can push more weight and feel stronger. If I workout in the late afternoon or night I'm tired and not as strong.

I suspect it's a CNS thing where the body "thinks" it is sleepy. Regardless, working out in the morning sets the mood for the entire day for me.

Post: #10

As an older forum member I have to start my day working out. If I try to do it after work it feels like drudgery. Lately I've started taking a one hour nap before a workout if I miss my morning session. It helps keep me consistent.

Post: #11

I saw a study done by some University that showed people worked out harder in the evenings. There was some science behind it but I don't recall exactly what. It's been a few years since I read it so I don't recall the source I just remembered the info.

As a lot of people will tell you though its easier to do in the morning and get it done. I don't know how many times something has "come up" in the evening that cause me to miss a work out.

Post: #12

i actually talked to my physiology professor about this the other week...

it's better to do physical activities in the morning that do not require a lot of CNS activity. therefore, strength training in the morning is not ideal.

first of all, when you strength train you want your CNS to be operating at full capacity in order to gain the max benefits from your workout. ideally you want to be at peak energy when strength training.

also, if you're doing heavy compound lifts like deadlifts, squats, or overhead presses first thing in the morning you have a greater chance of fucking up your back. after long periods of laying down in bed, the discs in your spine fill up with fluid because gravity is not weighing down on them. in the morning, the fluid in your discs are at a maximum capacity which means that this is the time when your back feels the "tightest". thus, if you're trying to maximize strength, and power by lifting heavy in the morning, you have a greater chance of putting pressure on the outermost part of your intervertebral discs called the annulus fibrosus.

if you have no other option other than to strength train in the morning it should be key that you should be doing some sort of dynamic stretching as well as low impact movements (like riding the stationary bike, or hitting the elliptical) in order for the pressure to normalize in your discs which will mobilize your spine. you should be breaking a light sweat before you even hit the weights.

Post: #13

Seems like there are already some threads on this you might want to check out

/thread-30488....ht=morning

Post: #14

From my understanding, if you are looking for optimal muscle growth, night is better. Not just because testosterone is up, but also because your body shifts to an anabolic state somewhere in the late afternoon and so your post-workout meals will be more efficiently transported to muscle growth.

In contrast, morning lifting might be better as part of a combined weights + cardio routine if you are looking to lose fat. In the morning, your body has released fatty acids into the bloodstream, and it is in a catabolic state, which means it is more primed to break down fat for fuel.

Post: #15

I lift in the morning, fasted, with only a protein shake pre workout. Feels best for me, hit all my current PRs that way.

Post: #16

neither. Lift when you're best. I know that sounds silly, but I've gone from lifting late at night to early in the morning and I don't feel any discernible difference between the two. Late night can be a great nightcap, though.

Post: #17

i tried several times waking up earlier to lift (one hour) but my research suggested that I needed to wake up at least half hour sooner in order to feel ready for lifting.
so now I lift around 19, when i get home from work

Post: #18

I like to do some easy bodyweight shit in the mornings and the heavier lifting at night. Probably the best thing I've ever done in my training is increase the frequency.

As for OP, just experiment and find what works for you. Pretty much all broscience that has ever existed came about due to experimentation. Don't even bother with the internet, use your creativity in the gym and make it your own.

Post: #19

I enjoy morning lifts but due to a hectic morning rush to get to work, I lift in the evenings during the week and in the afternoons on weekends. I guess for most guys it's whenever it suits you.

Post: #20

I'm in college also, I've tried lifting at various times but early afternoon works best for me. I usually go to class in the morning and the gym afterwards around 1pm. I've tried lifting early in the morning but I did not have enough time to properly eat, so I stopped doing that since if I don't have food in my stomach it feels like I'm going to faint while lifting. I also tried at night but stopped since I found myself skipping a lot of sessions due to laziness. I lift about 5 times a week now for the most part.

Post: #21

Another college student. I lift in the afternoons too, right before dinner. If I did it in the mornings instead I'd have no energy left for class. I find it hard to concentrate for the rest of the day after lifting.

Post: #22

Whenever works best for you. If you like both, then do both. Split your workout up and do heavy stuff in the morning, pump stuff in the evening. You'll spend the same amount of time in the gym, but two-a-day workouts have been proven to increase gains. The problem is most people don't have the time for it and/or think that working out twice means doubling their workload. Do the same amount, just broken up.

Post: #23

I find that Im able to hit the gym hard an get a serious workout in the morning, then the evening. After I finish working out in the morning, my energy level is at an extreme levels and my productivity levels increase also.

Post: #24

5am run or weights gets your blood pumping. Follow up with a nice breakfast. You'll be wide awake and all charged up for 9am.