iam_immigrant

I was juss wonderin would it be better to work out in the mornings before you eat or at the end of the day??

i've heard arguments for both...anyone recommend day or night?

Stare At The Sun

i would like to know as well, friend of mine does 100 pushups/crunches before bed each night, is that good/bad?

mtbiker

exercise is good anytime...so long as you have enough to "fuel the fire"

If in the morning, a quick snack would be good so you don't tax your body even further.

if you exercise and feel great afterwards...it was a good time time exercise.

isandro

That might depend on what your goal is. If you haven't eaten and start working out, your body will get it's energy from burning muscle, then fat. It might work if you're looking to lose weight. but still, if you run a couple of miles on an empty stomach, big chance of getting dizzy. Quickest way out: sugars! A glass of orange juice should do the trick.
The Men's Health website has a lot of good info on this (see here).
The morning is good because your body's just had a full night's rest ofcourse, but since the muscles arn't active yet I'd recommend a bit of warming up beforehand.
The night does have the advantage of getting rid of the stress you picked up during the day and the energy you may have left. I sleep much better after a good workout. On the downside: you might be tired from a long day or just had a few drinks and such, making it harder to keep up the discipline.

Sounds good to me! As long as he doesn't do it on an empty stomach..

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Loup

I've heard that the best time to lift weights would be 8 hours after you wake up in the morning. Not an issue for me as I'm a unemployeed student right now

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water_boy1999

There are arguments for both. I prefer working out in the mornings because it wakes your body up, gets your batteries kick started, and allows you to make it through the day with a high level of sustained energy. I typically workout at 5am, then grab a bite to eat afterwards. Because the muscles are sore and loose, they tend to absorb the sugars and proteins quicker.

Another benefit of working out in the morning is it is less crowded....I have found that the more serious people workout in the mornings....the afternoon people use the gym as social hour or a pick-up scene.

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tikki

I dont like to work out in the early morning because I am way too tight. I usually wait until around lunchtime, or incredibly late at night.

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mvassek

The most important thing is to choose the time that is your personal favorite. If you enjoy what you are doing and when you are doing it you will have a better chance of sticking with it and will continue to reap the benefits.

I would advise for a morning workout that you ensure your body has the necessary fuel that you need so it is a productive workout. And never overlook the need to warmup for a morning workout the muscles need to be stretched and warmed to ensure no injuries.

Matt

iam_immigrant

im looking to lose the gut and tone a bit, so i was wondering which would be better for that. I was wondering when the best time to burn fat would be, but i'll take into consideration of what was said above.

thx

tikki

anytime is a good time to burn fat (Wow, that sounds like a slogan or something).

Seriously, just getting your butt in a gym, is gonna help you burn the fat.

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isandro

Maybe you should also take a look at the type of excercises would fit your goals- if you're looking to trim the edges, working up a good sweat might work better then lifting, IMHO

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sharked_3

i heard its best to work out right before you go to bed. somthing about the sleep helps your muscles heal faster, hence giving you more results. just somthing i heard.

velcr0

Personally, I prefer to work out in the morning. I'm usually at the gym by 4am so I can be at work by 6am. To me it just seems that I don't get as sore because I'm using my body through out the day. While if I do it at night, I go to sleep and wake up sore as hell.

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Rodney

For weight training or any intensive exercise, you don't want to go in with no energy. If you're going to work out, early you need to get something in the stomach, unless you had a whole lot of spaghetti or beer the night before, in which case you've got so many carbs stored in your muscles you don't have to worry.

Just don't work out hungry, whenever you do. I prefer working out a couple of hours after a big meal (or a little longer if you have a small snack before workout).

rodgerd

I used to work out in the evenings, after dinner; I quit for a few reasons:
[list=1][*]Workouts often slowed down because I had a fullish belly.[*]Missed them too often when stuff came up in the evenings.[*]Too pumped after a session to sleep properly for hours afterward.[/list=1]

I now go in the mornings before work - I generally get to the gym around 6 - 6:15 and then come home and have breakfast before heading off. It's a much better fit with my lifestyle and my attendence is a lot better.

ronan

whatever times works best for you is the best

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water_boy1999

I prefer the mornings because it gets the body to wake up and gives you lasting energy throughout the day. The most important thing is to feed the body. Without enough protein and sugars in your body, working out anytime is detrimental.

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wally

I prefer to work out in the mornings. Problem with me is, the later in the day I wait, the more likely it is that I won't end up working out due to laziness. If I wake up early and get it over with, I have the satisfaction of knowing I've already gotten the working out over for the day, and then I can relax