by Past Parallel

Created on: July 05, 2009   Last Updated: October 30, 2009

Morning, Noon, or Night?

Is there a magic time of day when the weights are lighter, the muscles are stronger, and the body uses only body fat for muscle-building fuel? The lifter looking for this anointed hour will lose a lot of training time searching in vain, because there is no "right" answer to this question. I have read studies suggesting the early afternoon as the perfect time of day to lift weights based on the peaking of testosterone in the blood. If the early afternoon is when a person sleeps, or picks up the children from school, or does the shopping, then the peaking testosterone will not be very helpful. In short, the best time to workout is when a person has time in their schedule.

A Tale of Two Brothers

I have always preferred the afternoon as the time to train with weights. When I started lifting weights, the team always trained right after school from 3:00-4:30. My body is conditioned to pick up heavy things about this time of day, and on days when I am unable to lift weights at this time I build up a little nervous energy. I really enjoy lifting weights after I have faced the challenges of my workday. This becomes an avenue for me to work out some frustration and reflect on the day's happenings. My focus is always sharper and mind my is clearer after filtering the day's stresses and concerns with the intensity of a weight lifting workout. Out of necessity I have often trained early in the morning. When I start my day with a weight training session I am not as strong as in an afternoon session. Additionally, when I train in the morning my energy levels drop really low around lunchtime and stay low for 3 or 4 hours. I am an afternoon iron man.

My younger brother has been lifting weights for over 10 years, and he has never liked lifting in the afternoon. He weight trains about sunrise, and he will tell you this is his secret to boundless energy. On days when he has lifted in the early morning his energy lasts and he feels strong and resilient. An afternoon lift always leaves him feeling sluggish and groggy. If his testosterone levels peak in the afternoon, he cannot tell. He is a sunrise iron man in every sense of the word.

I Thought I Was Wrong Once... but Then I Realized I Was Wrong

How can it be that two men, born from the same two parents, could find success training at such different times of the day? What about the peaking testosterone? The take away point here is simple. Despite the most contemporary research one could find in the Amazing Journal of Incredible Health and Strength, the best time to lift weights is the time of day when you feel most "with it." If lifting weights at the crack of dawn makes you energized and ready to take on the world, then you should start your day with a weight lifting session. If an afternoon lifting session helps you finish the last leg of the day feeling stronger and more able-bodied, you should consider the afternoon as the best time to hoist iron.

The last consideration one should entertain is the details of your daily schedule. The best time to train is the time you will consistently have available. If there is one "secret" to weight lifting success it is consistent, progressive overload. The key is consistency. Chose a time of day that you can depend on for availability, and be consistent for maximized results.

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