Now that I've got your attention, let me start out by saying that though there have been studies about what time of day is best for training, there is no specific conclusive evidence to prove any time of day is better than the next. That being said, let me give you a few ideas to mull over when you're trying to make your decision.
First off, you have to ask yourself: "Why am I training?" Is this for a specific event, like a marathon or olympic lift competition? Are you trying to shed a couple pounds before beach season? Are you simply wanting to stay active and keep your body in shape? Depending on your answer, you may have just solved your own time problem. For those training for an event, like a marathon or lift competition, you need to examine at what time the competition will take place. For you marathoners, you will most likely be competing in the morning time. For you, I would definitely be training in the mornings. Maybe you have an olympic lift competition that will start at 6pm in the evening. Guess what? I would be training yourself at 6pm on the evening.
Our bodies have what we call a circadian rhythm...basically our body's' internal clock. This is what tells our bodies when it's time to get up, when we're tired, when to provide the most energy, etc. Naturally, our bodies have their own circadian rhythm (internal clock). They know when they should sleep, and when they should wake (though some people think their "clock" wakes them up way too early). Your circadian rhythm can be manipulated by your environment, such as daylight, an alarm clock, or even exercise. For me, I can't sleep or nap when I know it's light out. My body just won't shut down enough for me to rest knowing that I could be enjoying the day outside. For some, you can't get to sleep with the slightest noise in the background. It's the same concept with waking. Some people can't really wake up until they turn the lights on. Others can't really wake up without a cup of coffee. For me, the best way to wake up is to get my rear in gear at the gym. All of these stimuli help us to adapt our circadian rhythms to the pattern that we like best. It doesn't happen overnight, but usually in a month or so your body will then be ready to work at the time you want it to be ready to work.
When you wake up in the morning:
-if you're a morning person, you jump out of bed and start singing "The Hills Are Alive" or something of that nature
-If you're a moderate morning person, you probably yawn and stretch, slowly rise and throw your slippers on and go for a morning snack
-if you're an angry elf (not a morning person) you throw your alarm clock across the room, possibly shouting expletives, and think about how badly you want to go back to bed.
If you're a morning person, by all means, go for training in the morning. If you're a moderate morning person, you may need to see what best fits your schedule. If you're an angry elf, maybe the afternoon is best for you. The bottom line if you really want to stick with your program and see best results: CONSISTENCY. If you try to "fit in" your training to your day, you'll never keep it up. It's like saying "I'll put the trash out in a little bit"...then 6 days later you realize a "little bit" has turned into a foul odor in the kitchen wastebasket. Make your training something to do at the same time each day in a nice, scheduled pattern. This way you'll also get past the "I'm too busy" excuse. You may have to choose mornings 2-3 days a week, and evenings the other days. Whatever it takes, get yourself on a schedule!
Like always, if you have any questions, comments, concerns, or you'd like to talk about private training sessions, shoot me an email/text/call.
Stay Strong,
Chad
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