AM vs PM workouts

DivaVampTina
DivaVampTina Posts: 12 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Anyone find that late evening workouts provides them a better workout? Higher intensity, etc? Normally I work out an hour after breakfast but didnt have time today so got on treadmill at 11pm until after midnight. My HR wasn't getting as high as it would on my usual morning workout, so I had to bump up the incline and speed.

Replies

  • johnbigfella
    johnbigfella Posts: 24
    I find the morning i can do better cardio workouts, leave the PM workout for weights, probably due to the food intake
  • scanners107
    scanners107 Posts: 33 Member
    I prefer working out in the evening mainly due to being full of energy as in the mornings i can be quite sluggish.
  • FATJAKE5
    FATJAKE5 Posts: 162
    Ever heard of "Double Days"? If you want to really get fit fast, AM + PM workouts = Double Days.
  • wswilliams67
    wswilliams67 Posts: 938 Member
    Evening workouts are usually stronger because you have been eating all day and your glycogen stores are fully replenished.

    I usually do early morning workouts, mainly because I'm in a fasted state, but also because the gym is usually empty. I usually do 10g of BCAA's 15min before my lifting, then another 10g immediately after lifting then again 10g two hours after that. Major energy boost and great for repair. I'm usually weaker on morning lift days, but I'm truly hitting fat stores for energy so I'll take a little hit to the working weights to gain a better reduction of body fat.

    Good luck.
  • Warchortle
    Warchortle Posts: 2,197 Member
    Your body is generally warmed up more efficiently and even simple things like.. you've had carbs to help give you energy and water to help lubricate joints/muscles.

    I find it doesn't really matter, but I prefer to work out earlier so if I take a pre-workout I'm not cracked out of my mind at night.
  • Warchortle
    Warchortle Posts: 2,197 Member
    Evening workouts are usually stronger because you have been eating all day and your glycogen stores are fully replenished.

    I usually do early morning workouts, mainly because I'm in a fasted state, but also because the gym is usually empty. I usually do 10g of BCAA's 15min before my lifting, then another 10g immediately after lifting then again 10g two hours after that. Major energy boost and great for repair. I'm usually weaker on morning lift days, but I'm truly hitting fat stores for energy so I'll take a little hit to the working weights to gain a better reduction of body fat.

    Good luck.
    Uh oh, some bro-science anabolic window talk goin' on here.
  • KayteeB07
    KayteeB07 Posts: 341
    I do my 30 day shred in the morning and then my 30 day squat and ab challenge in the evening :)
  • mazdauk
    mazdauk Posts: 1,380 Member
    I do 20 mins toning/aerobic workout before breakfast, walking to and from work, walk (20-30 mins) lunchtime (if its not raining) then 30 mins to an hour when I get in from work (before dinner). Exception is Zumba on a Monday evening, when I eat light and early so I've digested by the time I start jumping about:smile:

    I just couldn't motivate myself to work out later in the evening (Zumba is faily early) - once I've eaten and sat down that's it:ohwell:
  • Cr01502
    Cr01502 Posts: 3,614 Member
    My evening workouts are predominately cardio and yes . . . . they're always intense. :wink:
  • tndejong
    tndejong Posts: 463
    it depends the workout for me. i love to do early morning workouts. i will use my elliptical at home before work. i also love the early 6am spin class on saturdays. if i get some type of workout early and get busy in the afternoon, i dont fret cause i know i did something and got it over with. i dont like to work out in the evenings cause i will get off work and eat dinner and that full feeling when trying to exercise makes my stomach funny. but i will use my couch to 5k in the evenings. i am having problems with my knees and shins. so if i do that after work, it gives me the evening to relax and recover.
  • crux
    crux Posts: 454 Member
    I'm much more effective later in the day, I'm always sluggish and demotivated to exercise in the morning. I try and workout lunch times and early evening.

    Besides, if I burn it up first thing in the morning I often crash and burn in the afternoon at work.
  • prium01
    prium01 Posts: 306 Member
    Ever heard of "Double Days"? If you want to really get fit fast, AM + PM workouts = Double Days.

    I do it!!
  • jo69
    jo69 Posts: 78 Member
    I founf AM workouts boost my metabolism all day. It goves me a bigger push and jumpstart if I do morning workouts......
  • rock127
    rock127 Posts: 369 Member
    PM works out the best for me.Push the weights heavy and then sleeeeeeeeep.
  • paulperryman
    paulperryman Posts: 839 Member
    AM is meant to be best since your body is motabolising at it's fastest after you eat breakfast,
    Personally it doesn't bother me either way i can put in the same amount of effort provided my work day hasn't been really draining
    M-F i leave for work at 5:30 am and don't get home or to the gym til around 3:30-4pm so the gym isn't even open leaving me straight after work workouts as the only gym option

    Saturday and Sunday i go at 9am and burn more with marginally less effort, mind you i also have a training buddy then too so it could be mornings burning more or buddy giving me a boost in effort
  • SJLS2013
    SJLS2013 Posts: 149 Member
    During the week, I tend to workout in the mornings before work, the classes are quieter and at the end of the day I can go home and relax, and not feel guilty if I don't want to go to the gym.

    Wednesdays I go AM and PM, but this gets quite hectic!

    Weekends I go mid morning, after breakfast but before lunch and I find I do generally have more energy.
  • Zekela
    Zekela Posts: 634 Member
    I prefer early morning since that's the time most people are sleeping and I have the road or trail to myself. However, I have noticed that I'm faster in the evenings and was wondering what was going on. I finally realized it's the food intake. I eat nothing before my early morning runs but I have eaten by late evening. So, what I do now, is eat a bagel or something small before a race and my resulta improved drastically.
  • JustMQ
    JustMQ Posts: 63 Member
    I workout whenever I can make it work! I do find that I'm pretty groggy in the morning, so I prefer late afternoon workouts. I will go straight to the gym after work because if I go home first I can find many excuses not to go back out. I have to be flexible since I work shift work though. I wish I could have a routine!
  • CaffeinatedConfectionist
    CaffeinatedConfectionist Posts: 1,046 Member
    I find the morning i can do better cardio workouts, leave the PM workout for weights, probably due to the food intake

    I have found this, as well. Plus, doing cardio in the morning helps me get energized and keeps me on track for the day.

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