Working out in the morning vs. working out in the afternoon

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johnnyr860
johnnyr860 Posts: 19 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I work out six days a week Monday-Saturday for an hour to an hour and a half each time. I come home from work and get changed into my gym clothes and go straight there. My co-worker has been telling me about working out in the morning time instead of the afternoon. I decided to give it a try. Today for the first time ever I woke up and went to the gym at 4 AM. It was a struggle. I am not a morning person at all. I had to drag myself out of bed and to the gym. Throughout the workout, I felt worn down. I feel like I did not sweat as much in the morning as I do in the afternoon. I feel as if my workout was not as intense as the afternoon ones I do even though I did the same exact workout routine I do each day. What is your experience with working out in the morning vs. the afternoon/ evening time?
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  • snowflake954
    snowflake954 Posts: 8,400 Member
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    You don't get brownie points for working out evenings. Just do what suits you and tune out any well meaning friends. I, myself, like mornings because I have more energy. I'm dragging my tail by afternoon.
  • johnnyr860
    johnnyr860 Posts: 19 Member
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    Lietchi wrote: »
    The best exercise is the exercise you'll do, and working out at 4AM would be the quickest road to not working out at all for me.
    I can workout in the morning if I have to, but that's on weekends and 9AM at the earliest.
    My preference is right before dinner.

    If your evening workouts suit you, why change?
    Just choose the time that suits your schedule and preferences.

    I was just wanting to try something new since my co-worker tells me she goes in the morning and feels great and like she can take on the whole day. I did it for the first time and I still needed my strong dark cup of coffee with no creamer or sugar to get me going this AM. I figured if I can work out in the morning and save time that way instead of having to take up time in the afternoon, why not? I don't know if it's just because my body is not used to waking up this early and working out? I guess sticking to what I already do by working out in the afternoon isn't bad either.
  • clairrob
    clairrob Posts: 38 Member
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    I'd rather die than work out in the morning, late afternoon/evening definitely suits me.
    Different times suit different people but there isn't a marked difference of calories burned, just find what is sustainable for you long term :)
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,897 Member
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    I have worked out before work, at lunchtime, and after dinner. The best time for me in terms of work productivity is at lunch. Otherwise I would get an afternoon slump.
    YMMV.
  • sbelletti
    sbelletti Posts: 213 Member
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    People have different schedules and lifestyles, so why expect a workout schedule to be the same for everyone? Do what works for you.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,509 Member
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    I'm a 5am workout person everyday (7days a week). Partially because of my clientele schedule, but I could workout after work if I wanted (after 8pm). I'm usually ready to go home and just eat, so I'd likely skip or just have ineffective workouts. My morning workouts energize me for the day and help me set my mind for work ahead.

    But as mentioned, you do what's best for you.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
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  • AnnieH_4512
    AnnieH_4512 Posts: 1,421 Member
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    For some people, that 4am workout routine works. For me (and you, it seems!), it does NOT. During the week, I work out in the afternoons. On the weekends, I wake up when my body wakes me up, then I am starting my work out within the next 30 mins. I do prefer the weekend morning workouts to the weekday afternoons (I feel like I'm more rushed in the afternoon), but the EAAARRRLLLLY morning workouts are just too early for me. Listen to your body and do what feels best for you!
  • Retroguy2000
    Retroguy2000 Posts: 1,508 Member
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    Does it save any time whether you workout an hour in the morning or later in the day? You still need the same total sleep.

    It doesn't matter when you workout, and it doesn't matter if you workout fasted or not. All that matters is that you do exercise as you planned to, and that you have sufficient energy stores to have the intensity you desire.
  • nay0m3
    nay0m3 Posts: 178 Member
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    I am a morning person through and through but lifting in the morning does not work for me. I much prefer lifting after I have had a day of nourishment and natural movement. I have tried early morning workouts but I find I don't feel as strong, probably due to not eating. That is just me and my body.

    I agree with whoever said working out whenever you can commit is the best time. Listen to your body and do what is going to work for YOU!
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 9,895 Member
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    Well there's morning and then there's 4AM. Personally I go 4 to 5 days a week now and generally I get there after the morning crowd needs to get to work or school, so around 10ish and it's still morning :)
  • HoneyBadger302
    HoneyBadger302 Posts: 1,971 Member
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    I have been splitting up my workouts, and while it's a little more inconvenient, I'm finding it the most effective. Caveat being that I don't have to drive to a gym (home gym setup), although some days I do drive to a local trail/park.
    In the morning I get up and do my lifting split with just a short warm up (a couple light stretches, some reach and toe touch switches, and then some jumping jacks).
    Afternoons are cardio - intensity depends on the day. Some days are just a 45 minute walk, sometimes a weighted walk, sometimes a walk/run combo, sometimes a hike, sometimes I take my little spinner bike out back and spend 45 minutes on it while the dog hangs out in the yard, sometimes the mini trampoline.
    Lifting I don't really get sweaty, so I shower after my cardio, which actually works out with my bf's schedule so we're both not trying to shower in the mornings.
    This schedule works well for me, although it does require discipline - but both workouts seem pretty effective with this, and my energy levels in the day have been great as well.
    Not that it matters too much, but I eat lower carb (150 max net carbs) which keeps me well satiated, and seems to support my workouts and recovery well. Lots of veggies and a few supplements.
    If I have to choose, I will go for a morning workout, but that is ONLY because otherwise, my workouts soon start to just not get done...afternoon workouts only just never worked great for me, I'd be wiped after all day at work, and the thought of 1.5 hours at the gym was just a big bite I would eventually stop taking...the shorter cardio-only sessions don't seem to have the same effect as the big chunk of time.
  • JaysFan82
    JaysFan82 Posts: 852 Member
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    I'm a first thing in the morning exerciser. Mainly because I don't want to give myself time to talk myself out of going to the gym. I literally wake up, go to the bathroom, get dressed and leave.
  • AnnieH_4512
    AnnieH_4512 Posts: 1,421 Member
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    JaysFan82 wrote: »
    I'm a first thing in the morning exerciser. Mainly because I don't want to give myself time to talk myself out of going to the gym. I literally wake up, go to the bathroom, get dressed and leave.

    Is this during the week, before work? I wish I had your discipline! On weekdays I workout immediately after work (so around 4pm), but on weekends I jump out of bed, get dressed, and get going!
  • nossmf
    nossmf Posts: 9,008 Member
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    If I work out in the morning first thing after sleep, I feel my energy is at its peak. I've tried working out after work in the late afternoons, and my energy level is just off a tad, enough to feel it.

    When I exercise in the morning, I shower after and am ready for work. If I exercise later, I shower before work, then again after my workout before going home. Instant time difference.

    At my gym, the morning crowd is far smaller than the post-work crowd, which at best means I feel crowded like a sardine, at worst means I have to wait for desired equipment or skip that station completely.

    Exercise wakes me up and makes me hungry. In the morning this is a good thing, as I still have a full day's eating ahead. Late in the day this is less optimal, and at night this combination absolutely backfires by making it hard to fall asleep and forcing me to choose between going to bed hungry or breaking my day's calorie budget.

    All told, exercising in the morning works best for me. My son prefers later in the day. YMMV.
  • tomcustombuilder
    tomcustombuilder Posts: 1,609 Member
    edited February 2023
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    Anecdotally, morning cardio seems to set a good start to the day and weight training in the afternoon as strength seems better.

    It doesn’t matter, just git er done
  • mtaratoot
    mtaratoot Posts: 13,191 Member
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    Before I stopped working, my work day started at 07:00. Going to do a workout before that would have been untenable. I was a year-round bicycle commuter, so I got some movement before work, but riding a bike is the most energy-efficient mode of transportation known to humans. Getting SOME movement might help energize you for the day.

    Different people have different daily rhythms. There is an evolutionary benefit to this. If everyone was an "Early Bird" and slept at the same time, there would have been a long period overnight when nobody was awake and more susceptible to attack from... whatever was out there. The fact we all sleep at different times meant there was less time the "clan" was without a watch.

    I used to think I knew my rhythm. After so many years of working early, I think my cycle shifted. I still could NOT work out at 04:00, but I also can't sleep as late as I used to. That also might just be from age.

    Funny story: When I was done with grad school, I worked at a ski hill on the lifts for a season. My partner would drop me off at the in-town office so all the lifties could drive up together in a company truck. There was a gym next to the office. It was probably 05:30 or so when we'd meet. My partner would look through the fogged-up and dripping windows at people on elipticals and other machines and say out loud, "What are you people doing? Don't you realize it's still dark out? Go back home and go back to bed!"

    We're all different.

    Work out when it works for YOU and makes YOU feel best.

    I love those early-morning times for quiet walks. Watching the sun come up is awesome. But I usually don't go out that time of day, especially in summer when it happens so early. Now, in winter, I don't because I like to wait for things to warm up just a little.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,876 Member
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    I don't do any kind of workout or training in the early morning. I tried to do that back when I was doing a lot of endurance cycling and various cycling events, but those early mornings were always lack luster training sessions performance wise, and that was at 6AM. I'm not doing anything at 4am except sleeping. I do often walk my dog in the morning, but that's pretty leisurely while I drink my coffee.

    The best time for me to workout is during my lunch break at work. I have good energy levels and it breaks up the day and gets me through the afternoon. I'm pretty bad about evenings as I'm usually pretty spent by the end of the day and it's easy to talk myself out of it.
  • refactored
    refactored Posts: 399 Member
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    I sit at a desk all day and my body is calling out for movement at the end of the day. I am probably unusual in that I typically exercise about 1 hour after an early dinner. I find I don't get hungry afterwards.

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