Working out in the AM or PM

[Wildword620]

I wake up in the morning at about 5:30-6 and leave for school at about 7:30, and school is from 8-3:30. I usually workout after school but I don't always have time because of chores and such so does anyone have any advice on whether they workout in the morning or afternoon or any other time. And if they do it in the morning how do they find time/motivation. 

[Elky58 · Accepted solution]

I workout in the morning. My schedule is:

4:00am wakeup 

4:15-30am workout starts

5:45am Leave house

Work is from 7 to 3pm, and I get home around 4:30pm

I get to sleep around 9pm to hit my 7 hour mark. 

Background is I have 2 kids on a shared custody basis, 1 weekday + 3 of 4 weekends. Some nights its exhausting, but I found what made it easier for me was working out at home, and finding shorter workouts I can fit in.

I loved the 21 day fix extreme and currently am doing the 22 hard corps. They're awesome programs and SHORT. I did P90X at one point and it was just too long, I had to get RIGHT into the workouts when I woke up and rush through my shower. It was too stressful.

I just upgraded to a Blaze, but before used the Flex, the silent alarm is an awesome motivator because with the flex.... you could not snooze it. That's perfect because theres no temptation. or... you could always accidently leave an alarm on another device somewhere that you have to get out of bed to stop it, which will get you moving. 

Managing time is a big one too, you need to make sure things are done the night before. When I have the kids I make sure their lunches are packed and ready to go in the fridge so I just grab their lunchbags and toss them in the backpack. When its just me and the bf I try to do that for us.... but often I just throw leftovers into a container in the morning. I started doing pre-made breakfasts as well which is a huge help. Things like eggs scrambled with deli meat and cooked in muffin tins. I then reheat 2 every morning, maybe with bread or fruit.

Once you get a routine going... keep it up! ALSO I always move the "rest day" to Mondays. lets face it... Mondays suck... so why make it worse? Sleep in that extra half hour or so on Mondays and you'll feel much better.

[JohnRi · Accepted solution]

If you are working out to lose weight, a number of studies have shown working out first thing in the morning, before eating breakfast, burns the most calories.  Even better people that do this burn more calories throughout the day.

But if you are working out to stay in shape, and not to lose weight, then it really doesn't matter what time of the day you do it.

I exercise in the evening and I've lost 57 lbs since September.  But the days I did exercise first thing in morning on the weekends, I've seen the most calories burned those days.

It really depends on your schedule and when you can fit it in. 

[Wildword620]

Thanks for the advice @Elky58 and @JohnRi! I usually have trouble with time management and will end up making my breakfast and lunch for the day in the morning and then only having enough time to eat and shower before I leave.

[Elky58]

Find the breakfast that you enjoy that you can premake. be it Eggs, or smoothies, or even cereal! Then you can make the breakfast for the school week on Sunday. I actually cook my eggie muffins when I'm cooking dinner one night a week. Dollar store is great if you find you need more containers to do the prep.

Pinterest has tons of ideas for premade breakfasts and lunches so theres bound to be something you enjoy 🙂

Premade could even make breakfast tastier! You could make some protein pancakes and cook them up as little "silver dollar" style pancakes and then store in the fridge in a serving and you can reheat with some syrup... 🙂

That will help elminate one item for the morning and give you time to do a workout.

[Stinkyfish97]

 I need to start trying the AM workout. I noticed I am a lot sharper when I do it that way. Also the night workout keeps me staying up later as well. 

[Mukluk4 · Accepted solution]

I'm up at 5 (3 days a week) 4 (2 days a week) and 7-8ish on the weekends.  I have an 1:15 commute one way and have a regular 7-4 job.  I am also a husband and father of two boys (7 and 1).  If I can find the time, anyone can find the time.  I think your problem is the motivation.  To rid yourself of the excuses, you need to use some time management. 

I suggest sitting down and identifying

1. Your have to's:  School, Chores, Work, Time with the Boys, Supper with the family, sleep etc.

2.  Everything else:  TV/Video Game Time, Tap time (phone/pad), etc. 

Focus on the time spent in the everything else pile (#2), all of these should be NVA (No Value Add) so should be easily replaced with VA (Value Add) activities such as working out.  

If you can't give up the NVA, then you either (1) aren't motivated or (2) not ready to make the committment.

[WendyB]

@Wildword620 I  Make my breakfast and lunch the night before so its ready to go. You just need to priortize.

I get to work at 6:00 so I can go for a four mile walk before I start.

I will do a DVD at night or weights for 30 Minutes when I get home

[Ukase]

Well, we can't all be morning people, can we? 

I've heard about a study that claimed for weight loss - it may be best to do a fasted walk in the morning. (That means - no breakfast, maybe just 1 cup of black coffee) 

It sounds/looks like you're still in school. Because of this - don't discount the energy your brain takes from you. You need all the sleep you can get! 

I promise you, you can find 30 minutes to go for a walk - after school, during lunch maybe, or before school. Maybe walk to school, and from school and forget about working out. 

[vfx]

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@JohnRi wrote:

If you are working out to lose weight, a number of studies have shown working out first thing in the morning, before eating breakfast, burns the most calories.  Even better people that do this burn more calories throughout the day.

But if you are working out to stay in shape, and not to lose weight, then it really doesn't matter what time of the day you do it.

I exercise in the evening and I've lost 57 lbs since September.  But the days I did exercise first thing in morning on the weekends, I've seen the most calories burned those days.

It really depends on your schedule and when you can fit it in. 

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Interesting. Though if those studies are factual it should have debunked mine and yours, since I usually workout in the afternoon and sometimes before dinner time. I've lost 56lbs since last mid July.

I've also noticed if I haven't had anything to eat before working out, the strength/stamina in my arms isn't as good as it is once I've eaten then exercise an hour later.

[punchxcore]

Exercise or sleep? Hmm. I know what my choice will be lol. I'm not a morning person. Never have been and never will be. So I choose to exercise after I get home from work and after I eat dinner. It's probably not very conducive to sleeping at a decent hour, but it works. I seem to get a burst of energy around 8pm.

[JohnRi]

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@vfx wrote:

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Interesting. Though if those studies are factual it should have debunked mine and yours, since I usually workout in the afternoon and sometimes before dinner time. I've lost 56lbs since last mid July.

I've also noticed if I haven't had anything to eat before working out, the strength/stamina in my arms isn't as good as it is once I've eaten then exercise an hour later.

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The study was done by BYU, I haven't been able to find it, and I read it a couple of months ago.  But the gist of the study was they wanted to see if exercise was better before breakfast, after breakfast or late in the day.

The had four groups eating the same number of calories.  Group 4 do not exercise at all.

Group 1 exercised before breakfast, group 2 after breakfast, and group 3 after 4 pm.

Each of these three groups did the same amount of cardio activity for the same amount of time.

After the 6 week study, Group 4 stayed more or less the same.  Some gained and some lost, the rest were almost unchanged.

Group 1 lost 5-10% more weight than group 2.  Group 2 lost 5% more weight than Group 3.  All three groups did lose weight.  The thing that was the most interesting.  Group 1 lost more body fat than groups 2 and 3.  2 and 3 lost about the same amount of body fat.

The theory was when you exercise first thing your body has been fasting since your last meal.    So your body's fuel reserves are lowest before you eat breakfast.  Exercising forces your body to burn more fat to fuel the exercise. 

When you get a physical, your doctor will tell you not to eat 12 hours before they draw blood to check your levels in your blood.  They want to see your sugar levels after fasting for 12 hours or more.

Group 1 and Group 2 also got another benefit.  It seems by being active first thing in the morning, this increases your heart rate and metabolism, as well as made the participates more active throughout the day. 

Group 3 did lose weight, and fat % but was the lowest of the exercise groups.

It was an interesting study, I've seen a couple others find similar results.

I can tell you that I've seen my heart rate stay elevated for 5-6 hours after I walk or cycle.  Sometimes it doesn't go back to normal until I go to sleep.  So that much I agree with.

But clearly any form of exercise and any point of the day is good.  Just easier to lose weight if you do it first thing in the morning...  I've lost 57 lbs exercing after work, so exercising any time works...

[babin]

working out in am is the best one.. In morning with fresh air we can walk some more steps which is very good for health.. Using the fitbit we can track our steps too so that we can increase out walking steps according to our time.. follow this regulary it really worked friends

[vfx]

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@JohnRi wrote:

*snip*

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I think I'll try changing my routine for a while since I'm entering stubborn fat.

[Wildword620]

@vfx @babin @JohnRi @punchxcore @Ukase I went jogging/walking this morning at 6:35-6:45, it was only for 10 minutes but after I did it and hopped in the shower I felt pretty good. I didn't feel sluggish like I usually would in the mornings and I still don't. Thanks for the advice!

[SpringBoard]

This research recommends a light breakfast before a morning workout.   

https://www.unm.edu/~lkravitz/Article%20folder/fasting.html

"Practical Applications for Exercise Professionals

For decades, some exercise 'gurus' have been proclaiming that to lose more fat enthusiasts should do the morning workout in a fasted state. This research clearly refutes this claim. Indeed, if a client seeks to burn more calories and more calories from a fat source, it is recommended to eat a light breakfast prior to the morning workout.

There is an increase in metabolism (all chemical reactions in the body to liberate energy that is measured by oxygen consumption) and reduction in RER (thus burning more fat as fuel) after the training session.

Encourage clients to eat or drink something easily digestible at least 20 to 30 minutes (or up to one hour) before the morning workout. Because glucose is the preferred energy source for most exercise, a pre-exercise morning snack should comprise foods that are high in carbohydrates, which are easy to digest for the client. This includes foods such as fruits, breads, energy bars and energy drinks. Make sure the client also drinks some water prior to the workout so that she/he is properly hydrated. Fed vs. Fast-a controversy 'busted' and resolved."

[JohnRi]

That's the problem Springboard, for every study, you can probably find another one that shows different data.

Weight loss is not a science.  Everyone responds differently to weight loss.  Some people can eat a 1000 calorie deficit and lose 3-4 lbs a week.  Others only lose 1-2 lbs. 

This particular study did not look at weight, or fat percentage, all they looked at was how much oxygen you need and saw a higher amount needed after eatting breakfast.  While that makes sense that the more you breathe, you burn more calories.  It also saw slightly higher oxygen levels 12 and 24 hours later. 

The BYU studied only weight and fat %.  I would like to see miles covered, or flights of stairs climbed, and see if there was a performance difference, and look at weight loss.  Plus 2 weeks is a pretty short study.  Also this study looked at FIT people, where as the BYU study looked at people who had to lose weight.  Since I'm in the need to lose weight group, I'll stick with the BYU study. 

I love their defination of a light breakfast.  Did you see the diet they fed them for Breakfast...  53% fat.  I'd probably be breathing hard if I ate that much fat for breakfast and then tried to exercise...

Regardless it is interestining data.  I still say exercise any time is good.  But based on fitness level, and your goal for exercise, when you exercise can make a difference.  Clearly both studies show that exercise in the morning is more benificial than later in the day. 

[OCDOC]

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@SpringBoard wrote:

This research recommends a light breakfast before a morning workout.   

https://www.unm.edu/~lkravitz/Article%20folder/fasting.html

"Practical Applications for Exercise Professionals

For decades, some exercise 'gurus' have been proclaiming that to lose more fat enthusiasts should do the morning workout in a fasted state. This research clearly refutes this claim. Indeed, if a client seeks to burn more calories and more calories from a fat source, it is recommended to eat a light breakfast prior to the morning workout.

There is an increase in metabolism (all chemical reactions in the body to liberate energy that is measured by oxygen consumption) and reduction in RER (thus burning more fat as fuel) after the training session.

Encourage clients to eat or drink something easily digestible at least 20 to 30 minutes (or up to one hour) before the morning workout. Because glucose is the preferred energy source for most exercise, a pre-exercise morning snack should comprise foods that are high in carbohydrates, which are easy to digest for the client. This includes foods such as fruits, breads, energy bars and energy drinks. Make sure the client also drinks some water prior to the workout so that she/he is properly hydrated. Fed vs. Fast-a controversy 'busted' and resolved."

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A couple of things need to be pointed out before a blanket statement can be made.

Firstly the subjects were all fit young men, not obese people of mixed ages. Their metabolic response to anything might not translate to other people (eg middle-aged people w BMI over 30).

Secondly, a KEY thing is what their pre-exercise breakfast was:

"In FED, the participants followed the same schedules as for FST. This time, however, they were not fasting but consumed a standard Mediterranean breakfast (25% protein, 22% carbohydrate, and 53% lipids) after the first basal measurement of gas exchange (FEDbasal). The breakfast had a caloric contribution of 673 kcal."

This qualifies as LCHF, and was probably selected because it is already known that LCHF generally increases BMR.

That being said, having LCHF for any meal is a good idea imo...asking training clients to eat 25P,22C,53F before ANY training session would be a good idea.

I doubt the researchers would see this 'breakfast benefit' if the subjects ate 673 kcal of 'American Standard' breakfast food eg cereal, toast, jam, doughnuts etc ie usually >55%Carb.

[OCDOC]

@JohnRi

Here's a 'breakfast' that's abt 600 cals and the same-ish nutrient ratio as the study.

Will you eat all this before a workout?  I would!! 🙂

[JohnRi]

Actually no I wouldn't.  I don't eat processed meat, too much sodium.  I almost never eat bacon because it's has so much sodium.  I avoid bread most of the time for the same reason, too much sodium.  I don't eat much cheese, if I do I will eat swiss as it is lower in sodium.  Never cared for the taste of cream cheese. I do eat unsalted butter sometimes but only for cooking, occasionally I'll eat eggs.  A dozen eggs lasts me 6 months or more...

But this is a breakfast is for someone who is already fit, and a diet for someone obese is very diferent.  My current diet is not designed for me to gain muscle mass, or give me fuel for exercise.  My current diet is for weight loss while attempting to hold onto my muslce mass and nothing more.   I am currently obese for another 4 lbs.  So I'm still eating 1800 calories a day, 18-20% Protein, 25-30% fat, and 45-55% carbs.  I have lost 57 lbs on my current diet for the last 7 months, with only 1-2 hours of exercise 6 days a week.

And despite my best effort avoid sodium, I still consume 3000-4000 mg a day.  Which is more than the normal amount of sodium we should eat in a day. 

This one meal would be around 45% of all the sodium you should eat in a day.  I'm on a low sodium diet due to blood pressure issues.  But I sweat so much each day exercising, I'm not too concerned eating 3000-4000 mg a day.  I occasionally get cramps from low sodium, so I should be ok.  And my blood pressure is now normal, but only with the help of a very small dose beta blocker.  Which I hope to get off later this year.

While 281 lbs me would have eaten this meal, 225 lbs me will not.  And I doubt 175 lbs me will either, but maybe once in a while would be ok.

No calorie enters my system without a lot of planning first.  Is it fun eating this way?  No, but neither was it much fun when I had migraine headaches from high blood pressure, memory problems, back aches, almost prediabetic sugar problems, an enlarged first chamber of my heart, 3 leaking valves in my heart, and high cholesterol.  All of my heath issues have gone away in the last 7 months.  Except for the damage to my heart, that might be permanent, but I can live a normal life with the damage I've done to it.  I'll learn more when I have tests done in September.

It's been an interesting year...