Better Workouts 9: Day or Night?

• Should you train in the AM or PM?
• How to train better when working full time…

Gym workouts can be boring and that’s when it becomes completely counterproductive. On the other hand, knowing what to do and how to tinker with your routine will get you great results.

In this edition: Day or Night?

There are a lot of arguments about the best time of day to workout: should you do it in the morning or is the evening more beneficial?

It is the age old argument of whether you are better listening to science or what your body is telling you.

In an ideal world, people would have time in the morning without feeling sleep deprived and it would set them up for a productive day. Personally, I’m more of the opinion that I need my body to be warmed up and I find that early morning exercise doesn’t work for me. Firstly because I don’t have an appetite to eat and secondly as a consequence I have little energy.

In my opinion it is down to preference and there is no one rule. If you think it’s working for you then stick with it.

My advice for early morning exercisers would be to make sure you are eating enough before you train. I lose track of the amount of people I’ve seen light headed in the gym by doing too much on an empty stomach and with low sugar levels.

For evening exercisers the struggle become making time especially if you have a family. Therefore it can be difficult to create the consistency required. Also, you need to plan your meals so you give yourself time to digest food (if after an evening meal) or have enough to keep you going (if you exercise before your dinner).

It is a delicate balance and with routines / schedules it is challenging to get it right but a mixture of both is the best approach after all, it is dedicating time to yourself.

I appreciate that life is full of twists and turns so unless you make fitness a priority, then you will struggle to commit to it. That’s why having goals is vital to your success. Small, sustainable goals (not even necessarily weight or muscle based) things like walking a certain distance, doing something healthy everyday or taking time to prepare your meals.

Working 40+ hours a week makes it challenging to fit in all the other things. So here are a few tips to optimise your day and ensure that you get a fitness session in…

• Keep a gym bag with you when you go to work. I’ll have my shoes, kit, headphones, gym card and bottle all in one place
• - Repack your bag as soon as you get home from your workout. New kit goes in, old kit in the wash and the bag stays by the front door. Ready for tomorrow.
• - Optimise your snacks around your gym plan. Whatever you need before or after your workout should be close at hand through the day.
• - Mentally prepare yourself for your gym routine. Know what you are doing so as soon as you arrive you can smash it. The RYPT app is a great starting point for guided exercise and will ensure you do more in less time
• - Have pride in your routine. Yes, sometimes it may be robotic and difficult through the working week but I prefer to have longer days through the week (with gym too) and be able to unwind on my days off, apart from blogs obviously.

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Ross Yeoman

RYPT Owner