Avoid Evening Workouts

[thethinker48]

Jay’s training schedule during his Olympia run popped in my mind too. I don’t think the man slept very much during that time period.

I think early in his career he was a robot, and just ate trained and slept, his 2001 Olympia look is arguably the best he'd looked.

Towards the end, he had so many business obligations that his schedule was wacky. Although 09 he nailed it.

I think Jay Cutler on 2 hrs of sleep would still mop the floor with the rest us mortals lol

 

[Creation]

Jay’s training schedule during his Olympia run popped in my mind too. I don’t think the man slept very much during that time period.

tren you know ;P

 

[Fit2Serve]

I work out midday. between 330-5p it is absolutely the best time of day imo and experience. its perfect. have a few meals in me to fuel the workout plus can take slin pre workout if want to plus get a shake and 2-3 meals after workout so get the nutrients in me to recover from workout. ideal.
-F2S

 

[alfresco]

My only problem with switching to AM workouts before work is that time crunch feeling/workout feeling rushed

It has been my experience that a time constraint in exercise is very under-utilized.
I view it as a hidden gift because it forces you to chose your exercises wisely and
to pick up the pace (not speed of movement) of your workouts. As a result you
would rationally pick the most result producing exercises and work very intensely,
with shorter rest periods and move from exercise very quickly.

Nothing hurts my head more than walking into a gym with a huge assortment of
exercise equipment. I find that are so many choices that it makes it difficult to chose
an exercise because some of the machines look so 'inviting' and actually quite good,
but most are complete garbage, nothing but a time waster, with time being some-
thing that seems to in short supply in your case. So make your choices wisely.

I made my best progress (and still prefer) in literally a 'garage gym' with a very
limited number of exercise options, a limited amount of time and a good workout
partner but I mostly stuck with what worked for me and it never varied for the longest
time. If it ain't broke don't fix it principle.

And nothing against variety. (Hard to believe coming from a guy who went for years,
never changing his exercises or the order the of them . . . which was fine actually.
You learn a lot about your body and your mind because they are not muddled by so
many variables.) I think some variety is a good thing especially if you have somebody
who knows what they are doing (rare) training you because you literally do not know
what exercises (limited) you will be performing that day and it is that that unknown
factor that can keep things fresh.

So if you can, use that "time crunch feeling / workout feeling rushed" to your advantage.
It is a hidden gym that can be used to your advantage.

 

[emeric delczeg]

I must be one of the odd ones because some of my very best training sessions have definitely been in the evenings. It helps remove my daily stress, I feel great after. I grab a meal a shower and then I sleep like a baby.

Just keep taring the way

 

[emeric delczeg]

I work out midday. between 330-5p it is absolutely the best time of day imo and experience. its perfect. have a few meals in me to fuel the workout plus can take slin pre workout if want to plus get a shake and 2-3 meals after workout so get the nutrients in me to recover from workout. ideal.
-F2S

Sense to luck down I workout at home with very limited equipment, same as I was training back in 60s and early 70s, no machines. Just very basic exercises using Olympic bar, dumbbells, I workout 2 x day , Monday to Saturday , I train one day all pushing muscles 2 x and next day all pulling muscles 2x, legs every day , yes legs 6 x per week. I sleep 7 to 8 hours every day and a very short nap (30 minutes) between workouts. I love it.

 

[buck]

Training late in the day and getting results doesn't mean getting optimal results. And taking drugs can help gains no matter what. Disrupting sleep has to lower gains from what is ideal. I have trained at all hours of the day with the shifts that I have worked but when I follow my circadian rhythm I feel better. And would have to think that equates to better results.

 

[alfresco]

Sense to luck down I workout at home with very limited equipment, same as I was training back in 60s and early 70s, no machines. Just very basic exercises using Olympic bar, dumbbells, I workout 2 x day , Monday to Saturday , I train one day all pushing muscles 2 x and next day all pulling muscles 2x, legs every day , yes legs 6 x per week. I sleep 7 to 8 hours every day and a very short nap (30 minutes) between workouts. I love it.

Hey Emeric-

Don't want to veer to far off subject (still talking about working out) but just wanted to
touch on a few points that you mentioned, especially legs. Since we are older (I am 65
and you might be around the same age but you look like you are from an entirely different
planet) I think that we need more frequent exercise to offset the effects of ageing, not
less. And working each body part 3 times a week or every other day is great too. And I
like your idea of training legs 6 days a week as legs are one of the first muscles to go . . .
meaning to show and feel the onset of aging and strength. I just think we, or legs more
importantly, need more frequent stimulation. Intensity is still key, and the duration like
you are or were accustomed to if you can handle it.

Still off track from the OP . . .

When people are younger, especially the genetically gifted, I think they can 'get away with'
training each body part 1 to 2 times a week because as with many things associated with youth
is the ability to retain muscle, to not atrophy. Muscle loss is the scourge of ageing and the
muscle must be stimulated more frequently, not less. Just don't over do it as recovery is a finite
resource. Keep your workouts intense, brief, and add variety. At least that is my opinion and
observation.

I think this ties in fairly nicely with Creation's conundrum . . . the time crunch and feeling rushed.
Just keep your workouts short and sweet to avoid the feeling of being rushed. You could even
train your entire body every other day which is where I would start. A workout can take you as
little as 30 - 45 minutes if you pick up the pace (there is your cardio) to get a great, result
producing workout in regardless of how you slip things up. And you should in my opinion, leave the
gym wanting and able to do more. Then you know you are in terrific shape and not burnt out
mentally regardless of what time of day or night you train.

 

[emeric delczeg]

Hey Emeric-

Don't want to veer to far off subject (still talking about working out) but just wanted to
touch on a few points that you mentioned, especially legs. Since we are older (I am 65
and you might be around the same age but you look like you are from an entirely different
planet) I think that we need more frequent exercise to offset the effects of ageing, not
less. And working each body part 3 times a week or every other day is great too. And I
like your idea of training legs 6 days a week as legs are one of the first muscles to go . . .
meaning to show and feel the onset of aging and strength. I just think we, or legs more
importantly, need more frequent stimulation. Intensity is still key, and the duration like
you are or were accustomed to if you can handle it.

Still off track from the OP . . .

When people are younger, especially the genetically gifted, I think they can 'get away with'
training each body part 1 to 2 times a week because as with many things associated with youth
is the ability to retain muscle, to not atrophy. Muscle loss is the scourge of ageing and the
muscle must be stimulated more frequently, not less. Just don't over do it as recovery is a finite
resource. Keep your workouts intense, brief, and add variety. At least that is my opinion and
observation.

I think this ties in fairly nicely with Creation's conundrum . . . the time crunch and feeling rushed.
Just keep your workouts short and sweet to avoid the feeling of being rushed. You could even
train your entire body every other day which is where I would start. A workout can take you as
little as 30 - 45 minutes if you pick up the pace (there is your cardio) to get a great, result
producing workout in regardless of how you slip things up. And you should in my opinion, leave the
gym wanting and able to do more. Then you know you are in terrific shape and not burnt out
mentally regardless of what time of day or night you train.

I will come back and respond, just geting ready for my 2nd training, I rest 12 hours between workouts.

 

[madg]

I will come back and respond, just geting ready for my 2nd training, I rest 12 hours between workouts.

Great emeric !

Share your program if you like , would love to see it

Respect

 

[musclefreak47]

by Christian Thibaudeau

Avoid Evening Workouts

People often ask why training in the evening is such a bad thing. Wait, is it? Yep. It has to do with cortisol production. Training spikes cortisol. So let's look at what cortisol does.

Its main function is putting your body in the best possible state to face danger or stress. It mobilizes stored energy, increases wakefulness, and shuts down the immune system momentarily so you have more energy for the muscles and organs, which are needed to face the stress. It also amps up the brain, mostly by increasing the conversion of noradrenaline to adrenaline.

The ideal cortisol cycle is high in the morning and low in the evening. The cortisol spike in the morning is what makes you wake up (when you wake up on your own). The cortisol spike also increases adrenaline levels, which assist in waking you up too.

Cortisol Then, as your cortisol decreases in the evening, it puts your autonomous nervous system in parasympathetic mode – also known as rest-and-recover mode. That allows you to fall asleep more easily, recover better, get more time in deep sleep, and have a higher production of growth hormone.

If your cortisol stays elevated in the evening, it'll be much harder to fall asleep and get quality deep sleep. That's why training in the evening isn't the best choice.

Let's say you do train at night regularly and have restless sleep as a result. This may lead to chronically elevated cortisol, which is bad for your gainz, bro. First because cortisol increases protein breakdown. The amount of muscle you build is a function of the difference between protein synthesis (anabolism) and protein breakdown (catabolism). If you break down more it'll be harder to add muscle tissue, especially if you're a natural lifter.

Then there's the impact on myostatin. Cortisol can increase myostatin and inhibit muscle growth. It also decreases the rate of muscle glycogen resynthesis – storing glycogen in the muscles after you used it up during training – delaying recovery.

For these reasons, the more you can spike cortisol from training in the earlier part of your day, the more you can respect the natural cycle of your body and the better you'll recover.

Enhanced lifters have fewer problems because steroids decrease the action of cortisol significantly. But natural lifters need every advantage they can get.

Who Can Get Away With It?

Now, some people can actually pull evening training off: those who fall asleep easily even if they've had a killer workout two hours prior. Normally these guys have either a high level of GABA or a high level of serotonin, allowing them to shut their CNS down as soon as the workout is over, putting them in parasympathetic mode.

for me also does not work,cant sleep good if i train at evening...i do workout in morning,start my day great and I sleep better