Awhile back, a study came out that said your testosterone levels were higher in the morning—as if you needed a study to tell you that. Afterward, I heard and read a lot of talk about how the morning was therefore the best time to work out.[1]
Yet it's not that simple, because of this little thing called "life." The fact of the matter is that for most of us, the time we choose to work out corresponds with the time we have available, which explains why most gyms are typically packed after the work hours.
But perhaps we can give you a compelling reason—in fact, eight great reasons—to wake up a little earlier to hit the gym rather than save it for later in your day. Withhold judgment about how you're not a morning person until you fully absorb all the advantages of morning training.
1. It's Easier To Follow High-Volume Training Systems
Trying to do a triset or a giant set is all but impossible in a packed gym. This guy over here wants to work in. That girl over there wants to steal your dumbbells. Others cast an evil eye your way for hogging so much equipment. They would have a point—if the gym was crowded.
But it's not, because you were ready to rise and grind before everyone else. Yep, it's much easier to complete these types of training programs when the facility is less crowded. That just happens to be in the morning.
2. Your Hormones Are Working To Your Advantage
As mentioned, in the early morning hours, crucial hormones (i.e., testosterone) that help build muscle mass are elevated in the body. By exercising in the morning, you're taking advantage of these naturally circulating hormones as they're peaking, rather than later in the day when they're lower.
3. It Leaves Times For Other Priorities
I may make a living from the gym, but it's still not my number one priority. Nothing is more important than family. Clearly there's a trade-off between the amount of time you spend in the gym and the amount of time you can spend at home. Which is why slicing off a small segment, like you can in the morning, is usually better than in the evening, when you have to fight rush hour, navigate a crowded gym environment, get home to shower, and allot whatever's left for your family. The math simply works better if you get your workout done in the morning.
4. You'll Be More Focused When You Reach The Office Or School
A bout of exercise increases your focus on the next activity, because your body is aroused. What follows a morning workout? For most people, it's the office or school. Hence, one of the advantages of working out in the morning is that you're more alert during those later hours.
What follows a morning workout? For most people, it's the office or school. Hence, one of the advantages of working out in the morning is that you're more alert during those later hours.
If you have trouble with early morning energy, a cup of joe or a pre-workout like Grenade's .50 Caliber will help you boost focus, energy, strength, and endurance—not just in the gym but for many hours afterward.
5. You'll Be Less Likely To Skip Your Workout
It may take a cup of coffee to get your morning going, but once you're up, there are few distractions on your way to the gym. But later in the day, any number of distractions can sabotage your workout: less motivation, fatigue, the gang is going out for some drinks, a sick child, an overdue report for work or school.
If you've already completed your workout, you can simply roll with whatever obstacles come up later in the evening without feeling bad that you missed another day. You're far more likely to be consistent with your training if you get it done early in the day rather than waiting for later.
6. Your Metabolic Rate Will Receive A Quick Boost
Without a doubt, exercise can boost your metabolic rate. The degree depends on your current fitness level and the kind of activity you choose. All other things being equal, working out in the morning will help to boost your metabolism, allowing you to burn more calories for the rest of the day. This phenomenon is called excess post-exercise oxygen consumption, or EPOC.
To get the greatest post-workout metabolic kick, do cardio activities like high-intensity interval training or bodybuilding-type resistance training with multijoint exercises.
To get the greatest post-workout metabolic kick, do cardio activities like high-intensity interval training or bodybuilding-type resistance training with multijoint exercises. Adding in a thermogenic product such as Grenade Thermo Detonator will give your morning workout added metabolic and fat-burning power.
7. You Won't Have As Many Distractions
Chances are pretty good that you train with a number of friends, which makes socializing pretty easy. Don't get me wrong—there's nothing wrong with that. But it's easy for a short gabfest to turn a productive workout into one where you barely break a sweat. If you're serious about getting results and not wasting your time, you'll want to spend your gym time with minimal distractions.
You can bet that people who get up in the wee hours are more serious about their workouts. From my personal experience, the chances of someone distracting your workout is much less likely in the morning.
8. Your Mood Will Improve
You're probably familiar with the notion that some workouts release endorphins, feel-good hormones that are increased following exercise of sufficient intensity and duration.[2] But you don't have to do hours of cardio to feel good about yourself; heck, you've just completed your workout for the day.
Nothing feels better than having a good workout under your belt, especially if you're prone to blowing them off at night.
Nothing feels better than having a good workout under your belt, especially if you're prone to blowing them off at night. Which is why there's no better way to get your day started. You can boost your mood and sense of accomplishment by just be setting your alarm clock for a little earlier.
Rise and Grind
If you don't train regularly in the morning, you may find that, at first, your performance suffers during anaerobic exercise (like bodybuilding-type training) as compared to late-afternoon workouts. Nevertheless, you can make larger improvements in exercise performance if you make morning training regular; that is, you do it consistently.3 So if you're new to morning training, be patient but consistent with your a.m. workouts.
Yes it's tough to get up in the morning, let alone try to complete a good workout. Soon enough, however, with consistency you'll see your performance skyrocket and you'll have a slew of good reasons that justify setting that alarm just a little bit earlier. For those of us who are already there bright and early, the secret is out!
For those of you who've already discovered the benefits of getting your workout done first thing in the morning, please contribute your own success stories in the comments below.
References
- Resko, J. A., & Eik-Nes, K. B. (1966). Diurnal testosterone levels in peripheral plasma of human male subjects. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 26(5), 573-576.
- Goldfarb, A. H., & Jamurtas, A. Z. (1997). B-Endorphin response to exercise. Sports Medicine, 24(1), 8-16.
- Chtourou, H., & Souissi, N. (2012). The effect of training at a specific time of day: a review. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 26(7), 1984-2005.