Men want to build muscle mass, girls want to lose weight and tone their figure. To achieve each goal, a certain type of physical activity is used: anaerobic or aerobic (strength or cardio). But the effectiveness of the training process is influenced not only by the correctly chosen exercises, but also by the timing of the classes.
Morning workout
Weight loss processes start when there is a lack of glucose in the body. This occurs as a result of the sequential interaction of two hormones: insulin and adrenaline. The first is responsible for the absorption of sugars and the formation of energy reserves in the form of glycogen, the second releases accumulated reserves from the muscles when the body undergoes physical activity.
These hormones cannot be produced at the same time. To burn fat, you need to keep insulin levels low and adrenaline levels high.
It is recommended to carry out cardio training in the morning, when a person experiences a lack of nutrients after sleep. Since the body’s energy reserves are small in the morning, they are quickly consumed, and subcutaneous fat is used to maintain muscle function.
Morning workouts don't have to be long and exhausting. 25-30 minutes of running at an easy or medium pace is enough. Instead of jogging, you can use cardio equipment: a bicycle ergometer, an orbitrack, an electronic track, or walk in the Scandinavian style.
It is advisable to do morning aerobic exercise on an empty stomach. This will speed up the consumption of glycogen from muscles and will promote weight loss. Immediately after waking up, drink a glass of cool, clean water, do simple exercises and start exercising.
You can't eat after training. Take a few BCAA capsules. After 1 hour you can have a full breakfast. Food intake should be balanced in order to give the “starved” body the necessary microelements for recovery.
Strength training can also be done in the morning. But such loads are quite heavy for most. This is due to the low level of energy reserves after a night's rest. If you want to do bodybuilding or powerlifting in the morning, have a good breakfast 1-1.5 hours before class.
Don’t forget - the bulk of your food should be “complex” carbohydrates, which break down slowly and nourish the body for a long time. If you can't eat before training, take a gainer.
After a strength session, you need to have a hearty snack to restore energy balance and give your muscles nutrients for growth.
When is the best time to exercise to lose weight?
If you want to lose weight, become more athletic, or just get healthier, but don't know when is the best time to exercise to lose weight, then this information is for you.
We all know that we need to exercise regularly. Therefore, you need to find time for training - you must, firstly, learn to wisely create a schedule for the day.
For many people, the morning will be the right time, while for some people they will only be able to squeeze in a workout in the evening. And both options have their pros and cons, as we wrote about above.
But is there really a “best” time to exercise for weight loss?
About weight loss
Losing or gaining weight depends entirely on energy balance. Regardless of the intensity of your exercise, if you consume more calories than you burn, you will gain weight.
But reach a calorie deficit —burn more than you eat in a day—and you trigger various hormonal and enzyme reactions that cause fat to be broken down into fuel.
And this way you will burn excess fat.
How to burn more calories
Your body burns energy in four ways:
- Primary functions - they are also called basic metabolism. The body uses this energy simply for survival: heartbeat, breathing, brain function and maintaining the life of muscle cells.
- Physical activity without exercise is all daily movement that is not considered a sport. Walking and working on a computer also require energy.
- Exercise – All exercise performed requires energy expenditure.
- Digestion – A small amount of energy goes into digesting the food you eat.
So, if you add up all these amounts and you end up with more calories than you eat, then you will use up a certain amount of calories as fat from your fat stores (cells).
It is clear that you can directly influence only two factors - physical activity and sports.
Day workout
Western scientists conducted studies with a group of athletes involved in cardio and strength training. The results showed that anaerobic performance and aerobic endurance decreased during the midday period (12:00 to 15:00). This negative effect is associated with circadian rhythms that regulate the phases of sleep and wakefulness. At noon there is a decline in body activity. By this time, the nutrients received with breakfast are almost completely consumed, which causes mental and physical fatigue.
During the daytime (from 12:00 to 14:00) it is recommended to have a good lunch and rest. The ideal option would be to sleep for 40-60 minutes. It is not advisable to engage in sports at such times. Especially if it’s summer outside and the air temperature exceeds 20°C.
Starting at 15:00, the body distributes the nutrients received from lunch to tissues. We feel a surge of strength and vigor. Increased performance and mental activity. During these hours you can do both strength and aerobic exercise.
You need to have a light snack 1-1.5 days before your daily workout. You shouldn't overeat. By this time, the body has not yet fully used up the energy reserves received with lunch.
After daytime cardio, you need to refrain from eating for 1.5–2 hours, and only after this period will you be able to eat. Food should be low-calorie and easily digestible, for example, cottage cheese and a glass of kefir. After strength training, the body requires nutrients. You can snack on a banana and a protein shake right in the locker room, and then have a full dinner at home.
I should work out during the day when:
- I work in an office. Sitting all day will clearly not benefit your body. You can take sports breaks in the middle of the working day.
- In the morning it’s hard for me to wake up earlier, and in the evening I don’t have enough energy. Then this kind of training is ideal. Of course, if your work schedule allows it.
- I want to increase my strength and gain muscle mass. It is believed that an increase in body temperature in the afternoon promotes training for precisely these purposes.
Important!
You shouldn't exercise right after lunch; give your stomach at least a couple of hours to digest the food.
Evening workout
American scientists from Williamsburg University conducted a study involving 100 men. During the work, the hormonal background of athletes was measured during training at different time intervals (07:00–09:00, 11:00–13:00, 14:00–16:00, 18:00–20:00).
The results showed that evening strength training increases the production of testosterone, a hormone responsible for rapid recovery and growth of muscle fibers. At the same time, the level of cortisol, a stress hormone involved in muscle breakdown and an increase in fat reserves, decreased. This means that the best time for training for strength and mass is from 18.00 to 20.00.
Meals before anaerobic exercise should be high in calories, but you should not overeat immediately before exercise. It is better to eat 1.5–2 hours before the start.
After strength training, a “carbohydrate window” appears. This means that the athlete needs to take a portion of carbohydrates within 30–40 minutes to restore energy reserves. Don't worry, the calories you receive won't be deposited on your sides. When you get home, you can eat a protein product, for example, boiled chicken breast or cottage cheese. Before going to bed, it is recommended to drink a protein shake (casein or whey).
Evening workouts for weight loss are best done between 17:00 and 19:00. This time is characterized by high activity of the body. In addition, the sooner intense exercise ends, the easier it is for the athlete to fall asleep.
It is not recommended to do cardio 1-2 hours before bedtime. Light jogging, race walking, swimming, team sports, dancing, and aerobics are great for evening fat-burning training.
If possible, you need to monitor your heart rate. The preferred pulse zone for weight loss is 70–80% of the maximum heart rate.
Meals before evening aerobic training should be light. The goal of such exercises is to burn the maximum amount of calories, creating a deficit in the body, launching fat burning processes. Therefore, you should not load up on carbohydrates before cardio training.
Eat a small portion of vegetable salad or cottage cheese 60–90 minutes before starting. After finishing your workout, it is better to take a BCAA or protein shake. After 1.5–2 hours, you can eat boiled meat with fresh vegetables. To effectively lose weight, you need to drink at least two liters of water during the day.
I should study at night when:
- I prefer speed and strength training. It is believed that such loads “work for you” in the afternoon and until midnight.
- I am an absolute night owl, I sleep until lunchtime and get more active at night. Doctors, coaches and professional athletes do not see anything wrong with night training, which means you can exercise when you feel comfortable.
- My sexual desire increases at night. They say that this is the surest way to monitor the release of testosterone, which is responsible not only for libido, but also for physical activity.
And in order for you to try classes at different times of the day and decide for yourself what suits you best, fitness clubs decide to experiment. For example, for those who like to train late in the day, Crocus Fitness
held
a “Fitness Night”
, where from 14:00 until midnight you could try yoga, Pilates, aerobics, salsa, crossfit and even Thai boxing, and also determine what time is most comfortable for you to train.
Night training
Sports activities after 22:00 are practiced by athletes who do not have the opportunity to visit the fitness room at normal times. This regimen has no health benefits. This is due to the peculiarities of the body’s functioning and biological rhythms.
From 23:00 to 01:00, the body actively restores damaged tissue and stores energy. If a person is not sleeping at this time, the regeneration process is much slower.
During the night, the secretion of melatonin increases. This hormone regulates daily biorhythms and is responsible for many processes in the body, for example, it slows down cell aging, regulates the digestive tract, and stabilizes blood pressure. If an athlete is awake at night, the production of melatonin is disrupted, which sooner or later will lead to health problems. Therefore, night training should be carried out only in case of lack of time and the less frequently, the better.
Evening: strength training and breathing practices
It’s good to do strength training at peak temperatures - it’s easier and faster to get beautiful muscle definition and achieve impressive results in lifting weights. But the last third of the sports “window” must be devoted to stretching, breathing practices and meditation: then the muscles will be able to relax qualitatively in the next few hours, and sleep will be complete and deep.
What's the best time of day
When deciding on time for sports, it is important to take into account individual factors, first of all, the purpose of training.
The morning is perfect for losing excess weight, because a morning workout allows you to burn 20% more live deposits than an evening workout. And to increase muscle mass, you should visit the gym after 17:00 - in the evening, endurance is 7% higher, and the muscles are better warmed up. In order to figure out your personal workout time, you also need to understand a person's body type. Endomorphs have a slow metabolism, and it is better for them to exercise in the morning, before noon. The thin-boned type (ectomorph) has a good metabolism, and it is preferable for him to go to the gym in the evenings. Mesomorphs can train at any time, it all depends on personal preference.
Another important issue is that biological people get high athletic performance closer to noon; for “owls” the peak occurs at 16-18 hours. If a person cannot decide which type he belongs to, it is better for him to train after 16:00.
Thus, the training time should be determined taking into account personal preferences and well-being. Despite all the conclusions of scientists, each of us has our own biological rhythms. It should be remembered that it is the performance indicators of the body during the day that indicate the physical capabilities of a person.
Individual attitude
But despite this, it is still worth focusing on yourself, or more precisely, your circadian ri, says Larisa Sorokina.
It is also important to take into account the fact whether a person is a “lark” or a “night owl”. Thus, among the former, activity increases towards the middle of the day. "Owls" are more active in the late afternoon.
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How to do aerobics at home
To make aerobics classes at home useful for beginners, it is recommended to follow several rules.
The room should be spacious, not crowded with furniture, ventilated, with a large mirror in which you can monitor your movement technique.
- Clothing should be comfortable and not restrict movement. Short shorts or leggings, a T-shirt or top - in this form it will be easier for you to move and observe the movements of your body. Clothes that are too loose will get tangled, while clothes that are too tight will restrict movement.
- Sneakers with shock absorption and flexible soles will protect your feet and ankle joints from injuries.
- To exercise on the floor, use a blanket; the best option is a special sports mat with a non-slip coating.
- Increase the load gradually, record the intensity and duration of your workouts, and keep a results diary to track your progress.
- Listen to yourself, muscle pain after training is normal, but discomfort in the joints during or after training is a reason to pay attention to it.
Exercises with fitball
Fitball allows you to complicate your usual aerobics exercises and diversify your workouts.
- With its help, you can perform hyperextension - lifting the body on a ball. This exercise strengthens the muscles of the back and buttocks.
- Lie on your back and get ready to lift your legs as you would in a regular abdominal exercise. Hold a fitball between your legs and see how much more difficult the movement has become.
- Sit on the ball and do simple exercises for your arms or abs - all the muscles of your body are involved in the work while you try to maintain your balance.
Exercise options for home exercises
In aerobics, there are many types of exercises for all muscle groups. You can study according to various schemes:
- circuit training at an intense pace includes several exercises for different muscles, which are performed one by one, in a circle, they are very effective for fat burning;
- Aerobic activities (running, jumping, walking) are ideal for losing weight;
- training with an emphasis on strength exercises (with weights) strengthens the entire body;
- classes with an emphasis on stretching and yoga increases flexibility.
Depending on your physical fitness and goals, you can choose a suitable set of exercises; aerobics offers a wide choice in this regard.
Here are some effective aerobics exercises for beginners that can be included in any workout:
- “jumper” - jumping with legs spread to the sides and arms swinging;
- walking on the stairs or using a bench (step);
- burpee is an exercise that includes three elements (squat, push-up, jump);
- jumping rope;
- push-ups (start from the knees, then full push-ups);
- jump squats.
Sports in the evenings – who is it suitable for?
Official science claims that night training is not as effective as morning or daytime training, but if you do it in the evening, then no later than two hours before bedtime.
But very often such a recommendation becomes impossible to implement due to the workload of everyday and work tasks. A person is faced with a choice - either not to exercise at all, or to train at night.
World bodybuilding knows many successful examples of night training. Many famous athletes practiced late training. This was due to the inability to exercise during the day or to the peculiarities of their biological rhythms.
Based on this experience, late evening or night training may be recommended in the following situations:
- If this is the only time you can exercise
- If you are a pronounced night owl and your peak physical activity occurs in the late evening
- If you use nighttime physiology (for example, cardio before bed to speed up your metabolism and improve fat burning at night)
- If you are an athlete and you are going to compete in another country (time zone offset)
Dance aerobics
If classic aerobics exercises are boring for you, dilute them, or even replace them with dance exercises. Dance to your favorite music, come up with movements for your arms and legs, work your abs in belly dancing and don’t forget about a good mood and a positive attitude. Remember that training, even in the form of dance, should be no shorter than 30 minutes. Do dance aerobics at home and lose weight with pleasure!
Doing aerobics for weight loss at home and getting good results is feasible.
You just need to make an effort, work on yourself and overcome laziness. The sooner you start exercising, the faster you will see changes. Video of dance aerobics for weight loss
Body exercises
The plank in different variations is suitable for strengthening the muscles of the body. The plank can be done on the forearms or on straightened arms, straight or side. Add a jump and spread your legs apart, jump again and keep your legs together - a great exercise if you are already confident in the classic plank.
To train your legs, use basic movements: regular and sumo squats (with legs wide apart), forward and side lunges, various jumps and swings. On the last rep, hold the squat position for a few seconds and feel how tense your legs are. Static exercises are also very effective.
Complement your aerobics class with balance and abdominal exercises for a complete full-body workout. Balance exercises develop coordination, and strong abdominal muscles will tighten your stomach.
Kind of activity
If you sit in front of a computer all day and lead a sedentary lifestyle, then at the end of the day you need to stretch your body. In this case, evening training is the best remedy for muscle atrophy. Physical activity will increase testosterone levels, improve blood circulation and help keep muscles toned.
If you are engaged in physically demanding work associated with constant travel, active movement and heavy lifting, you will not have the energy for an evening workout. Therefore, morning workouts are the best choice for you. By working out at the beginning of the day, you are guaranteed to perk up and activate brain and muscle activity. The main thing is not to overdo it during training, otherwise you will not be able to effectively cope with work responsibilities.
How does body temperature affect this issue?
In the human body, certain changes occur during the day, which are called circadian rhythms.
There are quite a lot of such fluctuations, but the most important when taking into account the time of sports activities are changes in body temperature. Contrary to popular misconception, the normal human body temperature is not always 36.6 degrees. It fluctuates during the day within 0.5 degrees, increasing in the afternoon and reaching a peak in the evening. In the morning, our body temperature is at its lowest. This condition also applies to choosing the time to play sports.
Since our body temperature drops to a minimum in the morning, it is advisable to pay attention to fat burning training at this time of day. Cardio (running, swimming, cycling) can be done before breakfast.
It is better to leave the evening hours for strength training, because muscle performance also depends on body temperature. In the evening, the temperature rises and the muscles begin to contract more efficiently. Between 4 and 6 p.m., the human body's strength is at its maximum, the risk of injury is lower, and endurance is high.
Perfect evening
The evening can also be an excellent solution for accomplishing sports goals, the specialist notes. And this is due to several factors at once.
“In the early evening, body temperature reaches its maximum, metabolism speeds up, and muscles become more elastic. This makes the exercises effective and reduces the risk of sprains or injuries,” advises Larisa Sorokina.
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