When is the best time to train?

What is the best time to do sports ? If you're a weightlifter or fitness enthusiast, you've probably already asked yourself this question in order to optimize the results of your physical exercises. Whether by choice or to adapt to the constraints of daily life, some athletes prefer to train in the morning, while others prefer the afternoon or early evening. But does this have an impact on performance and muscularity? That's what we'll find out in this article.

Why train in the morning?

Benefits

For men, the morning is the time of day when the level of testosterone is at its peak. This male hormone is naturally present in the human body. It is essential to the protein synthesis and thus contributes in an important way to the formation of muscles. It also participates in the reconstruction of muscle fibres damaged after an intense sports session. The testosterone is also present in women's bodies, but in a much smaller quantity. Its impact on muscle development is therefore reduced.

Moreover, doing sports in the morning is conducive to concentration. The memory works optimally and the mind is more alert. This alertness facilitates the muscular work and optimizes the results of physical exercise.

Finally, making your trainings in the morning allows to get rid of a potential constraint and to be able to go to other occupations other than sports practice during the rest of the day.

Personally, I prefer to train in the morning because I feel my best early in the day. Of course, my schedule allows me to go to the weight room in the morning, which is not the case for everyone. I can then organize the rest of my work day as well as possible.

Disadvantages

However, morning training can limit your athletic performance and your muscular growth. Indeed, when you wake up, your muscles are stiff and less able to perform physical effort requiring strength and endurance. This is even more true in winter with the arrival of the cold.

Of course, this does not apply to all athletes. The best thing is to make your own experience. If you choose to exercise in the morning, make sure you warm up properly to wake up your muscles.

Why train in the afternoon?

Benefits

In the late afternoon, pain tolerance is at its highest level. Also, adrenaline and body temperature increase. This makes it possible to push the muscular work even further and very often to carry out the famous additional repetition. Your performance will be better than in the morning, which will help you to improve your performance. development of your muscles.

A study conducted by NCBI researchers (National Center for Biotechnology Information), a U.S. research institute, suggests that late afternoon workouts can prevent injuries. This is due to a combination of three main factors:

• a better attention allowed by the circadian rhythm of the human body,
• greater flexibility of muscles and tendons due to the increase in body temperature,
• greater muscle strength.

Finally, many bodybuilders enjoy doing an activity (weight training, running, cardio-training, pilates, etc.) after their work day to clear their mind and release the pressure. This is also true for sports sessions evening.

Disadvantages

On the other hand, you may not have enough energy if you are physically active around noon, or right after lunch.

In the same way, the quality of your lunch will have a direct impact on your performance during a afternoon training. A breakfast that is too rich in carbohydrates can cause a feeling of fatigue related to the body's insulin level.

It is therefore essential to adopt a balanced sports nutrition based on the consumption of unprocessed foods and integrating a good distribution of macronutrients (carbohydrates, lipids and proteins).

Why train at night?

Benefits

In the evening, the levels of coordination andendurance are at their peak, as is the body temperature. The lungs are also more active.

If you go to a gym, the evening (usually after 8:00 p.m.) is also the least busy time. You can therefore organize your training more easily and take advantage of the availability of benches, dumbbells and machines.

Disadvantages

Evening workouts are generally not conducive to performance. Mental concentration gradually decreases and the body begins to prepare for the night's sleep by producing melatonina hormone that regulates biological rhythms. The body functions are then slowed down.

In the evening, you could also be the victim of a decreased motivationespecially if you have had a difficult day or are tired.

Finally, working out late in the day can make it difficult to fall asleep.

So when is the best time to exercise?

Training in weight training requires a lot of patience, perseverance and time. Depending on whether you want to lose weight or bulk upThe results can take several months, even years, to appear. Indeed, the muscle volume intensifies over time, more or less rapidly depending on the weight-training program chosen. Also, to build the perfect body, it is advisable to devote a part of your week to the realization of adapted bodybuilding exercises.

But to train effectively, it is essential to feel comfortable, both mentally and physically. Lifting weights in the gym requires intense effort, so you need to be in top shape to perform and build muscle mass. So at what time of day do we feel at our best?

It is important to understand that the human body has a biological clock that regulates our activities. However, the human brain has the ability to disrupt this clock so that the body can adapt to its external environment. Naturally, the body is designed to follow a 24-hour rhythm: this is the circadian rhythm. But each body has its own circadian rhythm. For some athletes, the best time to train is in the morning, while for others it is in the evening.

This ability of the human body to adapt to our habits is a good thing. Indeed, it offers you the possibility to work out in good conditions, whatever the constraints of your schedule. It also means that even if there are changes in your daily life that would lead you to modify your training schedule, your body would be able to adjust to perform at the right time.

Bodybuilding: the parameters to take into account

Regular exercise has many benefits. Physical activity allows for an overall improvement in physical and mental health. In addition to these advantages, weight training also allows you to sculpt your body and develop your muscles.

More than just a sport, weight training and bodybuilding have now become a real way of life. But more than the time you plan your sports activities, two parameters must be taken into account for an effective and fast muscle building: the quality of the sports program and the diet.

How to train effectively?

Depending on the level of sport, the age group of the individual and his or her objective, it is fundamental to carry out adapted exercises. Some people train to stay in shape, while others aim to achieve a higher level of fitness. weight loss or a muscle gain. Of course, there are different methods for achieving each of these goals. However, there are some basic rules that any good training program should incorporate.

First of all, it is important to know that l'warming up plays a major role in the success of a muscular workout, and more globally of a sports session. A sports coach competent will be able to tell you what exercises to do to warm up. This step is essential before starting to work the different muscle groups of the body more intensely.

To follow a well-defined sports program and do regular physical activity

Then, the different exercises will be executed according to a number of sets and repetitions defined in advance. Between each set, it is advisable to take a rest period sufficient to reduce congestion and allow you to attack the next series in good conditions. Of course, the sessions in the training program will become more and more difficult as time goes by, depending on the evolution of your physical performance. Your personal trainer will be able to play on several factors to increase the difficulty (number of sets, number of repetitions, weight of the loads, duration of the rest periods, etc.).

For a beginner in bodybuildingThe total number of repetitions in a session will be less, while the rest times will be a little longer.

Between each weight training session, it is also essential to take rest days. These times of recovery will allow your body to rebuild muscle fibers damaged during training and optimize muscle mass development.

Whether you are new to bodybuilding or not, a sports coach will build a suitable sports program for you. He will accompany you on a daily basis by giving you valuable weight training tips. He will be able to correct your postures and adapt the content of the training sessions as you progress.

The role of nutrition in bodybuilding

As part of a complete bodybuilding program, the foods you eat on a daily basis play a major role and will help you reach your goals (or not). A sports nutrition A well-balanced and healthy diet is absolutely necessary. If I had to give a proportion, I would say that your diet represents 70 % of work, and what you wanted lose weightYou can gain or maintain your weight. In addition to the quality of your meals, make sure you are sufficiently hydrated.

Whether you are a bodybuilder, a professional athlete or an amateur athlete, you need to ensure that your protein intake is sufficient. This will allow your body to cope with intense sports practice.

The carbohydrates are just as important, contrary to what you may read or hear from some diet enthusiasts. They are an essential source of energy for the body and will help you stay healthy. Similarly, carbohydrates promote good physical performance.

Obviously, if you are on a dry period, you should reduce the daily volume of calories by reducing carbohydrates as a priority. Proteins are essential for the development of muscles and good fats maintain hormonal levels. Carbohydrates should never be eliminated, except in exceptional cases. If you are a professional bodybuilder, you can, for example, eliminate carbohydrates for a very short period of time to do a carbohydrate rebound before a bodybuilding competition (such a method must always be supervised by a competent professional).

For body-builders, it is recommended to consume food supplements. The latter make it easier to reach the number of daily calories needed to optimize muscle growth. On the other hand, the whey protein available in powder form will only help you gain muscle if it is part of a balanced diet.

Here again, do not hesitate to call upon a professional who can design a food plan and offer you examples of meals to make your life easier.

How do I train for bodybuilding after 50?

Conclusion

Reaching your goals in bodybuilding requires regular practice and a healthy lifestyle (food, sleepstress, etc.). Many of you have a busy schedule. The good news is that every moment of the day can be used to train. There will be pros and cons, but the human body is remarkable and has the ability to adapt, even if the training time is not optimal. Finally, the most important thing is that you can exercise assiduously, with several sessions per week that take into account your rhythm of life.

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Successful weight gain: The fundamentals

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