Best Time To Exercise

If you have ever wondered when is the best time to exercise for building muscle?

Well, my generic answer to “best time” to do anything is always going to be, when YOU can get to it.

Some of us can maybe only go to the gym before work or after work or we’re so busy, it can only be on the weekends.

So, whenever YOU can get to it, then do it.

Don’t overthink it.

Plan it, schedule it and then DO IT consistently and you’ll get results.

However, in an ideal world, there IS a best time to exercise for building muscle.

Now, the first rule for building muscle is to optimize your hormones.

This is extremely important and I’ll get to that in a minute.

The second rule for building muscle is you need to FEED your muscle as much as you can.

Thus, you have to eat a good amount of extra food.

Only thing is doing this can lead to lots of fat accumulation, IF you eat the wrong types of food.

Thus it’s best to watch what you eat and or use a carb/fat blocker when eating for muscle growth!

But in short there’s NO way around it.

Food is your most anabolic substance.

You can exercise all you want.

You can sleep all day long.

You can take lots of steroids.

But if you don’t eat enough food, gaining muscle is going to be very difficult.

So you want to make sure you eat at least ONE good meal and preferably, 2 or 3, BEFORE you go to the gym.

You need to fill up your muscles with enough fuel – protein, carbs and fats – so you can have a good workout, be strong and have stamina to lift heavy weights, for enough sets and reps.

The more VOLUME (sets and reps) you can do and still RECOVER, the more muscle you’ll grow.

And recovery starts with food.

So, don’t even think about going to the gym first thing in the morning, on an empty stomach.

You’ll just burn away your muscles.

You’ll have no fuel and your body will readily burn MUSCLE before fat for energy – especially because you’re lifting weights, which uses muscle (protein).

It’s different than doing cardiovascular exercise, which CAN be done on an empty stomach and I’ll do an entire video about that later.

Additionally, you want to feed the muscle at least 2 good meals after your workout.

Which means, don’t workout last thing at night and then go to sleep on an empty stomach.

#1 Best Case Scenario

Thus, in an ideal scenario, you’d eat 3 meals, go to the gym and then eat 3 more meals.

Of course, not everyone can do this – especially if they have a job.

Unless they workout during their lunch hour, which a lot of my clients do.

Or your in school and you can take off an hour and go to the gym.

Anyway, IF you can do this, great.

This is the best option.

Three meals before and after your workout.

#2 Second Option

Second best option would be a morning workout —

You’d eat one good meal (breakfast) and then go the gym and then eat the rest of your meals during the day.

Morning are better because you’ll get energized and burn more calories the rest of the day.

#3 Last Option

Third best option would be a night workout.

You’d come home after work for example, go to the gym, eat a good solid meal and then go to sleep an hour or two later.

This is the last option because exercise increases body temperature and cortisol levels, which stimulates the nervous system (CNS) and thus – makes sleeping more difficult.

But, this is better than no workout.

BOTTOM LINE: You need to get at least ONE meal before and after your workout.

Intermittent Fasting

If you’re doing some kind of intermittent fasting, I would suggest the same thing.

Break your fast with at least one meal, then go to the gym and eat again after.

This of course depends on how long you’re fasting for.

But if you’re going to eat for 8 hours, that gives you plenty of time to feed the muscle before and after the workout.

It’s All About Your Hormones

As I stated earlier, (genetics aside) muscle growth is ALWAYS dependent on your hormones.

This is why women can never get as big as men.

This is why a guy in his 50’s and older, will never look as good as he did in his 20’s — all having to do with your hormones.

Now, the great part is you can always optimize and maximize your hormones naturally, at any age.

You just have to know how to and what to take.

So no matter what your age, or fitness goals, or what point you are at in your fitness stage. 

Don’t give Up!