AM or PM workout? Your preference?

I've never been a morning person.

Even after an entire adult life of working day shift jobs which start in the morning, I've never quite gotten the hang out of morning motivation. That's probably why in the five years I've been lifting, I've always done so after work, and until recently only on two occasions have tried a morning workout.

Funny thing about those morning workouts are that I would consider them my best workouts ever. Once I hit a PR on my squat at around 6:30 a.m. on a virtually empty stomach. The other time I had all sorts of fuel in the tank for the pushing.

I'd prefer to be a morning workout creature. But something inside me just won't get me out of bed and motivated.

Last week I vowed to change that. At least two of my workouts during the week were done first thing in the morning. And I must confess, both kicked ass. And yesterday, after playing three gigs in a row (Thursday, Friday and Saturday), I peeled myself out of bed at 10 a.m. (didn't get to bed 'til 4), drank an ABB Speed Stack and an All-In and hit the gym for a serious chest and back routine.

I felt like a million bucks.

To be honest, I feel like one of the major benefits of working out in the morning is that I have not eaten yet. Going to the gym after work can either be great, or it can really suck, and the one factor that can influence that is the food I've had to eat that day.

If I eat too big of a lunch, I have terrible indigestion and I'm sluggish. I can hardly push because the food isn't digested, starts coming up and I get nauseated. But if I eat too little at lunch, then I have the shakes and it makes the workout that much more difficult because I'm starving.

I'm hoping to avoid that by eventually converting myself to an AM workout creature. Right now I'll start with two days a week, only because two of my routines can be done in my home gym. Days that require a trip to the athletic center will remain PM workouts until the summer hours end and it begins opening at 6 a.m. again.

I swear, gravity is more intense in the mornings! when I workout in the mornings, i usually have to cut my lifts by about 25% .

for me, I'm sticking to circuits in the morning and cardio...no heavy lifting.

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Originally Posted by SoCal-Nutrition

I swear, gravity is more intense in the mornings! when I workout in the mornings, i usually have to cut my lifts by about 25% .

for me, I'm sticking to circuits in the morning and cardio...no heavy lifting.

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same here minus the cardio even tho i wish i would start doing more cardio. i feel i need atleast 2 meals before i can lift heavy

I can't workout at night. Amps me up to much even without PWO.

I can lift more later on in the day though, prob cause I'm carbbed up. But I think everyone can lift more later on you're fully awake etc.

I lift fasted with bcaas and fish oil an hr before then PWO. I think this is the best for me.

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Im the same way necro, if I lift late, Im up way too late to be worth a damn at work the next day. Plus lifting in the morning has really calmed me down in the morning. Im busy, stressed and I used to come in with guns blazing.... My employees even mentioned that it was a good change for them.
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Plus.... As early as I go 530am, there is nobody else around. I have everything I want when I want it. No sharing that early!

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Originally Posted by KAB111

Im the same way necro, if I lift late, Im up way too late to be worth a damn at work the next day. Plus lifting in the morning has really calmed me down in the morning. Im busy, stressed and I used to come in with guns blazing.... My employees even mentioned that it was a good change for them.
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Plus.... As early as I go 530am, there is nobody else around. I have everything I want when I want it. No sharing that early!

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Yes! I hate ppl in the squat rack when I get there and that's my first exercise. Lol I go in at like 7 though.

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Originally Posted by necropuppy

Yes! I hate ppl in the squat rack when I get there and that's my first exercise. Lol I go in at like 7 though.

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Didnt you know forearm curls are more effective when standing in the rack??!!!

I'm an afternoon kind of guy. I don't feel "warmed up" enough in the morning and lifting at night throws off my sleep schedule.

I work in afternoon shift, and I'm definitely not morning person so I train after the work and sometimes thats 23:00 and sometimes it can be even midnight, not sure if I had some vampire in familly...
Training late has lot of disadvantages, but on positive side- I dont need worm up or stretching, muscles and nervous system is ready.

I lift when mood strikes. I am definitely weaker before 2pm. But sometimes I still go in morning. Working out is harder but it feels better to have it over with.

I typically lift in the afternoon.

Funny thing is that I used to work at a gym years ago, I did the opening shift so I was there at 3:30am. I had keys to the building, so I would get in a good workout before I unlocked the doors for others.

But hitting the gym that early in the morning still feels like its just really late at night.

Totally personal preference whether you need a certain amount of food in before training, if you are sensitive to pre workouts at night time and obviously your work/social schedule :) many pros and cons for different times of day. Do what feels best and works in with you

I like to burst through a tough lift before the day wears on me and saps my energy. I'm definitely not a morning person, though. I've been hitting the gym sometimes between 12 and 2 PM lately. Own my own company so it counts as my "lunch break," just gotta squeeze the workouts into a 45 min time frame.

I always prefer workout early in the morning because in morning our whole body parts are fresh and that's why we can do workout with good energy. However there is not any big issue if you are doing workout in evening.

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Originally Posted by richard

I always prefer workout early in the morning because in morning our whole body parts are fresh and that's why we can do workout with good energy. However there is not any big issue if you are doing workout in evening.

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I started working out in the mornings this week, after having done at least Sunday mornings for several weeks. I know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that I'm stronger in the morning.

My problem with afternoon workouts was often one of two things. Either I ate so much at lunch that I battled a slump and indigestion by the time 4:30 rolled around and I got to the gym, or I ate too little at lunch and got terrible hypoglycemia during my workout.

Working out in the morning, I don't have to worry about either, for whatever reason. Plus now I'm not giving up an hour and a half after work and being too full to eat dinner at a reasonable hour due to my post-workout protein shake bloating the hell out of me.

In my opinion both are good time for work. But i personally prefer AM because in the AM means morning you can do exercise and work easily more than PM. And in your case you like PM other than AM but when you entered in adult life then you like AM. And i know that 90% people like AM.

I always love to do workout in the night....I thinks PM workout is best ...

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Originally Posted by William3

I always check out cpap machines and love to do workout in the night....I thinks PM workout is best ...

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I cannot lift in the AM's. I've tried multiple times and it would make my life a bit easier if I could, at least some weeks. But I feel like dogshit in the gym in the morning. And that kills my mood every time.

Whatever works as long as it's consistent. I've done 2 yrs 1-3am. But, I've done morning runs and night weights too.
Now mostly morning to early aftn, but also evenings too. More suppression after afternoon most likely.
But I don't feel it mostly.