Working out before bed.

[hardwarz]

I have a friend that can only work out right before bed. She does the P90X workouts right after she gets her kids to sleep. She's been given advise about not working out late at night and eating right after her work out.

A lot of the information that she's been given seems like body building/weight lifting information. She's not doing that, just the P90X videos.

There is not an option to do any workout any earlier. She wants to know:

Eating protein before/after P90X
How much time after the work out does she need to wind down?
What should she be eating after the workout? Protein Shake?
Any tips would be of great help. I'll forward them on to her.

Thanks.

Hardwarz

[precisou2004]

how about waking up earlier in the morning ? Hell ok i dont have kids but Im up at 4:30am to do my spinning 5x a week .. usually i could get up at 6:30am and still get ready, eat and make it on time to work :-) Not saying she should get up at 4:30am but she can get up 30 min. earlier than usual. its hard at first but she could get used to it.

Just my 2 cents

[Emma-Leigh]

1. Training last thing at night will likely make sleep harder (she'll be all fired up')... dependin on the individual, the type/ intensity of training, and how tired she is overall, usually 2-4 hrs afters will be needed after training before she can 'wind down' and get to bed without too much trouble.

2. she should eat the same sort of meals that she would need should she be training earlier. If she only has a few hours (1-2) then a yummy and nutritious shake would be a good 'compromise' between a PWO shake and a 'real meal'. So something made with milk, fruit/honey, protein powder. She could follow it with a snack 30-45 mins later too (eg: some PB on toast - which would help keep her satiated/ full overnight).

If she has more time I would try to squeeze in a lighter shake immediately PWO (eg: carbs + whey protein) and follow up with a good solid meal about an hour later so she doesn't wake up halfway through the night starving (eg: a balanced meal with a good amount of carbs/ protein/ fat).

[tawney76]

all the answers given have been very good.

The P90X has quite a bit of bodybuilding in it, so I totally disagree with your feeling that it's some sort of "Jane Fonda" lala tape. You'd be hard pressed to get through the back & arm pullup segment yourself, I can assure you. and I won't even get into some of the ab work, lol

The really bad thing about late night workouts (other than what has already been said) is that you miss the opportunity to rev your metabolism up for the day. That is KEY for low bodyfat and cuts. Instead you are ramping it up right before sleep, which sucks for the average insomniac. precious has a point- if you can stay awake an extra hour at night (or 3 actually because of workout sleeplessness) then you can wake up one hour earlier, and be able to get 1-3 extra hours of sleep every night.

This is simply a need for schedule correction, not a need for us to tell you it is ok to do it wrong.

[SophieM]

I work out pretty late at night (usually get back to ym drm around 11 pm or so) and I haven't really haven't seen a down side to it. I have my PWO meal (not using shakes ATM), give myself around a half hour to an hour or so to wind down and go to sleep. I'm exhausted by the end of my day, let alone when you through a workout in, so getting to sleep isn't a problem. It really varies by person. I choose to workout at night because that's when I feel best and my numbers show that.

Just tell her to do what works for HER.

[shelleyt2005]

I was working out late at night in the beginning, thinking that was the only time I could work out. I have two jobs, one starting at 8:30 am, going til 4:30 pm, then jumping over to the other job and working form 5:30 til 11:30. Then I would go home and work out for an hour. That was not working out for me to well.
So... I started getting up at 4:45, going to the gym by 5:00 am, working out til 6:00 am, then going home and getting ready for the day. I also have two sons. It was hard in the beginning, but working out late at night is not really the best thing to do.

[hardwarz]

The P90X has quite a bit of bodybuilding in it, so I totally disagree with your feeling that it's some sort of "Jane Fonda" lala tape. You'd be hard pressed to get through the back & arm pullup segment yourself, I can assure you. and I won't even get into some of the ab work, lol

I do the DVDs also. I know they are serious tapes and that they are hard, but it is very different from benching 315# or leg pressing 900#. Some of the DVDs make me sweat more than I do on an elliptical. I like them!

Hardwarz

[littleblkninja]

Cardio in the morning and weights before bed is for me. Lifting actually relaxes me. Doesn't rev me up one bit. I'm friggin' tired afterwards! So this works for me. Not concerned with others as far as my body is concerned.

[Rissa]

I was working out late at night in the beginning, thinking that was the only time I could work out. I have two jobs, one starting at 8:30 am, going til 4:30 pm, then jumping over to the other job and working form 5:30 til 11:30. Then I would go home and work out for an hour. That was not working out for me to well.
So... I started getting up at 4:45, going to the gym by 5:00 am, working out til 6:00 am, then going home and getting ready for the day. I also have two sons. It was hard in the beginning, but working out late at night is not really the best thing to do.

My goodness, 4 hours of sleep? I am strugling with late night workouts, i have tried waking up early but i have not been able to, i need 6-8 hours of sleep to function.

[aragonmod]

I'm up by 330am, @ the gym by 4am finish by 530. I go home and get ready for work. I'm @ wk by 615-630. I'm done w/work by 530-600pm, and then I go home and put on my mommy hat. Get my next day lunch bag together, next morning bkfst, and we are in bed by 830-900pm.
Not easy, but I love workingout early. The gym it's all mine, and by the time people starts coming in "I'M ON MY WAY HOME!!!!" Love it.

[XterraRob]

Typically I hit the gym anywhere from 9pm to 11pm. Even though the later I go the later I stay up, I usually take some GABA and it helps me get a lot of rest.

[guest89]

2. she should eat the same sort of meals that she would need should she be training earlier. If she only has a few hours (1-2) then a yummy and nutritious shake would be a good 'compromise' between a PWO shake and a 'real meal'. So something made with milk, fruit/honey, protein powder. She could follow it with a snack 30-45 mins later too (eg: some PB on toast - which would help keep her satiated/ full overnight).
.

I just tried the PB on whole Wheat toast... It was actually really good. Much better then just PB and regular wheat bread.

[lulusmom]

I usually work out from about 8 to 10pm. It's the schedule I've been on for years, and it works for me even with a 14 month old. My PWO meal is usually egg whites and ezekiel bread, or a big salad with lots of tofu. I don't go to bed though until 3 or 4 am so my last meal is a shake. If I were going to bed earlier my PWO meal would be a shake and a light carby snack to go with it.

[appleman44]

With the intensity of the P90X program.. It will make it a bit harder for her to sleep.. That is a REALLY intense workout, she would be better off doing it in the morning..

Perhaps if she has a cold shower to help slow down her body once she finishes her workout it could work, but I don't see how she would have energy at the end of a full day dealing with kids to do the p90x..

[Reneem210]

I wake up at 4:45 to get my kids together for school and my commute. I don't get to workout until 8:30pm on the weekdays once they are in the bed but I make sure that I get an early start on Saturday and Sunday. It worked for me in the past and I already see results this time as well. I would make that suggestion to her...

[bambifox]

I workout late at night every night. I usually have dinner around 6-7pm, workout 9:30, 10:30pm, and immediately after...have a nice casein protein shake made with 1/2 banana, strawberries (just a few), low fat cottage cheese (2 heaping tsps), and ice with a sprinkle of water. Yummy and satisfying...and holds me over til breakfast the next morning. AND I sleep devinely. Lost 42 lbs so far.