Workouts in morning vs. Evening? Whats Better?

[KristyRemo]

I work from 8am to 5pm M-F. If I try to get up at 5:00am to go to the gym, I just feel dead. My husband won't get up & go with me to spot me either. So........I go in the evening after I get off. Usually workout between 7:00pm and 9:00pm. This guy told me I was only getting HALF the benefit of my workouts by doing it so late, and that if I'd do my cardio in the am, & then my weight training in the pm, I'd burn twice as much fat. WHY? I thought it was the bottom line that counted? Calories in, vs. calories expended. What difference does the time of day make? Especially when I eat very little carbs to begin with? (Absolutely NO simple carbs or sugars EVER)

Is this guy right? Could I be doubling my fat loss by getting up early to do cardio? Thanks for the help.

[hugoshi]

they say that working out ups your metabolism, so if you do it early, you have high metabolism throughout the day, thus burning more calories.

although I think that heavy weights ups your metabolism more than cardio.. unless you're doing high intensity cardio.

blah blah blah.. ther's so much information out there it's hard to find the truth

[ironanimal]

One person will say morning, the other will say night. The thinking for morning is that your body will use fat as a fuel since you just woke up from a fasting period. So, yes, that could be true, but you should be eating before the gym, so where is the logic there. I would do whatever is easier on your schedule. I myself lift then do cardio after work (4pm)

[Canadian_AF]

Originally posted by KristyRemo
I work from 8am to 5pm M-F. If I try to get up at 5:00am to go to the gym, I just feel dead. My husband won't get up & go with me to spot me either. So........I go in the evening after I get off. Usually workout between 7:00pm and 9:00pm. This guy told me I was only getting HALF the benefit of my workouts by doing it so late, and that if I'd do my cardio in the am, & then my weight training in the pm, I'd burn twice as much fat. WHY? I thought it was the bottom line that counted? Calories in, vs. calories expended. What difference does the time of day make? Especially when I eat very little carbs to begin with? (Absolutely NO simple carbs or sugars EVER)

Is this guy right? Could I be doubling my fat loss by getting up early to do cardio? Thanks for the help.

It's a HUGE myth that you need to workout early in the morning, it's just not true.

At one time it was thought because you are in a calorie defecit in the morning, you would burn more fat, however.. since you are depleted of nutrients and glycogen stores, your body will start using muscle as energy.

Workout, when you can get the most out of it. There's no sense in trying to bust your @ss at the gym early in the morning, if you don't want to be there, or your dead tired. Your workouts will suffer, and it will probably do more harm then good.

So.. no.. you are not doubling your fat loss, but you might be doubling your muscle loss.

Cheers!

[atlboi]

Ok.. I started out 5'10..250 (March 2002). By Dec 2002 .. I was down to 178 pounds with 8pak. In feb 2003 I decided to bulk up.. I had gained fat (w/muscle) ..lost fat.. gain fat (with muscle) and now I'm trying to cut. This is worked for me (it may not work for others)

1) At 250 I couldn't perform hit, run, etc. I walked on the treadmill for 10 mins for the first week. The second week I walked for 15 until I was walking for 30mins.

2) I didn't know anything about protein/carbs/fat 40/40/20 diet..etc so what I basically did was cut out: soda, fried foods, candy, switched to low fat food (including ice cream). I know I couldn't eat the ice cream every day, but it was my personal reward once/twice a week (within reason) for sticking to my plan (not diet)

3) DIET - I didn't have one. I adopted a good lifestyle change. To this day.. I have had maybe 2 soda since March 2002, 3-5 instances of fried foods, and 2-3 candy bars (if that). Diets are tempoary, lifestyle changes hopefully are forever

4) I did the following routine 6 times a week

Mon - Weights (15lb dumbbels) - full body routine 2x25 (per body part). This routine generally lasted 45-60 mins. 300 Situps 50x6 (30 sec rest) and 300 pushups 50x6. I know guys here will knock this routine, but a little bit of something is a whole lot better than a whole lot of noting. In other words.. it worked for me (cut me up)

Tues - Apartment Weights Back/Arms/Chest for about 1hr & Cardio 45 mins .. my 3/2 routine. I jog lightly for 1 min (my case 7mph), then another min at 7.5mph and another min for 8mph. I then bring it back down to say 4.3mph for the next 2 mins. I then repeat until 45 mins is up. The recieved the best results with the treadmill after trying other equipment - Elliptical machine and bike

Wed - Weights again w/abs and pushups

Thurs - Apartment Weights routine again

Fri - 15lb dumbbel routine

Sat - Apartment Weights routine again

Sun - Off

Along with eating sensible (not counting calories).. ate reasonable foods and doing the above routine it cut me up. My before/after pics are here:

http://members.blackplanet.com/6paknatl

Jan 1 2003 I joined a local gym. I was good until about April 2003.. lost motivation. Took 1 month hiatus. Got back on track. I cut the cardio down to 4 days a week and I got bigger. I like my current size. I'm not a skinny guy.. I have size. I'm just trying to cut back down to my 8pak for the summer (had the abs before Thanksgiving/Christmas break lol)

The bottom line is this. A little bit of something is a whole lot better than a whole lot of nothing. What work for 1 person, may not work for another person. The advice you get here can be simple and complex. Experiment. Take advice and apply it for 2 weeks and be true to yourself (stick to your routine/don't cheat). If you see results you are content with, stick to it. Good luck!!

[Canadian_AF]

That's very impressive thickness over 7 months.. VERY impressive.

Can you please elaborate on the supplements you were taking? I don't mean to be an idiot, but it's not very often you see these kind of results, and I'm always suspicious.. But hey, if I am completely wrong, you obviously doing something right

Cheers bro

[BrentAus]

Atlboi!
Very impressive buddy some really good work and gains there and you are right! what works for 1 person might not work for another its just a matter of experiementing and finding out what works best for you.

[TDE]

cardio morning, lifting night.