What are the time of day considerations for the best workouts? Are you trying to decide when to work out? In this article, we’ll take a look at the factors that come into play when you’re choosing the best time of day to train. We’ll also look at the 5% Nutrition pre-workout lineup. No matter when you train, there’s a pre-workout that will work for you! 

What Are The Schools Of Thought?

Of course, there are different schools of thought for training at different times of the day. Some feel the morning is best, and there are studies to support their claim. For example, if fat loss is your goal, working out first thing on an empty stomach may help burn more fat.⁽¹⁾ Other studies suggest training in the morning can help you sleep better.⁽²⁾ Many people feel if you train early enough, you can go on with the rest of your day feeling good about what you’ve accomplished. Finally, testosterone levels peak between 7 a.m. and 10 a.m. and many lifters want to take advantage of that.⁽³⁾

Others feel that the afternoon is best, and yep, they’ve got studies. These lifters feel your body’s ability to train hard peaks in the afternoon.⁽⁴⁾ 

Yet, others think evening is best, and you guessed it, they have studies. Some feel you react better in the early evening.⁽⁵⁾ Plus, many lifters feel they sleep better if they train at night. 

What Does Your Schedule Look Like?

Let’s get real right now. Perhaps the biggest time consideration is your personal schedule. If you lead a busy lifestyle with work, school, or both, you have limited choices. You will have to schedule your workouts based on your available time. An important point is to try and train at the same time every day. 

What if you have tons of free time? Then you can work out whenever you want. Many lifters train before their day begins. Why not - get it done early and get on with your day. Still, are you knocking out 5 or 6 days in the gym, then working hard or sitting in classes all day? Then you’d better have your recovery fine-tuned for gains. Once you’ve done your last set, you need to get in your 5% post-workout shake and your meals. You also have to let your body rest. These things have to happen no matter what. That means you’ve got to be able to take your supps and, if possible, a couple of meals with you.

Others find it difficult to kill it in the gym early and then go work a hard day. For those lifters, after work or school is their best available time. This allows you to get in several meals beforehand and stay on track with your 5% supplements.

Workout Preparation

With all this in mind, the best time to train is when you feel your best physically and mentally. However, prepare correctly. That means getting in at least 1-2 meals. It also means allowing time for your morning coffee to fully absorb. Why’s that matter? Do you drink 1-2 strong cups of coffee in the morning? Then you plan to drink a high-caffeine pre-workout like 5150 or Kill It RTD? You’d better let some time pass. Your body can only handle so much caffeine at a time. 

The Best Time To Train Is Whenever It’s The Best Time For You

The bottom line is simple. The best time to train is the time that’s best for you. For example, when do you have the most energy? Are you able to get in a meal or two first? Or, do you like to sleep in, and tend to feel your best later in the day? These are the questions you have to answer. Also, for many lifters, it matters when the gym is open. 

Whenever you find yourself in the gym, make the most of it with 5% Nutrition supplements. We have 5 different pre-workouts, so there is a pre-workout that works for you. There’s Kill It with a moderate 250 mg of caffeine. That means you can take it well into the afternoon. Next, we have Kill It Reloaded with 325 mg of caffeine for morning to early afternoon workouts. From there, we have 5150 and Kill It RTD with 400 mg of caffeine, making it ideal for early to late morning workouts. What if you work out in the evening? We have you covered with stim-free Full As F*ck. By the way, you can stack Full as F*ck with any of our stim pre-workouts. 

Recap

So there you have it. Once you choose the best time for you, it’s all about preparation. When planning your prep, don’t forget 5% Nutrition! Our innovative supplements, apparel and gear will help you optimize your workouts, whenever they are.

References:

1. Gonzalez, J. T., Veasey, R. C., Rumbold, P. L., & Stevenson, E. J. (2013). Breakfast and exercise contingently affect postprandial metabolism and energy balance in physically active males. The British journal of nutrition, 110(4), 721–732. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0007114512005582
2. Effects of exercise timing on sleep architecture and nocturnal blood pressure in prehypertensives - PMC (nih.gov)
3. 24 hours in the life of a hormone: what time is the right time for a pituitary function test? | Society for Endocrinology
4. Racinais S. (2010). Different effects of heat exposure upon exercise performance in the morning and afternoon. Scandinavian journal of medicine & science in sports, 20 Suppl 3, 80–89. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-0838.2010.01212.x
5. Time-of-Day Effects on Human Performance (lmu.edu)