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I can train whenever i want, but usually train by around 3pm, seems to be a good time when there isn't too much people before the rush after 4pm.
 
Hey Fadi just interested into why this is? I usually train as soon as i get up in the morning get to the gym about 5:00 am sometimes earlier. Also train on an empty stomach. I have breaky as soon as i get home from the Gym. Thanks in advance, Sean.

Hi Sean,

Thanks for the question mate. I based my comment on what I and other elite weightlifters were doing at the time. Training for 1.5-2 hours starting at 10am. then coming back in the afternoon at 4pm for another session. I can tell you based on what we did (at the AIS), no one ever did, nor attempted a PB in the morning, only in the afternoon. It may have something to do with one's core body temperature, or possibly the mobility of one's joints. Whatever the reason, everything seems to be just that bit more sluggish in the am soon after waking up.

Another reason I suspect may have something to do with adenosine. This chemical is what your body releases to help you unwind, relax, and fall asleep. Caffeine mimics adenosine, invades its receptors and because of that, one feels awake. So I say caffeine is NOT a stimulant but rather an anti-relaxer. Some may want to dispute what I just said. I say please do your research and see if you would come to the same conclusion that I have.

So drinking coffee in the morning is not really to wake up from it (intrinsically speaking) as one may think, but rather to block the effect (or residual effect) of whatever adenosine is floating in the blood at the time. So training in the morning, or soon after one wakes up, would indicate to me that due to some adenosine residual, one would not feel 100%, as opposed to (say) when that adenosine residual has left the blood.

I'll leave it here Sean before I really begin to complicate the issue and get way off the subject. Again, I thank you for your inquiry Sir.

Take care Champ.


Fadi.
 
From what I've read it's better to train first thing in the morning. Natural tes levels are higher, and you can focus better. I've naturally always trained in the afternoon though. Working shift work kills my routine though!

Guess it's whatever works best for you

Test level are higher later in the day (at least from the last research on it that I have read) but that does not make a difference to your lifting anyway. You do what suits you as that is the best time for you to train. I know big guys who lift Am and ones who lift PM it makes no difference. I personally suck at mornings but then again it is just a personal thing.
 
I train at 6pm weekdays and whenever I wake up on the weekends. Can't wait to set up the home gym and train before work (6am).
 

Hi Sean,

Thanks for the question mate. I based my comment on what I and other elite weightlifters were doing at the time. Training for 1.5-2 hours starting at 10am. then coming back in the afternoon at 4pm for another session. I can tell you based on what we did (at the AIS), no one ever did, nor attempted a PB in the morning, only in the afternoon. It may have something to do with one's core body temperature, or possibly the mobility of one's joints. Whatever the reason, everything seems to be just that bit more sluggish in the am soon after waking up.

Another reason I suspect may have something to do with adenosine. This chemical is what your body releases to help you unwind, relax, and fall asleep. Caffeine mimics adenosine, invades its receptors and because of that, one feels awake. So I say caffeine is NOT a stimulant but rather an anti-relaxer. Some may want to dispute what I just said. I say please do your research and see if you would come to the same conclusion that I have.

So drinking coffee in the morning is not really to wake up from it (intrinsically speaking) as one may think, but rather to block the effect (or residual effect) of whatever adenosine is floating in the blood at the time. So training in the morning, or soon after one wakes up, would indicate to me that due to some adenosine residual, one would not feel 100%, as opposed to (say) when that adenosine residual has left the blood.

I'll leave it here Sean before I really begin to complicate the issue and get way off the subject. Again, I thank you for your inquiry Sir.

Take care Champ.


Fadi.

Always appreciate your insight and experience, Fadi.

Wouldn't a good warmup and stretching routine outweigh the negative aspects of training upon waking?
 
Always appreciate your insight and experience, Fadi.
Wouldn't a good warmup and stretching routine outweigh the negative aspects of training upon waking?

No worries Wingman, thank you. As Dave has already pointed out in his last post (which by the way I do agree with), this whole issue of am vs pm is as individual as one really is.

However to answer your question directly re whether a good warm up and stretching routing would serve to outweigh the negative aspects of training upon waking, I have this to say: if you're one who feels fine with training in the am period, then warming up etc. would only insure you have a safer and a more productive workout. However if you belonged to the group who don't function too well early in the morning upon rising, then irrespective of warm up, you're still not going to feel your best. How do we know this or how would we know this? Simply by doing a comparison between an am and a pm workout and log down the way we feel; respond, breath (or maybe yawn), amongst other possible indicators.

Furthermore, warming up is something that all do, so what you would want to do is something training wise, by that I mean measure the difference between the am and the pm workout with something you can actually test, such as the amount of weight lifted, the number of sets accomplished, the number of reps, the time taken to recover between sets etc.

Some may say that I'm over complicating things and one should simply rely on one's feelings. To that, I say this: how many times have you felt like *&^% and thought no way am I going to have a good workout today, only to break some record in some way in that training session. On the opposite side of the coin, how many times you felt amazingly great before heading to the gym, only to have a lousy workout when getting there! So what I'm saying is the real test is in the doing in the gym, and simply relying on how one may feel prior is not the best indicator of things to come, be they positive or negative.



Fadi.
 
Last edited:
Hi Sean,

Thanks for the question mate. I based my comment on what I and other elite weightlifters were doing at the time. Training for 1.5-2 hours starting at 10am. then coming back in the afternoon at 4pm for another session. I can tell you based on what we did (at the AIS), no one ever did, nor attempted a PB in the morning, only in the afternoon. It may have something to do with one's core body temperature, or possibly the mobility of one's joints. Whatever the reason, everything seems to be just that bit more sluggish in the am soon after waking up.

Another reason I suspect may have something to do with adenosine. This chemical is what your body releases to help you unwind, relax, and fall asleep. Caffeine mimics adenosine, invades its receptors and because of that, one feels awake. So I say caffeine is NOT a stimulant but rather an anti-relaxer. Some may want to dispute what I just said. I say please do your research and see if you would come to the same conclusion that I have.

So drinking coffee in the morning is not really to wake up from it (intrinsically speaking) as one may think, but rather to block the effect (or residual effect) of whatever adenosine is floating in the blood at the time. So training in the morning, or soon after one wakes up, would indicate to me that due to some adenosine residual, one would not feel 100%, as opposed to (say) when that adenosine residual has left the blood.

I'll leave it here Sean before I really begin to complicate the issue and get way off the subject. Again, I thank you for your inquiry Sir.

Take care Champ.


Fadi.

Thank you very much for your insight Fadi,

I also feel that I am a little bit "stiffer" in my morning workouts compared to when i get the chance to workout a bit later on in the day. Although Its not to bad after a 15min walk to the gym to warm up. Ive tried driving to the gym and just dont feel as mobile if i do so. Also thankyou for the info on adenosine, sounds interesting i will have to do a bit of research. As said by many I think you just have to workout when suits you. Although i feel better later on in the day the majority of my sessions will still be as soon as I get up as that is when they best fit into my life. As i am working 2 jobs. Thanks again Fadi

Cheers Sean
 
Thank you very much for your insight Fadi,

I also feel that I am a little bit "stiffer" in my morning workouts compared to when i get the chance to workout a bit later on in the day. Although Its not to bad after a 15min walk to the gym to warm up. Ive tried driving to the gym and just dont feel as mobile if i do so. Also thankyou for the info on adenosine, sounds interesting i will have to do a bit of research. As said by many I think you just have to workout when suits you. Although i feel better later on in the day the majority of my sessions will still be as soon as I get up as that is when they best fit into my life. As i am working 2 jobs. Thanks again Fadi

Cheers Sean
It's my pleasure Sean. I sincerely wish you all the very best mate.


Fadi.
 
ive lifted a few times around 15 min after waking up, 7am ect.

Its darn ruff, feel so weak ect. everything is tight, Brain is foggy. You just need to get used to it really.

My soloution now is waking up at 6am, have a shake. Walk the dog for 1 hour, nice chance to warm the body up ect and come home and lift, I can get my session done in 40 Min if i dont stuff around going through songs on my mp3 :)
 
I normally like training late evenings after it cools in summer then around 4-6 during winter when it's colder

Gotta start preparing myself for 6.30am sessions though for when I train with some westsiders motherfuckers!
 
Same as hamburglar really.

And fuck 630am gym sesh's. Weird thing is i can deadlift and bench at that time but cant squat...

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk
 
Usually start lifting around 3:50 in the arvo. All is about to change as I have started a new job and have some weird shifts coming up. Split shifts could be good for lifting days, long day with 3 or 4 hour break in the middle.
 
After work around 6.30pm for me
I couldn't think of anything worse than training first thing in the morning
 
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