Best time for strength training

Don’t read through the “golden training time” summaries of various fitness bloggers. Currently, there is no uniform best time for strength training in the sports world that applies to everyone. For the 90% of ordinary fitness enthusiasts who do not aim to compete, The period of time when you can persist for a long time, when your physical condition is stable, and will not be interrupted by other trivial matters, is the best training period for you.。

Of course, this does not mean that there is no relevant research in the academic world. I have previously seen a controlled experiment published by the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), which tracked 24 healthy men with more than one year of systematic training experience. They performed the same differentiated training plan at 8 a.m., 3 p.m., and 8 p.m. The 12-week post-test data showed that there was no statistically significant difference in the improvement of squat and deadlift performance and the growth of upper limb muscle circumference among the three groups.

However, there is indeed a school of research that supports training between 2 and 4 pm: during this time, the human body's core body temperature is 1-2°C higher than in the morning, muscle viscosity is lower, nerve conduction speed and joint flexibility are at their peak, and the ratio of testosterone to cortisol is also more conducive to muscle synthesis. During training, the state will be smoother and the risk of injury is lower. I have also tried to train legs at 3pm for half a month before. Compared with the previous training at night, I can do 2-3 more reps of the same weight, and the delayed onset soreness the next day is also lighter.

But this conclusion can easily run into snags in reality. I know a friend who won the third place in provincial fitness and runs a pet store. The afternoon is the busiest time in the store and he can't spare any time. He is determined to go to the gym at 6 o'clock every morning, practice until 7:30, take a shower and open the door. He has persisted for 4 years, and his condition is much better than many enthusiasts who practice during the "prime time". Some people also say that you can lose muscle by getting up in the morning on an empty stomach? Harmful, it is an extreme situation that will only occur if you have a huge caloric deficit and cannot keep up with your protein intake. As long as you put half a banana, make a spoonful of protein powder before training, and meet your daily diet, there is no need to have this anxiety.

For most people who work nine to five jobs, there is no room for choosing a time slot. If you can't get up in the morning and have to go to work in the afternoon, the only time you can squeeze out is 7 to 9 pm, then this time is your best option. Don't listen to people saying that you will suffer from insomnia after practicing at night. It is mostly because your training intensity is too high or the end time is too close to bed - for example, if you go to bed at 11 o'clock, end the training before 8 o'clock, take a warm bath to relax, and allow 2 hours of recovery time, let alone insomnia. When I worked a lot of overtime before, I finished training at night, lying on the bed with my pillow on it, and the quality of my sleep was much better than scrolling through my phone until midnight.

Of course, if you are an athlete preparing for a competition, you do need to adjust your training period accordingly: for example, if your competition is scheduled in the morning, then you should try to move your strength training to the morning as much as possible to allow the body's rhythm to adapt to the competition time and avoid being excited when you play. This situation belongs to professional needs. There is no need for ordinary enthusiasts to join in the fun and disrupt their own life rhythm for the sake of the almost imperceptible difference measured in the laboratory.

Let me tell you about a pitfall I encountered. When I first started working out, I was superstitious about the "3pm prime time". I specifically asked my boss to get off work half an hour early on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays every week just so I could practice. However, I persisted for less than two weeks. Either I had to attend a meeting at the last minute and couldn't leave, or I was hungry and dizzy halfway through the workout.

Really, when it comes to fitness, "continuously doing it" is always much more important than "pursuing perfect details". If you can fix it 3 times a week and follow the plan conscientiously every time, even if you start practicing at 9pm every time, the changes in half a year will be better than if you worry about when to practice every day and save a lot of theory and don't step into the gym three times in half a year. Instead of worrying about the best time period, it is better to find a time when you are free, put on your sneakers and go to the gym to lift the first iron. It is more practical than anything else.