Let’s get straight to the point: should you work out in the morning or the evening? Which is likely to see you achieve most gains? Sadly there are no advantages to pounding the pavements first thing over hitting up the gym in the evening: both times of the day have their pros and cons. But if you want to be an early bird and you are keen to squeeze in a pre-work session, yet are looking for additional reasons to get your butt out of bed in the morning, look no further. We have 4 fab reasons to get in the gym at 5am.
- Less life distractions. It is theoretically easier to get to the gym first thing because, and let’s face it, what other pressing business do you generally have at 5am, besides snoozing? You’re more likely to be able to get into a routine at this time because there are no family/work/life commitments that typically demand your time this early in the day. Also, having just woken up, fatigue (the oft used excuse for skipping a workout at the end of the day) isn’t applicable, all you have to do is get up. (You can even make this process much easier by laying out your gym gear the night before so you don’t have to think about what to wear, you just wake up, get dressed and go).
- The gym tends to be quieter. Ever wonder why ‘peak’ memberships cover the hours of 5-8pm? Because that is when gyms expect to see the greatest footfall. People typically hit the gym after work, so if sweating in a crowd isn’t your thing and you’re more concerned about lifting weights, than waiting in a queue then hit the gym during its quietest time. Sure the other peak time is 6-8am, but if you can get in there for an hour first thing, you will still miss these people. Also, even if you don’t quite make it in for 5am, all those 6-8am people trying to squeeze a session in pre-work don’t have time to chat and clog up the floor with socialising (as can happen post-work when there is less urgency to get in and out).
- Healthy eating. When you’ve spent an hour sculpting those guns and pounding the treadmill, the last thing you are going to want to do is undo all your hard work by eating a sugar-laden, unhealthy breakfast. By working hard first thing you are setting yourself up for a great day’s eating, starting with a post-workout protein shake, like Dymatize PRE WO (and a large glass of water). You’ll want to help those muscles reenergise and replace their depleted glycerin levels after all.
- Increased concentration (and improved sleep). It is going to come as no surprise to learn that exercise focuses one’s concentration and sharpens the mind for your next activities, mainly because your body is awake and alert and ready for action. By raising your heart rate and getting your sweat on first thing you’re going to be fired up for the day ahead. Not only will you be more alert, but knowing you have to get up early to go workout means you’re more likely to compensate by going to bed sooner. So actually getting up an hour earlier may mean you are getting more sleep than you did before. A happier, rested, more alert version of you – what better reason could you need to get an early morning gym session complete?
