You've heard it a million times: "The best workout is the one you'll actually do." True. But if you CAN work out in the morning, should you? Here's what 13 years of training 500+ clients (and what science says) taught me about AM training.
Morning workouts are better for: Fat loss, consistency, sleep quality, and energy throughout the day.
Evening workouts are better for: Strength, power, and performance (if you're an athlete).
The real answer: Train when you'll actually show up consistently. A 6 PM workout you do is better than a 6 AM workout you skip.
But if you CAN train in the morning, here's why you probably should.
This is the #1 reason. Life happens. Work runs late. Kids get sick. Friends want to grab dinner. By 6 PM, there are 100 excuses to skip the gym.
At 6 AM? Nothing else is happening. No excuses. Just you and the workout.
Real stat from my business: Clients who train at 6 AM have 92% attendance. Clients who train at 6 PM have 73% attendance. Morning wins.
Training fasted (before breakfast) forces your body to use stored fat for fuel instead of recently eaten carbs.
The science: A 2016 study in the British Journal of Nutrition found that fasted cardio burned 20% more fat than fed cardio.
My experience: Clients who do fasted morning cardio (even just 20-30 minutes) lose fat faster than those who train later in the day. Not magic, but it works.
Caveat: This matters for fat loss. If you're trying to build maximum muscle or strength, eating before training is better.
Morning exercise spikes cortisol and adrenaline (in a good way). You feel energized for 6-8 hours after.
Evening exercise? You get a 2-hour energy boost, then you go to bed. Wasted.
Client feedback: "I used to drink 3 coffees a day. Now I work out at 6 AM and only need one."
Exercise raises body temperature and adrenaline. If you train at 8 PM, you're still wired at 10 PM when you should be winding down.
The science: A 2014 study in Sleep Medicine found that morning exercisers fell asleep faster and slept deeper than evening exercisers.
My rule: No intense training within 3 hours of bedtime if you want quality sleep.
After intense exercise, your metabolism stays elevated for hours (called EPOC - Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption).
Train at 6 AM → elevated metabolism until 2 PM → burn more calories all day.
Train at 6 PM → elevated metabolism until midnight → you're asleep, doesn't matter.
Work out at 6 AM, shower, go to work. Your evening is free for family, friends, hobbies.
Work out at 6 PM, get home at 7:30, shower, eat, collapse. Your evening is gone.
Quality of life matters. Morning training gives you your evenings back.
Your body temperature is lowest in the early morning. Muscles are cold, joints are stiff, nervous system isn't fully awake.
The science: Studies show strength peaks around 4-6 PM when body temperature is highest. You might lift 5-10% less weight at 6 AM vs 6 PM.
Does this matter? Only if you're a competitive athlete chasing max performance. For general fitness and fat loss? Doesn't matter at all.
Cold muscles + stiff joints = higher injury risk if you dive straight into heavy lifting.
The fix: Spend 10-15 minutes warming up in the morning (vs 5 minutes in the evening).
My morning warm-up:
Let's be real: waking up at 5:30 AM to work out is brutal at first. Your body is not used to it.
The timeline:
Push through the first 2 weeks. It gets WAY easier.
You should work out in the morning if you:
You should work out in the evening if you:
If you're waking up at 5:30 AM, you need to be in bed by 10 PM. You need 7-8 hours of sleep to recover.
Sleep > training. A well-rested 30-minute workout beats a sleep-deprived 60-minute workout.
Remove all friction. The easier it is, the more likely you'll show up.
Don't go from zero morning workouts to 6 days/week. Your body will rebel.
Start with Monday, Wednesday, Friday at 6 AM. Master that for 4 weeks. Then add more days if you want.
Set your coffee maker on a timer. Wake up to the smell of coffee. Drink it while you get ready.
Or take a pre-workout supplement 15 minutes before training. The caffeine kick helps.
Morning = cold muscles. Spend 10-15 minutes warming up properly.
Never skip the warm-up in the morning. That's how you get hurt.
5:15 AM: Alarm goes off. Coffee brews automatically.
5:20 AM: Drink coffee, check emails.
5:35 AM: Leave for gym.
5:45 AM: Start warm-up (10 min).
5:55 AM: Strength training (40 min).
6:35 AM: Shower, protein shake.
7:00 AM: Start work day.
Total time commitment: 1 hour 45 minutes from alarm to starting work.
I'm energized all day. I sleep like a rock. I haven't missed a workout in months because nothing interferes with 6 AM.
Morning workouts aren't magic. But they stack the odds in your favor:
The first 2 weeks suck. Week 3 it clicks. Week 4 you'll never go back.
Try it for 30 days. If you hate it, switch back to evening training. But I bet you won't.
I'll design a morning workout routine that fits your schedule and gets you results in 90 days.
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