There is no right or wrong when it comes to training in the morning or the evening. There are pros and cons to each, so it really depends on which best fits your lifestyle.
To help you figure that out, I've broken down the pros and cons of AM vs.PM workouts:
Morning Workouts
Pros:
- A great way to start your day - doing something you love!
- Your evenings are free to do whatever you want with them/go home straight from work and relax
- Feeling of achievement throughout the day
- Doesn't matter how late the rest of your day runs, you know you won't have to skip your workout!
- Gyms are usually quieter early in the morning and less traffic in terms of travel time to the gym
- Generally more motivated / less time to talk ourselves out of going to the gym
Cons:
- Waking up early = having to go to bed earlier
- Your body may not be as warmed up or flexible = you may find it harder to lift heavier weights
- Prepping all your gym kit/food/change of clothes the night before can feel like a bit of a drag at times
- If you wake up late/miss your usual bus, you have to cut your workout short when you get to the gym so you still arrive at work on time
- You need to make sure you hydrate and eat well throughout the say to avoid a post-gym energy slump and potential loss of concentration at work
Evening Workouts:
Pros:
- You have something to look forward to throughout your day
- You will have eaten the majority of your meals when you hit the gym so a lot of people find they have more energy and can lift more weight
- Your body tends to be more warmed up so you don't have to spend as long preparing to lift weights (still stretch though!)
- So long as you have no plans afterwards, you can spend as long as you like lifting weights
- If you've had a bad day or encounter, you can work it out in the gym, boost your mood and end the day on a positive vibe
Cons:
- The gyms tend to be busier at 5-6pm
- More time for you to talk yourself out of going to the gym and/or let your motivation slide
- You get home later and may not have as much family/partner time before needing to go to bed
- You may be more tired at the end of the day
- If something gets delayed in your day (e.g. you need to stay at work late) then you can run out of time to workout and have to skip it altogether
So there you have it, as you can see there are a lot of advantages to each one, so it really is about what fits best for you. You may find that you prefer the vibe of the morning crowd to the evening one in your gym, or perhaps you just have more energy in the evenings and can get more out of your training if you go after work.
I recommend you try out both and see which works best for you and your lifestyle. I personally do a combination of both, depending on what time I'm teaching clients in the gym and what my work schedule looks like that week.
Happy lifting!
Laura