Is Weight Lifting In The Morning Helpful For Muscle Growth?

Mar 2
10:14

2009

Francesco Castano

Francesco Castano

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Numerous bodybuilders attempt to perform their weight lifting workouts early in the morning. Is such a practice helpful for muscle gain, or can this tactic actually harm muscle building results?

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One of the most frequently asked bodybuilding questions revolves around the best time to train,Is Weight Lifting In The Morning Helpful For Muscle Growth? Articles with many wondering if early weight training workouts are superior for muscle growth. In fact, many bodybuilders make a focused effort to wake up earlier so that they can complete their weight training workout, feeling that doing so is the best method for consistent muscle growth. Yet, is this true? The answer is not as obvious as some may believe.

A vital bodybuilding technique for achieving maximum muscle growth is intensity, which simply means that full effort must take place throughout each weight training set (except warm ups), and this principle involves disciplined mental focus that will dictate the type of overall muscle growth. In order for a weight training workout to provide a brutally intense level of output and focus, the bodybuilder must physically and mentally feel capable of engaging in the given weight training workout, and this very factor will influence when a bodybuilder best plans a weight training workout for sustained muscle growth.

Many are correct in scheduling weight training workout sessions for the early morning hours, as they either experience their largest energy availability upon awakening, and feel the most motivated to engage in a weight training session at that time, or, due to very busy work and family obligations, cannot possibly schedule a weight training workout session at a time other than early in the day, prior to pursuing many personal obligations, therefore forcing them into such an undertaking. But some who attempt to pursue morning weight training workouts despite having the ability to train later in the day must analyze their own emotional response to stress, and if they sense that early weight training allows them to put forth the same level of mental discipline and physical intensity as a later weight training session, then they are free to continue such a practice, but if a bodybuilder feels a surge in motivation during afternoon or evening hours, far beyond what is experienced earlier in the day, then clearly, schedule permitting, the most advantageous time for that particular individual to perform a weight training workout is in the later hours, when he or she feels capable of focusing maximum physical and mental effort towards intense weight training.

One other variable that must be considered is whether a particular weight training time allows for superior consistency, as some who pursue early morning weight training may find that on some days, due to fatigue, they decide to wake up later, and begin skipping workouts due to lack of motivation. The bodybuilder should then decide if moving the weight training workout later in the day is possible given potential scheduling conflicts, and if modifying workout time is realistic, then this will prove to be the best choice to aid in consistency.

Although weight training at various times each day is acceptable, and can prove effective if a bodybuilder is exceptionally dedicated, most weight lifters will find that performing their workouts at similar times each day increases the chance of long term dedication, as scheduling, a very important element in keeping humans on task, can propel a bodybuilder into regular weight training workouts through eventual habit, while to the contrary, constantly restructuring weight training workout times can easily encourage a bodybuilder to abandon workouts without experiencing any sense of loss.

Although scheduling weight training workouts at the same time each day is preferred, those with a variety of work shifts may have no choice but to perform workouts at changing times based on their specific work schedule, yet it's best to plan ahead as far as possible to determine when those workout times will be so that, mentally, you develop a sense of accountability towards meeting weight training obligations. This is superior to the haphazard approach that many bodybuilders adopt, which eventually results in excuses for missed workout sessions.

The key in producing impressive muscle growth is to select a time in the day when both mental and physical energy is at the greatest levels, and I recommend staying with this same weight training schedule if your other daily obligations allow. Although there is no best period during the day to perform a weight training workout that fits every bodybuilder, as this will depend upon personal schedules and circumstances, clearly, the most important criteria in deciding when to schedule a workout will be to select an hour when maximum physical effort is possible, which will lead to an intense, productive weight training experience.