Is it better to workout in the mornings or in the evenings?
There really is no right or wrong answer to this question. If you find that busy days keep you from the gym and times when you plan on going you end up skipping out because you are either too tired or have too much other stuff to do, then I would suggest working out in the mornings. It might take your body a few days to adjust to the new schedule of getting up earlier, but once it does you will love the fact of having your workout checked off of your to-do list before you even start your day.
If you have free time in the afternoons and evenings, then working out later on in the day will bring the same results then if you were to do the same exact workout in the morning. The time of day doesn’t impact the calorie burn; however, the intensity does. If you seem to get a better workout in the morning, then work out in the morning. If you are full of energy in the evenings, then workout at that time.
Should I eat before I workout?
You should always have something in your stomach before you workout. Even if you workout first thing in the morning, it is a good idea to have something little like a half of a banana with a little peanut butter on it. Working out on an empty stomach could result in a performance crash in the middle of your workout. You may not have the substantial amount of energy you need to keep up the right amount of intesity through your whole workout. Overall, if you don’t have something in your stomach before you exercise, you will most likely lack energy in the middle of your workout, causing your intensity level to decrease which will result in a less beneficial workout.
And no, working out on a empty stomach doesn’t help you burn calories or fat any faster or more efficiently!
How Often Should I Work Out?
People really should get some sort of exercise every day of the week, and try to aim for 30-60 minutes of exercise. Now when I say everyday of the week I don’t mean high intensity work outs every day. Your body still needs to rest. Try alternating days where you do a hard 45 minute cardio workout one day with a nice walk the next. Just keep moving!! Also, you don’t have to complete your 30-60 minutes of exercise all at once. For those with busy lifestyles, it may be almost impossible to allow a full hour for exercise. For example, get up and do 20-30 minutes of walking/running/etc then take a 20 minute walk at your lunch break and go for another walk or bike ride in the evening.
As far as strength training goes, I would suggest lifting weights 3-4 days a week giving your body at least a days rest in between workouts. You need to allow those muscles to rest and repair!
Should I Lift Weights Before or After Cardio?
It really doesn’t matter which order you do your cardio and strength training. However, if you are training for somethings specifically, then do the one that is more specific to what your training for first. For example, If you are training for a marathon then I would do my cardio first so that you have most of your strength and energy to get through your run. You wont be able to improve your time if your body is already tired from lifting weights. Obviously you will have more energy for whichever one you decide to do first.
If your goal is overall health then I would suggest to do the one you least like first. For example, if you don’t like cardio then do that first so you can get it out of the way and then be able to look forward to doing what you enjoy more. If you wait to do your cardio last, you are more likely to forgo it all together after your strength workout, or you might cut it shorter then you should.
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