Are Morning Workouts Better Than Afternoon Workouts?

[@scotth3354]

Spend a summer in AZ, you’ll come to love riding at 6 a.m.

[@deansmith4752]

In China , 30C outside and it is 5 am. Free roads, clean air - NO CARS... bliss with just the birds singing

[@jessebuller]

Morning Pro's = getting your blood pumping in your body and being able to think and operate more clearly throughout the day. No Caffeine needed.

[@gnosza]

I did this almost everyday but then I needed to take a nap otherwise I felt so freaking sleepy during the day :/

[@MZ-oz5ms]

The main reason for my early morning trainings is less cars on the roads = less chance of getting killed by a car.

[@BrodeyDoverosx]

This is why I Zwift.

[@craighoover1495]

After more than 35 years of riding, running and swimming the key is having a good bowel movement before any commitment. Sort of eases anxiety for me at least. Good thing for me is that these come at almost the exact same time (0532 hrs) every day so I have to get to bed early enough to recover before that effort. Honestly, I once you love the routine you get into, be it morning swims before breakfast or evening beach runs you crave that experience and miss it when you can't get it.

[@VegasCyclingFreak]

Depends on the time of the year for me. In the summer I do my rides at 4:45 AM because it's too hot outside to do it later in the day. In the winter, I might wait until 10 AM when it's warm enough for me to not freeze my skinny ass off (as much).

[@brianfisher8449]

Enjoyed this discussion. 63 yrs old, have a cycle coach and training program. Live in Florida. Tues-thurs up at 430 and leave by 630 for training or group ride. Hydrate, eat, coffee wake up. Weekend group rides start a bit later. Ready to crank it when I leave. I go to bed early. I subscribe to the get it done and early is better for me. Love not thinking about the ride or workout to do all day. Thanks Guys,enjoy your broadcasts.

[@davidpinnington213]

Guys - was living in Dubai until July this year - 3 years of 04.00 starts riding by 05.30 for a 50km ride (it’s flat and usually used the TT rig) basically avoid direct sunlight as nights across summer would be 35C and the humidity would often be near 100% Another small factor for morning rides there would be the wind which although always there would not really kick in until later in day - so mornings of evenings or even the odd overnighter.

[@wisskier]

Ever go up Jebel Hafeet?

[@TriStruggleBus]

Hugely personal and mental. Due to work schedule I do most of my TR rides at 5am. And the “races start early too” jived really well with me. 😁

[@johanvandermerwe2928]

It’s just a matter of routine. What you’re used to. I’ve been training early mornings for many years. Mostly because that’s the only time of the day that I can reliably allocate to myself. Work commitments always interfere with the rest of the day. And evening. The point I’m trying to make is that you become so used to it that it becomes your lifestyle. I have an alarm set for 4:30 and always wake up before it goes off. Even on days that I don’t train I’m awake at that time and find it difficult to lie in. I also feel energized after a workout but have to admit that if it was very hard I can feel a bit depleted in the late afternoon.

[@tomaszseruga]

1.30h ride in the morning is great for me. I love this clear mind feeling on the bike and a lot of oxygen for the rest of a day. Efforts after work are much harder in terms of tired head.

[@USMCcharmer]

10 years of military service has conditioned me to prefer Early morning workouts

[@lukepowell1201]

Really good thoughts and advice here. As a long time night owl I really struggle with mornings for anything. I've done morning workouts before but I couldn't keep the consistency. I'm considering trying low intensity workouts just to get me going and work on my circadian rhythm. If I have the energy and time then do split sessions in the afternoon.

[@user-lq6vp9el6l]

I’m the opposite, late day rides are a nightmare to me. I never have any gas in the tank after 3 pm or so.

[@thomasvmanning]

I make the vast majority of my PRs on lunch/afternoon rides. Early mornings are out of necessity for a working daddies life.

[@marcuspartridge11]

Thanks for talking strategies for early morning workouts. I'm on the bike by 5 am most mornings...and don't hate on cinnamon toast crunch! It's part of my motivational strategy!

[@marklydon435]

Up at 04:15 and on the bike at 05:20 for the 30 mile commute to work. If it's raining and a headwind that can be a major bummer.

[@chriswitek9455]

4pm vs 6pm workouts. meanwhile i get home from work at 11:25pm and hop on the bike or lift at midnight generally. no real issues and im 1000000x more likely to do one at night then during the hours before work. im gonna guess most people have a fairly relaxed job as far as physicality goes. meanwhile im a locomotive mechanic who some days is sweating my ass off and working hard. i much prefer not going into work already feeling like ass where as i can workout at night, noodle around a bit on guitar, and then go to bed after

[@georgelza]

coach chad, I did that for the first year, that 4am-5am ride, it was perfect, and just set me up for the day, currently doing mid afternoon ride, actually find it workout wise more difficult, but scheduling allot more difficult and well much easier to bail on.

[@dariosame2655]

Also all year around but specially in the summer season

[@masterys4098]

love this podcast!!!! just got into biking and trying to learn everything I can before I get real serious about it

[@hernanrpaul]

I start training again like 4 months ago after the longest inactivity in my life (almost 3 years). I was all about working out really early in the morning if possible, even more if I had multiple sessions on a day. There was a great feeling of achievement after completing an early training and also I felt really energetic for the rest of the day. That's the biggest PRO I can tell. But now, with a reality change, family has resized and a toddler wronging at fast speed, I've found myself forced to workout after she goes to bed, and at first it was hard to embrace the idea of the incoming suffering on the legs and lungs but once the session is done the feeling is incredible and it has helped me to keep going. But you need to be a special type of person, I guess, to enjoy the late stress (physical and mental) of a training session. Must say, going to bed is hard after a late WO (excess of endorphins perhaps?) Anyways, just my 2-cents. Great videos! KUPTGW guys!

[@evanmacdougall9715]

I used to do all my workouts at 5/6pm, but after having kids my only real time was early in the morning. Too many things pop up during the day to foil afternoon/evening workouts and I’m too tired. Plus, desert weather makes mornings the optimal temperature for all but the winter months. I’ll wake up a little early to try to give myself some extra time to drink some water, first. For harder workouts I’ll eat an apple or a gel right after getting up, as well. I can tell I don’t perform as well as I did for my afternoon workouts. But most of my races are in the morning, anyway, so I feel better prepared for them than if I was exercising in the afternoon. It’s not optimal, but life never is optimal and always has things that have to be compromised or sacrificed or worked around. And now that I’ve been working out at 4-5am 5-6 days a week for the past 9 years, I’ve gotten used to it and I know how to overcome the tiredness and know when it’s better to sleep in and skip a workout. Also, I can watch KZbin videos when I do easy aerobic workouts, but anything more, especially intervals, I just zone out and stare at the floor and set my computer to the side so Im not staring at it and can just glance at it every so often to check my numbers. Maybe I’ll listen to music, but anything else I can’t focus on and I find distracting unless I’m just doing long recovery.

[@dariosame2655]

I’m one in that group that in early mornings are better riders and so ride better than in the afternoon or evening. For some reasons It just works better for me.

[@derekmoore6708]

Another great video guys. I do quie regularly ride before 6 a.m. for a workout, but I have to have at least 7 hours sleep under my belt or else I'm struggling to hit the numbers

[@rondickinson3963]

Great pre-ride advice Nate

[@MorganBrown]

it's funny - I do 90% of my training fasted, early in the morning. Mainly due to the realities of life with work, kids, family, etc. Excessive afternoon heat in the pain cave is a BIG limiter for me. I quit caffeine 3 years ago, so I don't feel worthless before the morning cup. I will eat, however, if I'm doing something longer than 90 min.

[@richjlaw]

So you mentioned Alex Hutchinson but you didn't mention other research that he quotes in his book around RPE and mental fatigue (e.g. TT with or without 2 hr computational mental exercise) that implies that for most people that go out and work a job all day, training before will allow us to perform better. I used to think I could only do easy workouts first thing, but was then convinced by coach that I could do hard workouts then and was getting power PRs in morning workouts straight away.

[@tummyfullfigger9291]

Wherever they can fit in seems to be the common thread. I myself like to do them in the morning after a cup of black coffee and water and in a fasted state.

[@SiegA776]

I do all my ride at 5am weekdays and 7am weekends. Mostly fasted with coffee and water.

[@dariosame2655]

Coach’s hair is the best one😉

[@blaquaman1739]

3:30am is my workout time

[@joeo4117]

In the winter I’ve been getting up at 6 to do a morning zwift workout before school

[@Richardwhite02]

most of my rides start with a 530am rollout, I do 1-2hrs fasted and find that I am why more energised for the rest of the day.

[@mrjoshuagordon]

What is the impact on morning / evening on heart rate? Dehydration in AM implies higher HR and I've found that to be true.

[@TrainerRoad]

Hydration levels can certainly effect heart rate, but that is why all of our workouts are based on power :)

[@cedricfleurot6414]

Morning workout significantly increases my appetite during the day.

[@LomTong]

After listening to Nate, I feel very much like I don't eat enough.

[@Northwindbreeze]

this is my case as well. But Chad did say something like eat well and train well but keep eyes on the scale.

[@onederment]

Go for a bullet proof coffee with a lump of butter. Great if you are on keto

[@saskhiker3935]

Pro for am. The wind is calm in the am.

[@mkvii.717]

Like you guys said its all about when you can get it done sometimes. FOr me with a wife that works and a toddler I have to squeeze it in after the baby goes to bed and hope my body can slow down before I hit the sack sometimes it works sometimes not so much. It does help that I am night owl

[@hernanrpaul]

Exactly the same for me.

[@mkvii.717]

@@hernanrpaul Thank god for trainers right

[@hernanrpaul]

@@mkvii.717 yessir! I couldn't do it without my indoor trainer. Living in Canada when 2/3 of the year are "basement-based" sessions :P

[@pokie0622]

Looking at my data, I get a way better workout in the am (I ride at 4:30am) than i do in the afternoon/evening. Tons of motivation in the morning, not in the afternoon. If the research was completed by a “morning person” we would hear it the other way.

[@BrodeyDoverosx]

Morning person over here

[@YogiliciousP]

Is there a time of day science says is the best time for peak body performance?

[@TrainerRoad]

Thats a good question for the podcast to see if the team can call upon any research available! You can submit that question by going to trainerroad.com/podcast.

[@YogiliciousP]

@@TrainerRoad 👍

[@ericgonzalez7475]

Thumbs up for the hair, but also the content.

[@dariosame2655]

Coffee and a glass of water is a most for me before I get on my bike

[@anokabball24]

Routine-wise early mornings (5-5:30 am workouts) are where it's at for me. However, when VO2 and Anaerobic workouts start I find then to be more difficult in the early morning. There simply isn't enough lead time to restore hydration and shake the slumber. Any tips on waking the body up and getting it prepped for these early high-intensity sessions? Caffeine pills? Pop a gel? What works, what's a waste of time?

[@TrainerRoad]

Hey Anthony! Some source of caffiene like coffee, tea, or caffiene tablets is a great way to get yourself awake and alert for an early morning workout. Besides that, some fast carbs like toast with honey or even a gel will help to fuel you on the nutrition side of things :)

[@robertsonfamilyfarm9126]

I say evening is best , work comes first

[@MorganBrown]

started today's trainer session at 6 am...and I feel lazy!

[@wisskier]

I can't watch cycling while training, I lean into turns and is very disorienting. Skiing is better, but my body wants to move with that too.

[@drewvigne]

I just can’t stand riding in the dark. Much prefer riding under the sunlight.

[@scotth3354]

I can solve your issues with not doing early morning workouts. “We do more before 7 a.m. than most people do all day”

[@cyclingfreak56]

I can't even watch after only 3:27 the info is so bloody wrong!

[@richjlaw]

So you mentioned Alex Hutchinson but you didn't mention other research that he quotes in his book around RPE and mental fatigue (e.g. TT with or without 2 hr computational mental exercise) that implies that for most people that go out and work a job all day, training before will allow us to perform better. I used to think I could only do easy workouts first thing, but was then convinced by coach that I could do hard workouts then and was getting power PRs in morning workouts straight away.