Is Weight Lifting In Morning Hours Helpful For Muscle Growth?

A frequently asked bodybuilding question revolves around the best time to train, with many wondering if early weight training sessions are superior for muscle growth. In fact, many bodybuilders make a focused effort to wake up earlier so that they can perform their weight training session, feeling that this is the best method for dramatic 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, meaning that full effort must occur throughout every weight training set, and this principle involves disciplined mental focus that will dictate the type of overall muscle gain produced. In order for a weight training session to provide a sufficiently intense level of focus and output, the bodybuilder must mentally feel capable of engaging in the given weight training session, and this very factor should determine when a bodybuilder best plans a weight training session for maximum muscle growth.

Many are correct in scheduling weight training workouts for the early morning hours, as they either enjoy their greatest energy availability upon awakening, and feel the greatest motivation to engage in a weight training session at that time, or, due to hectic work and family schedules, cannot realistically schedule a weight lifting session at a time other than the early morning hours, prior to becoming immersed in many personal obligations, therefore requiring such a structure. But some who attempt to schedule early morning weight training sessions despite having the ability to train in the afternoon or evening must analyze their own biological response to stress, and if they feel that early weight training allows them to adopt the same level of mental focus and physical effort as a later weight lifting session, then they may continue such a practice, but if a bodybuilder feels greater motivation during afternoon or evening hours, far beyond what is noted earlier in the day, then clearly, schedule permitting, the best time for that particular individual to engage in a weight training workout is later in the day, when he or she feels capable of focusing maximum mental and physical effort towards intense weight training.

One other variable that must be analyzed is whether a specific 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 determine if moving the weight training workout later in the day is possible due to potential scheduling conflicts, and if doing so is realistic, then this will prove to be the best choice to aid in consistency.
Although weight training at various times each day is valid, and can work very well if a bodybuilder is disciplined, most bodybuilders will find that performing their workouts at similar times each day increases the probability 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 modifying weight training workout times can easily allow a bodybuilder to abandon workouts without experiencing any sense of remorse.

Although scheduling weight training sessions at identical times is preferred, those with constantly changing work shifts may have no choice but to engage in workouts at changing times based on their unpredictable work schedule, yet it's best to try and plan ahead as much as possible to determine when those workout times will be so that, mentally, you develop a sense of accountability towards completing weight lifting obligations. This is far more effective as compared to the haphazard method that many bodybuilders adopt, which eventually results in missed workouts.

An important factor in producing impressive muscle growth is to select a time of the day when mental energy is at the greatest levels, and I recommend adopting this same weight lifting schedule if your other daily obligations permit. Although there is no ideal time to perform a weight lifting workout that fits every bodybuilder, as this will depend upon personal circumstances and obligations, clearly, the best criteria in deciding when to schedule a workout will be to select an hour when maximum physical and mental effort is possible, which will increase the chance for an intense, effective weight training experience.