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When is the Right Time to Train?

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When is the right time to train? That's a question so many people ask, but the answer can go two ways–the best time for your body and the best time for you.

The Best Time for Your Body

Studies seem to indicate that working out late afternoon is the best for your body. You are stronger, your muscles are more warmed up and limber and you've had time to eat some food. Your body will respond better to working out later in the day. At the same time you have to be careful. Exercising too late in the day can cause insomnia. At the same time, some people sleep better when they workout at night. See what's right for you and then stick to it.

The Best Time for You

The best answer to this question in my opinion is that you should workout when you will do it consistently. For many people this means first thing in the morning before other obligations get in the way. If you set your alarm and make a habit of hitting the gym early you are likely to be more consistent. If that is the case by all means workout early in the day.

As you know, consistency is essential to getting the body you want. Do what it takes to get that consistency even if it means working out at 5 a.m.!

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How a Training Partner Saves the Day

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I have discussed in the past the problems I have had staying motivated and hitting the gym. I got through the toughest stretch of training in my life through the help of a training partner. For me the training partner saves the day.

Consistency

When you have someone expecting you at the gym you find a way to get there. You are less likely to miss a session when you need to cancel with someone else. This develops a consistency habit.

Intensity

When you have a training partner you are able to increase the intensity because the partner is there to spot you. You can push harder than normal because you have some help. At the same time your partner is there to push you harder.

Comraderie

It is always good to have company when you complete a task. Working out is no different. Usually training partners have the same or similar goals. This creates a bond between the two people. It makes the training time more fun. You can talk to each other in between sets. You can encourage each other. It is just a different situation. It makes gym time much more fun.

Accountability

If you do it right your gym partner knows all of your goals.  S/he can hold you accountable for reaching those goals. It is a great dynamic. You set goals and someone helps hold you to the completion of those goals.

So, if you need extra motivation seek out a training partner.

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My Struggles With Training

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I love to train. I really do. I love how it makes me feel when I am doing it. I love the sore muscles afterwards. I love the extra energy it gives me. At the same time, I was just like every other “normal” person out there and completely fell off the training bandwagon.

I trained every single day for 2 years straight. I saw some amazing results. I had things showing up on my body that I hadn't seen since I was a teenager. Then life happened. My marriage broke up and I had to deal with the emotions of that issue. At times I felt like doing nothing at all and that's what I did–nothing at all. It was a tough habit to break after some time. Instead of having a gym habit I had a “don't go to the gym” habit.

As I started to think through these things I got upset with myself. However, it wasn't until a very important friend of mine told me that she couldn't picture me as ever being an athlete that I realized things needed to change. She was not being mean, she was being honest–in my current state she could not see how I could ever run fast or move well. She was absolutely right. Had I been in this shape when I was competing actively in sports I would have had a very short career. Well, her words inspired me to start the Fast Fat Loss Challenge. That has completely renewed my love and dedication to training and eating right.

There is a definite lesson to be learned from all of this. It is something I am going to carry forward with me from now on. No matter what I am feeling at the time I am going to hit the gym. Why? Because no matter what, the gym makes me feel good. It helps me mentally as well as physically. It is something that I need and therefore I will not bypass it ever again.

If you are struggling with getting into the gym just follow these simple steps and you will conquer the issue:

  1. Take an honest assessment of your physical shape
  2. Take your measurements (body fat, scale weight, circumference measurements)
  3. Set a long term goal and lead yourself to it via some small baby step goals
  4. Vow to do some form exercise every single day so that you never have a chance to quit

This has been working for me and I know it will work for you as well. Give it a try and let me know what happens.

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Working Hard or Hardly Working?

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There are many factors involved with weight training. Some of them are obvious and some not so obvious. What I have learned over time is that the single most important actual training factor is intensity. Are you working hard or are you hardly working?

We've all seen the people at the gym who are so consistent that they never miss a day. Years go by and they come to the gym over and over again. However, they are doing the same exercises with the same weight and their body looks exactly the same. This is because they are consistent, but they lack intensity in their training.

What is intensity? It is about going to failure on each exercise. It is about pushing beyond the discomfort. It involves giving everything you have to the workout. Leaving it all on the gym floor.

Intensity is about changing things up and pushing harder and harder each time you do. It is about setting personal records as often as humanly possible.

People who train with intensity work their butts off and the results they get show this to be the case. So ask yourself…am I working hard or am I hardly working?

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Saturday Sharing: How to Have the Time to Train

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Time…it is the one excuse I don't like hearing from people. We make time for what is important to us, so if training is important you will make the time. So how do I have time to train? I put training first. What do I mean? Allow me to explain!

Get It Done!

To me there are so many things that can get in the way of training. Even though it may not be the most optimal time to train, I train early in the morning so that I can't make excuses later in the day. This literally makes it so nothing gets in the way! This is why I am able to get it done!

Be Consistent

Treat training like an appointment with someone very important. This will develop a consistency that others will respect. People will know that you train at a certain time each day and will not expect anything from you at that time. It is very important to eliminate distractions and being consistent with when you train will help with that.

Be Persistent

Don't quit no matter how tempted you might be. Keep at it because the longer you do something the more of a habit it becomes. Stick to it and it will stick to you!

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