The Best Time of Day To Strength Train for Maximum Muscle Gains

The body’s peak strength and power tend to be higher in the late afternoon and early evening than in the early morning. This means that you will be able to perform better during your strength training sessions if you do them later in the day.

Your body follows a 24-hour clock, known as a circadian rhythm. This affects your muscle performance throughout the day, as well as your hormones, body temperature and nervous system. When it comes to strength training, your circadian rhythm plays an important role when your muscles are strongest and most ready to work hard.

Your body being stronger later in the day is likely due to three reasons:

• Your neuromuscular system is more awake
• Your body temperature is higher, contributing to better flexibility
• You have more energy available from the calories you’ve consumed throughout the day.

However, that doesn’t mean morning workouts don’t work for building strength. This simply means that peak performance during a single exercise session is often higher in the afternoon or evening.

Strength training in the evening does not appear to negatively affect your sleep quality, as long as it is not done too close to bedtime. Exercising in the afternoon or evening can actually increase deep sleep and therefore improve both energy and cognitive function. It can also reduce the risk of injury, since your body temperature is highest in the evening, which helps your muscles be more flexible and warmed up.

When you exercise regularly, at the same time of day, your body adapts to function better at that time. The more regular you are, the more your nervous system and muscles learn to adapt to the schedule of your choice.

Researchers looked at several studies comparing morning versus evening strength training and their effects on strength and muscle size. Here’s what the researchers discovered:

• Strength tends to be higher in the evening.
• Consistent morning training can elevate morning strength levels to those comparable to evening strength levels.
• The overall increases in strength and muscle size were similar whether training in the morning or evening.

This suggests that your routine matters more than the time of day. In other words, while you may feel stronger at certain times of the day, long-term strength gains depend not just on the time of day but more on the consistency of the workout routine.

Here’s how to apply this research in real life:

• Train at the time that best fits your schedule: The fact that you train at the same time every day matters more than the time itself. Working out at the same time every day can help your body adapt more effectively. If you want to lift weights when you’re strongest, afternoons and evenings may feel easier and allow your body to lift heavier loads. However, morning workouts can still produce the same strength and muscle gains over time.
• Don’t exercise too close to bedtime: Lifting heavy objects right before bed can affect your ability to fall asleep. It’s good to try to finish your workout at least one to two hours before bed to improve your deep sleep.
• Pay attention to how your body reacts: You may feel better about strength training in the morning than in the afternoon or evening. The most important factor in results is regular, consistent training and progressive overload, not the clock.

Time matters most when:

• You are training for a specific event or competition
• You want to match your strength training time with performance tests or a successful athlete’s program

In these cases, training at the same time as your scheduled event can give you a slight advantage in neuromuscular preparation, or preparing your brain and muscles to work together so you can move, lift, and respond quickly and strongly.