Jerry Brainum shares the straight facts on whether or not there is truly a best time to workout for muscle gain or fat loss.

In the world of bodybuilding and fitness, individuals are always searching for ways to best optimize every aspect of staying healthy and fit. Whether it’s a way to train less time for the same results, tweak a training program for better muscle growth, or discover that “magic” food to add into your diet for better nutrition. It makes sense then that the fitness community has often debated the question – when is the best time to workout for best results? In our latest Straight Facts episode, Jerry Brainum uses a combination of anecdotes and scientific studies to determine the best times to workout… or if it matters at all.

Is there an optimal time to workout for best muscle growth or fat loss? This has been constantly debated in the fitness community for as long as fitness has been a focus for human beings. Everyone has their own answer – but is there an objective scientifically proven best time to train? We turned to Jerry Brainum and his archives of studies and references to find out.

When is the best time to workout?

Before going into extreme detail – Jerry Brainum starts his video with two anecdotal stories. One is of 4x Mr. Universe champion Bill Pearl, who Brainum knew personally. Pearl would famously train at 4am every day. Was that his secret to success? According to Brainum, Pearl explained that his training schedule was out of necessity. He owned a chain of gyms and had very little time to exercise. By the time his work day ended – he was too exhausted to train effectively. So he chose to train early in the morning so he could give the best workout possible.

Jerry Brainum then tells a story about his own past in bodybuilding. Brainum describes himself as not a morning person. When he started training in bodybuilding, other bodybuilders, training partners, and coaches suggested he try to train early in the morning (around 6am). Brainum tried this for about one month. Ultimately, this didn’t work for him. He was too tired from not getting enough sleep and his workouts suffered for it. Even if he did get a good night’s sleep (Brainum struggled with falling asleep usually until 1am), he still found himself less energized to train the best he could.

So what do these two stories tell us? Ultimately, the best advice for when to train is whatever works best for you. Jerry Brainum will next jump into scientific studies that try to determine the best time for optimal training – but if your mental focus is lacking, then the science means nothing to you personally. So ensure first and foremost that you train for what works best for your body and your schedule.

Training in the morning

Jerry Brainum then quickly dives into the studies describing the pros and cons of training at certain periods of the day. The benefits of training in the morning can be seen in a few ways. First, studies seem to show that testosterone peaks in the morning (around 8am-10am). However, more recent studies seem to start challenging this notion. There has been evidence that testosterone also peaks in the afternoon.

When it comes to fat loss, training in the morning can have an added benefit. Your cortisol hormones are peaking during the morning, which can help contribute to fat loss while you do cardio. So that’s something to consider.

Also, Jerry Brainum explains how studies have shown that training often decreases appetite. So if you are struggling to lose weight due to eating too much, training in the morning may reduce your desire to consume as many calories.

On the negative side, body temperature can have a slight affect on your muscle’s ability to perform optimally. The human body is often at its lowest temperature in the morning potentially reducing your performance in the gym.

Training in the afternoon

Jumping off of the last point above, Jerry Brainum explains that studies show body temperature is at its most normal range in the afternoon. Giving the best performance out of your muscles.

In addition to this, typically a person will have eaten one to two meals by the time they train in the afternoon. More meals consumed means more energy for your workout. More energy means more intensity and a better result from the training.

Jerry Brainum also mentions a 2018 study that concluded that the body burns 10% more fat when training in the afternoon. This is due to your metabolism being elevated around this time. Studies have shown that strength also peaks around 4pm, which can help give you an edge for better performance in your workout.

Training in the evening

Jerry Brainum spends the least amount of time discussing evening training. Though he warns that a person should not train too late into the night. If you train too close to when you intend to sleep, you might find yourself having trouble dozing off. Rest is a vital factor in muscle recovery and growth – so this is not optimal. Typically you want at least 4-5 hours between your workout and when you sleep to prevent this possibility.

However, if you struggle with being a late night snacker, training in the evening can be great help. As noted earlier, training helps reduce appetite. So if you train in the evening this might prevent those midnight cravings.

Wrap Up

As you can probably tell from how specific and narrow these scientific studies and tips are – the bottom line is that the time you train has very little impact on your fitness success. The time you train will not radically change your physique. However, the most important factor is simply psychological. Find the time when you have the mental and physical energy to train at your best. You can watch Jerry Brainum go into full detail in our latest episode of Straight Facts above. Make sure to stick around every Wednesday for new episodes!

Derek Dufour
Derek Dufour has been managing all digital operations on the Generation Iron Network for over six years. He currently manages a team of editors, writers, and designers to provide up-to-date content across the GI Network.