When to train?

chrisb177

I read somewhere that it was better to train early morning before breakfast as it increases you metabloic rate, but some others have been saying not to. I would just like to know when you guys train?

Thanks in Advance

idaviesmoore

Is there any proof that training early on an empty stomach increases your metabolic rate?
Due to work commitments I now generally train 6 am-ish, but try to have a V.light breakfast 20-30 mins before commenecement of session.

dennisn

I believe that most of the riders that I know train when they have time for it. It's pretty much set by your, family, lifestyle, and work requirements and when you can find the time
that works out best with the three of these, be it morning, noon, or night. Now if all you have to do is eat, sleep, ride, repeat, then mornings work great, but I'm going to assume
that you're like the rest of us and have other obligations in life that might just interfere
with your riding on occasions.

Dennis Noward

Mettan

chrisb177 wrote:

I would just like to know when you guys train?

Thanks in Advance

Welcome to BR.

Typically, early morning, although not for any "weight-loss/pre breakfast" or similar reasons - the Roads tend to be very quiet between 4 and 6 am - very little traffic - mid-summer - head down - cooler than riding in the afternoon - enjoyable ride.

dennisn

Mettan wrote:

chrisb177 wrote:

I would just like to know when you guys train?

Thanks in Advance

Welcome to BR.

Typically, early morning, although not for any "weight-loss/pre breakfast" or similar reasons - the Roads tend to be very quiet between 4 and 6 am - very little traffic - mid-summer - head down - cooler than riding in the afternoon - enjoyable ride.

Wish I good get myself together to train in the morning. Tried a few years back but it just didn't seem to agree with me. Had more injuries(nothing serious).Felt like I didn't get in very
good workouts and had little enthusiasm for it. After getting off work at 4 PM works best.
I'm ready and willing to go. Probably at my age(60) my body needs 8 hours awake to get ready and willing.

Dennis Noward

TheGreatGatsby

early morning for me. just a glass of water before hand on the week days for my 40 mile commute and then just a coffee while I getting ready on Sundays for the long rides. Always breakfast when I get in.

I'm with Mattan (although I do it for the weight loss - wrongly or rightly) about the cooler conditions and quiet roads. It also means you can get a good ride in and still be back to have pretty much a full day to do anything else. Although typically I ride at 3am in the week pretty stress free maybe a couple of sprints and again at 5.30pm going hard for 30 miles home and then at 3am again on sunday but do one long ride up to 120miles or 5-5.5hours depending on schedule generally pretty chilled for the first half and then pick up the tempo and efforts towards the end.

Gats

redddraggon

chrisb177 wrote:

I read somewhere that it was better to train early morning before breakfast as it increases you metabloic rate, but some others have been saying not to. I would just like to know when you guys train?

Thanks in Advance

I believe the army did a study into when physical training was most productive, they found that doing PT early in the morning wasn't the best time - but they still do it.

Generally I find waking up early and going out not too comfortable, I'm tired and generally don't leave enough time before my breakfast settles - but as Dennis said I go out when I have time normally.

andrewgturnbull

Hi there.

Morning, noon and night! e.g. Ride to work, swim lunchtime, run home... and vice versa.

Strangely I find that I perform much better in the evenings compared to first thing in the morning - I've done time trials on mornings, then repeated the same exercise in the evening a couple of days later and gone significantly faster. The only two races I've won this year have been midday and mid-afternoon starts.

I think it's mostly due to the fact that my body needs a few hours of activity just for everything to loosen up. I raced last weekend at 9am, so I got up at 6am and went for an hour's easy riding before I even started my warm-up proper...

In day-to-day training I've just acceted the fact that I'm not fast in the morning, so I do my steady stuff first thing, and save the interval training for the evening.

Not sure if any of that helps, just some observations to say: figure out what works best for you and go with the flow.

Cheers, Andy

notanotherhill

Generally I try to avoid morning sessions now, because quite simply im better on the bike in the afternoon and i feel that i get more from the training sessions by riding in the afternoon.
I think its down to the indivual as to when suits them best. After saying that I try to avoid mornings, if its my only option then i'll take it. Any training is better than no training

unclemalc

I used to go out first thing in the mornig to avoid traffic etc, but my body hated it.
Now I go last thing - traffic is light and I am usually warmed up and suitably fuelled from the day's activities.
Vary what you do and see what suits you, rather than follow some 'rule'...