Best time of day to work out?

I’ve been sticking to the Yourself Fitness program lately, and honestly? I’m actually pretty happy with how it’s going. So far, I’ve knocked out six workouts and have moved up to a solid 60 minutes every single day. But I can't help wondering—when is the absolute best time to get this done? Is there some magic window in the morning, midday, or late at night where you actually see the most results? Right now, I’ve mostly been hitting my workouts in the evening, but since my main goals are dropping some weight and actually building up my stamina, I’m curious if I should be shifting things around.

If you’re actually serious about dropping some weight, there really isn't a better window than those early morning hours when the rest of the world is still asleep. Why? Because hitting the gym on an empty stomach forces your body to tap directly into those stubborn fat stores for fuel—essentially burning through your reserves while they're most accessible.
Now, I’m certainly no certified nutritionist or high-priced fitness guru, but I feel like I’ve read this theory enough times to consider it gospel.

Practice whenever it works for you. The most important thing is staying consistent, so pick a time slot that actually fits your schedule... As for morning workouts, stick to light cardio. You shouldn't be doing anything too intense on an empty stomach.

I’m certainly no fitness guru, but I’ve been sticking to a routine for about two years now. I usually hit the gym around 8 or 9 in the evening because my schedule just doesn't allow for anything else—and honestly, it works. I’ve managed to drop quite a bit of weight this way. I tried those fasted morning workouts a few times, but I could never make them stick. Seriously, hats off to anyone who can actually pull 🙂

Olivia Wells6 said:So, I’ve been following along with the Yourself Fitness program lately, and honestly? I’m feeling pretty good about it! I guess I’ve managed to knock out six workouts so far, and I've started hitting that 60-minute mark every single day. It feels like a solid start, maybe? But I was wondering—does anyone actually know when the best time of day is to work out? Like, is it way more effective to get it done first thing in the morning, or is midday better, or should I be sticking to the evenings? Right now, I’ve mostly been training at night, but my big goals are really focused on dropping some weight and building up my cardio/stamina. Any tips would be amazing!

Whatever.
Just train whenever works best for you! Honestly, I guess there’s no right or wrong time, right? Maybe just go with the flow and do it when you're feeling it. It's all about that vibe!

Maria Thompson57 said:Look, I’m definitely no expert or anything, but I’ve been hitting the gym for about two years now. I always aim for that 8:00 or 9:00 PM window because, honestly, that's the only way I can actually make it work with my schedule. It's been working for me, though—I've managed to drop quite a few pounds! I did try doing those fasted morning workouts a couple of times, but yeah, never again. Seriously, major props to anyone who can actually pull that off! 🙂

So, wait... let me get this straight! You didn't even dive deep into all that math with the P, U, and H ratios you're using, and you weren't even obsessing over calculating exactly how many kilojoules the body burns just to process protein... plus, you didn't even do a fasted workout this morning? And yet, you still managed to drop quite a bit of weight? I mean, wow! That's actually kind of wild, isn't it? I guess it really does work sometimes without being super intense about every little detail!

I am honestly just floored! I mean, wow... I'm totally shocked.

Hey there! I was just sitting here thinking about everything, and honestly... I guess I just wanted to jump in and say hi! Maybe it's just me, but I feel like there's so much to talk about lately, right? I mean, wow! It's kind of wild how things are moving so fast these days. I don't know, I might be overthinking it, but I really feel like we should all just take a second to breathe and enjoy the ride! Anyway, just my two cents! Hope everyone is having an absolutely wonderful day!

briskjackal5 said:It doesn't matter.
Just work out whenever it suits you.

So, let me get this straight. You didn't obsess over calculating your protein-to-carb-to-fat ratios, you didn't factor in the thermic effect of food for every gram of protein consumed, and you didn't even bother with fasted morning cardio—yet you still managed to drop a significant amount of weight?

I am genuinely stunned.

-Joe

I honestly never track anything. I’ve never bothered counting calories because, frankly, I don't have the willpower or the patience to log every tiny detail and stress over whether I ate one gram more or less of something. I've read all the stuff online about how "essential" it is, blah blah blah, and honestly, hats off to anyone who actually has the discipline or the free time to do that. I respect it, but it’s just not for me right now.
And yes, I lost 46 pounds in a year just by exercising, without following any specific diet. Even now, I find myself eating a chocolate bar almost every single day. 🙂
Sometimes I wonder what would have happened if I had been stricter—if I hadn't eaten chocolate or bread or sweets at all. But honestly, I prefer it this way. The freedom is worth it. I can skip working out for a week, eat my sweets, live a normal life, and I still won't gain back a single ounce.

I tend to exercise whenever the mood strikes me, though I did write up those notes about how everyone claims working out in the morning is the ultimate way to burn off fat... blah, blah, blah.

My real struggle is just finding that internal spark to actually get moving; when I finally do manage to force myself into it, I usually just default to some crunches before attempting a few push-ups, only to realize halfway through that my willpower has completely evaporated. 😢

So, how do you all actually motivate yourselves to get through a workout??

frozenowl10 said:I guess I work out whenever I feel like it, too. I only wrote that stuff about morning workouts being the best for burning fat because that's just what I've heard people say. Blah blah blah.

I struggle with getting myself motivated to actually work out. When I do manage to get moving, I usually just end up doing some sit-ups. I’ll try to squeeze in a few push-ups, but then I just realize I don't really have the energy for it. 😢

How do you guys actually find the motivation to work out?

I guess the cravings finally got the better of me, so I decided to get started. 🤷
Once you finally see some results after those first two weeks, I guess things start to get a lot easier. 👍

The whole idea behind morning workouts isn't necessarily about training on an empty stomach. I guess if you grab something light beforehand—like some fruit or maybe a quick protein shake—you'll actually have the energy to power through your session. You end up burning off that breakfast, plus your fat stores, and it probably gives your metabolism a nice little boost. It might even help you burn more calories throughout the rest of the day too.

I always knock back some green tea before I hit my morning workout

Maria Thompson57 said:Look, I’m no fitness guru or anything, but I’ve been hitting the gym for about two years now. I usually go around 8 or 9 at night because my schedule is just a mess otherwise, and honestly? It’s worked. I’ve dropped quite a few pounds this way. I tried doing those fasted morning workouts a couple of times, but man, never again. Major props to anyone who can actually pull that off.🙂

I tried that once and ended up just burping my lungs out, lol.

frozenowl10 said:Look, I hit the gym whenever the mood strikes me, alright? But yeah, I wrote that stuff about morning workouts being the gold standard because apparently, that’s when you supposedly torch fat faster or whatever. Blah, blah, blah...

Look, my whole deal is that I just can't seem to get myself moving. Getting motivated to actually hit the gym? Impossible. And even when I do finally drag myself off the couch to do something, it’s always the same old story—just grinding out some crunches. I'll try to squeeze in a few push-ups, too, but honestly? I usually just give up halfway through because I realized I really, really don't feel like doing them. 😢

So, how the hell do you guys actually force yourselves to hit the gym? I mean, seriously. What’s the secret sauce? Is it some insane level of discipline, or do you just trick yourselves into thinking it won't suck? Give me the truth.

You try to knock out a few pushups... then you realize you just don't give a damn. 🤣

It’s all mental. Seriously. You just gotta set a target, map out a schedule, build up some actual self-discipline, and—this is the big one—never lose that hunger to keep moving forward. It isn't rocket science. The whole thing falls apart the second you start overthinking it and making life way more complicated than it needs to be in your own damn head.
Look, just shut that little voice up. You know the one. That nagging, pathetic internal monologue telling you to just stay on the couch, do absolutely nothing, and rot. It’s the one whispering that you aren't going to achieve a damn thing anyway, or that your to-do list is so massive that starting a workout routine is basically a waste of breath. It's the voice calling you a lazy piece of work. Just ignore it. Seriously. Shut it down and win. Overcome that mental garbage and just get moving. 😁

Maria Thompson57 said:I honestly don't get it, and I never have... I’ve never been one to track calories because, let's be real, I just don't have the willpower or the patience to write down every single little thing I eat... constantly calculating and obsessing over whether I had one gram more or one gram less of something... I mean, I've read all those articles online about how "essential" it is and blah blah blah... and hey, major props to anyone who can actually pull that off, seriously, if you have the time and the mental energy to deal with all that, I tip my hat to you... but personally? Yeah, it's just not happening for me right now...
So, I actually managed to drop about 46 pounds over the last year just by hitting the gym and nothing else, no crazy dieting involved... honestly, I feel like I could probably keep the momentum going even if I sat down and polished off a chocolate bar every single day... 🙂
Sometimes I just sit here and feel this wave of regret when I think about how much weight I could probably drop if I actually had some discipline... you know, if I stopped reaching for the chocolate or cutting out all the bread and junk food entirely... but honestly, looking at where I am right now, I don't even know if it's worth the struggle. It’s kind of a relief, really, because I've reached this point where I can skip the gym for an entire week and still eat whatever sugary crap I want without seeing the scale budge even a single ounce... it's a weird kind of freedom, I guess...

I mean, sure, that’s one way to look at it... but I can't help feeling like Stipe is just messing with those math nerds... you know, the ones who spend all their time crunching numbers on spreadsheets instead of actually breaking a sweat in the gym...😁

Eric Ward19 said:I gave it a shot myself and ended up just coughing air, haha.

Hahahaha... I know exactly how you feel. Since I'm clearly a novice at this, I suppose attempt number 55 is scheduled for tomorrow.🙂)

driftinggull13 said:Fair enough, that's one way to look at it. I get the impression that Steve just likes messing with those math nerds... the ones who spend all their time crunching numbers instead of actually putting in the work.😁

Haha... and they always seem to be the self-proclaimed experts, don't they?🙂)

You just show up whenever you feel like hitting the gym...
For me, late nights are the only way to go...

Olivia Wells6 said:I've been using the Yourself Fitness program and I'm pretty happy with it so far. I've knocked out six workouts and started doing 60 minutes every day. However, I'm wondering when the most effective time of day to train is. Is it morning, midday, or evening? Right now, I mostly work out at night, but my goal is to lose weight and build up my stamina.

It really comes down to how busy your schedule is, but late morning is usually the sweet spot.
Personally, I always hit my heaviest lifts during my sessions between 10 AM and 1 PM because that’s when I’m at my absolute peak energy.

When Sylvester Stallone was getting ready for Rocky Balboa, he started with a massive cutting phase... just straight up shredding. He’d hit the gym in the morning on an empty stomach after a black coffee... dropped about 30 pounds that way. Then, once he was lean, he focused on packing on that serious muscle mass.

Maybe try switching things up and hitting the weights in the morning after a light but solid breakfast... just to break up that afternoon routine you've got going...
Sometimes I’ll head to the gym on a Saturday morning and honestly feel like I have way more gas in the tank than when I train after work. By 5 PM, I’m usually pretty wiped from the workday (since my job is physical), and I can't even focus anymore (I'm up at 5:30 AM every single day)... plus, I miss out on that afternoon nap that usually helps me recharge...

frozenowl10 said:If you're looking to drop some weight, hitting the pavement early in the morning is the sweet spot. Why? Because training on an empty stomach forces you to tap into those fat stores—burn them off, and they're gone.

Sure, that works, but there’s nothing particularly fun about grinding out a two-hour run while feeling like you haven't eaten in decades. 😉
Besides, I’ve always been more of a night owl—it’s just how I’m wired—which means
during the summer months, I’d have to be up at 4:00 AM, which is just not realistic for my life.
So, I stick to running from 10:00 PM until midnight. Plus, that’s when the temperature actually drops and it gets bearable.

At the end of the day, if the goal is losing weight, the time of day doesn't matter nearly as much as just getting out there and running consistently.

Morning sunlight is your best bet—it’s far more effective than any other time of day. If you can't catch it in the AM, aim for four or five hours before hitting the sack.