Possibly one of the most common questions I receive when it comes to an exercise routine is, “Is there a BEST time to work out?” I know many swear by starting their day with exercise and many others use physical activity as a way to wind down from the stress of a hectic workday. Exercising after 8 pm can often prevent sleep and be stressful to the hormones.

There was an interesting article in The New York Times over a year ago that I bookmarked about this subject. The article, titled, “The Claim: Morning Is the Best Time to Exercise,” validated my opinion—any time of day beats no exercise at all. The author reports that science has proven working out between 4 and 7 p.m. is a slightly better time for physical performance than morning, based on hormones. The article explains “the body’s temperature and hormone levels peak in late afternoon, making muscles more flexible and producing the best ratio of testosterone (the muscle-building hormone) to cortisol (the hormone that does the reverse).”

However, the article goes on to say that the advantages of an afternoon workout are slight and that the human body can adapt to working out at any time of the day. That being said, I must once again stand on my soapbox and say, a calorie burned at 6 a.m. is the same calorie burned at 6 p.m. The key is to work out whenever you have time, any time of day, any day of the week. I remind my clients all the time that when it comes to exercise, you have to break some rules to get your workout done.

Now, there are rules we follow for exercise because they make sense and keep us healthy and safe. For example, we have heart rate training zones to guide us so we burn fat and don’t overdo it. We have strength training rules that tell us how often to lift, how much and how to do the moves safely. We have guidelines for mobility for stretching to reduce injury and muscle soreness. But every so often, when we read exercise rules and guidelines in the media, we end up feeling defeated if they don’t exactly fit in with our lives, needs and goals. Take a look at how you exercise now. Are you that person who’s silenced by inaction because you can’t do it perfectly according to the rules?

I love morning exercise; for me, a workout at 7:30 a.m. is the ying to my yang. I make sure I have a balanced breakfast at least 60 mins or longer before and get it done before I start the workday. But when I find a client who absolutely won’t go for morning workouts, then I suggest another time of day. You may find that what works for you is a little different than what you might have read, or heard on TV. I’m not knocking fitness experts because I am one! I’m just asking you to remember to be true to yourself and bend the rules to fit in your lifestyle so you actually do something, rather than nothing.

On the flip side, when I’m training an athlete or someone who is working toward a serious goal like a marathon, then rules and schedules are absolutely important to their outcome. You can’t run a marathon at your potential without following a well-mapped program. But if you are that person trying to just lose a few pounds, feel better, have more energy and stop being cranky—then BEND THE RULES to work for you, not against you. The best time of day is the time you will be able to complete a workout consistently over time, and at a time that suits you.

What time can you schedule in and stick to each day?

Resistance training such as bodyweight training or free weights can have some wondrous effects. Here are 7 underground tips from ‘the resistance’

1. Muscles Are the Engine of Youth
Biological aging and the loss of functional strength have less to do with your chronological age than they do with time spent training and engaging the body for physical growth and development.

Strength training is the most effective way to build muscle, thereby slowing down and even reversing the process of aging.

This does not mean you have to train with the goal of developing big, showy muscles. Rather, we need to look at muscle as lean body weight that keeps you active, fit and energized.

2. Strength Training Builds a Strong Foundation
Numerous studies show that adults who exercise have greater bone mineral density (BMD) than less active folks. Weight-bearing activities such as strength training produce greater BMD than non-impact or low-intensity activities such as swimming or yoga.

I’m a fan of swimming and yoga. But strength training is the best way to build strong bones, tendons, ligaments and muscle, which are all essential to your physical foundation.

3. Strength Training Is Good for Your Mind and Mood
Aristotle used to make all his students train with the Olympic athletes to improve their bodies which improved their thinking and reasoning powers.

If you’ve studied the life of the third U.S. president Thomas Jefferson, you know he was a true Renaissance man and fitness enthusiast who lived to be 83, once remarked that “a strong body makes the mind strong.” well beyond the lifespan of folks born in the middle of the 18th century. Clearly T.J. was on to something when he drew a connection between physical and mental strength.

4. Strength Training Shapes You Smaller
Many people, not exclusively women, resist strength training because they’re concerned it’s going to make them “look big” or muscle-bound.

Here’s the irony: Strength training actually shapes you smaller. That’s because a pound of muscle is much smaller and takes up less space than a pound of fat. A kilo of fat is about the size of a watermelon. In contrast, a kilo of lean muscle is about the size of a large orange. Imagine how amazing you would look and feel if you swap 5 kilos of fat (think 5 melons) for 5 kilos of lean shape-defining muscle (think 5 oranges). You’ll look a million dollars!

Not only that, these 5 kilos will be evenly dispersed around your body, not residing, as fat does, in a few problem areas. Five kilo is  enough to really change the way you look. It’s not the sort of volume to add size.

5. Muscle Makes the Scale Irrelevant
For some the scale can become like a daily mood ring. The scale looks only at weight—it does not take into consideration the composition of that weight: whether it’s water, fat or precious lean muscle.

A loss of muscle reduces the metabolism and accelerates fat gain even more. That’s why dieting without strength training will never result in permanent weight loss. Not only have you not created additional lean muscle to burn calories, you’ve likely reduced a portion of that valuable resource. This is why most dieters who have lost some fat will gain it back faster.

Begin to see body weight in terms of body composition. A -60 kilo woman who has only 10 kilos of fat will fit easily into a dress that a 50 kilo woman with 15 kilos of fat cannot.

Use a mirror or be in tune with the way your clothes fit—and be kind. When you have a lean, strong body, the number on the scale is irrelevant.

6. Muscle Is “Money in the Bank”
Having muscle is like having money in the bank. For every kilo of muscle you gain, you’re able to burn 70 to 100 calories more per day—with no added effort. That’s because lean muscle boosts metabolism, which in turn can burn fat. One kilo of muscle consumes the caloric equivalent of 5 kilos of fat in just one year.

Let’s say you’ve added 5 kilos of lean muscle to your body. Just carrying those 5 kilos around for daily activities, not including exercise or training, can burn on average an additional 500 calories each day.

Does it take effort to add that lean muscle? Of course it does, much like the accumulation of financial assets takes time and effort. But by making a modest investment, as you’ll do in this program, you’ll be rewarded handsomely.

7. Muscle Enhances and Prolongs Life
The list of life-enhancing benefits from adding lean muscle is staggering.

Muscle not only makes you look good, it takes an active role in supporting your well-being. Success begets success, for those with lean muscle tend to get leaner and stronger. The more muscle you have, the faster and hotter your metabolism burns, and the easier it will be for you to swap fat for lean muscle.

When you have lean muscle, you’ve made a long-term investment in your quality and longevity of life.

How will you start to tone and add to your investment.

What’s sad about this is that many people feel like they are doing everything necessary to get the result they are looking for. They are resigned to the fact that this is how it’s going to be and there isn’t anything that can be done to correct their deficiencies. If you were to ask them what results they would like to get out of their workout, the number 1 answer is “losing weight or getting thinner.”

When I am asked what it takes to look “fitter,” the first question I ask is: “How long have you been doing your current training program?”

The usual answer I receive is “somewhere between 6 and 12 months.” The typical program they follow is “30 – 60 minutes of continuous aerobic work 3 to 5 times per week.” This is a combination of treadmill, stepper, elliptical, rower and bike.

Our training tells us that this is not a good approach to take for the client seeking improving results over time. World renowned strength guru Charles Poliquin has identified 6 reasons why aerobic training is counterproductive to fat loss:

(1) Continuous aerobic work plateaus after 8 weeks of training so anything more is counterproductive.

This is quite an “eye opener” for most people who immediately recognize that they may have been wasting their time for such an extended period. To quote Charles, “using this principle in preparation for the 92 Olympics, the Canadian Alpine Ski team actually surpassed the Cross-country team on aerobic scores as measured by third party University labs.” Who wouldn’t want to perform as well as the Canadian Alpine ski team?

(2) Aerobic training worsens power locally and systemically – in other words, it can make you slower.

If you are an athlete or a “weekend warrior” who likes to participate in athletic events or team sports that require speed and jumping ability, this is the last thing you want from a cardiovascular training program. Coach Poliquin adds that “the more lower body aerobic work you do, the more your vertical jump worsens (reduced leg power). The more upper body aerobic work you do, the more your medicine ball throws worsen (reduced upper body power).”

(3) Aerobic training increases ‘oxidative stress’ which can accelerate aging.

According to Endocrinologist Dr. Diana Schwarzbein (author of The Schwarzbein Principle ,) “oxidation” is a process that forms free radicals in the body. Normally the body can neutralize free radicals with substances known as antioxidants. It is only when there is an excessive build-up of free radicals that the body cannot neutralize all of the free radicals. This leads to changes to your metabolism which can accelerate aging in every cell of the body, from heart right through to skin cells.

(4) Aerobic training increases adrenal stress – raise cortisol and reduce DHEA, which can make you fatter and produce other undesirable health consequences

According to Dr. James Wilson (author of Adrenal Fatigue – The 21st. Century Stress Syndrome,) “normally functioning adrenal glands secrete minute, yet precise and balanced, amounts of steroid hormones”. When one does too much continuous aerobic exercise, the adrenal glands are stressed in a way that can upset this delicate balance which could lead to adrenal fatigue. Adrenal fatigue is associated with such symptoms as: tiredness, fearfulness, allergies, frequent influenza, arthritis, anxiety, depression, reduced memory, and difficulties in concentrating, insomnia, feeling worn-out, and most importantly- with respect to this article – the inability to lose weight after extensive efforts.”

(5) Aerobic training increases body fat in stressed individuals by contributing additionally to stress.

If you are already going through a lot of stress in your life then adding more “stress” by doing too much continuous aerobic work will actually add more body fat thus making it hard to reach a weight-loss/body fat goal.

(6) Aerobic training worsens testosterone/cortisol ratio which impedes your ability to add muscle & burn fat.

When the testosterone/cortisol ratio is lowered your ability to add lean muscle tissue, which helps to increase caloric expenditure, is again hampered making weight loss much more difficult. Coach Poliquin notes that “continuous aerobic work is basically exercise induced castration!”

Coming up in “Part 2” of this article: I’ll examine alternative exercise strategies which can help you break through a plateaus as well as being healthier for you.

Eat high quality (organic where possible) meat & vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit, little starch & no sugar.

Drink clean water, 2-3L per day.

Eat regularly, when hungry, every 3-5hrs.

Understand good posture, body mechanics, technique before intensity and endurance.

Practice and train major lifts: Deadlift, clean, squat, presses, C&J, and snatch.

Learn how to lunge and twist in 3 planes of motion

master the basics of gymnastics: pull-ups, dips, rope climb, push-ups, sit-ups, presses to handstand, pirouettes, flips, splits, and holds.

Climb, Bike, run, swim, row, etc, hard & fast.

Exercise four or five days per week mix these elements in as many combinations and patterns as creativity will allow. Routine is the enemy!

Keep workouts short and intense. Regularly learn and play new sports.

Practice either specific dynamic Joint mobility, stretching, Yoga, Tai Chi, Chi Kung and ……

Meditate daily, laugh & smile!