Should you go to the gym at the same time every day, or is a good idea to visit the gym whenever you have some free time?
This is a question that many people ask themselves, and the reality is that it doesn’t really matter either way (although it is not a good idea to work out more than about four or five days per week).
However because this is a subject that rarely gets mentioned on many other fitness sites, I thought it would be a good idea to look at the pros and cons of going to the gym at the same time every day.
Pros
More Likely To Stick To A Routine
One of the main reasons why you should consider visiting the gym at the same time every day is because it requires a lot less motivation. That’s because when you stick to a regular routine, it quickly becomes a habit, whereas if you just go to the gym whenever you have a little spare time, you are more likely to skip a few workouts because you may decide to do other things instead.
Easier To Make Friends
The social aspect of the gym is something that appeals to a lot of people who enjoy meeting new people and making some new friends. So in that respect it is beneficial to go the gym at the same time every day because you will often see many of the same people whenever you work out. Therefore you more likely to strike up a few conversations with these people.
Muscles Have Time To Recover
Another benefit of getting into a regular routine is that you are always giving your muscles nearly 24 hours to recover. It is not generally a good idea to work the same muscles two days running, but if you do, or if you do lots of cardio, for example, they will get nearly 24 hours to recover. If you workout in the mornings and evenings, or at random times, then they will often get a lot less time to fully recover.
Cons
See The Same Faces Every Time
I mentioned earlier that it is easier to make friends if you visit the gym at the same time each day, but if you are not interested in making new friends, it can also be quite boring seeing the same faces every session. This is particularly true if there are some people who regularly annoy you with their bad habits or selfishness. If you like to do a workout in the mornings and evenings and during your lunch break, for example, you won’t have this problem because you will see a broad cross-section of people.
You May Have Picked The Busiest Time Of The Day
No-one likes working out in a really busy gym because you will often have to wait patiently to use various different exercise machines. However if you are someone who likes to go to the gym at the same time every morning, or at the same time every evening after work, for instance, you may be going at the busiest times of the day, and may never experience the satisfying feeling of working out in a quiet gym.
May Not Get Optimal Results
One final drawback of going to the gym at the same time every day is that you may not be getting optimal results from your training. An example of this would be if you enjoy doing cardio workouts at 12 PM every day, but are eating breakfast at 7.30 AM, and are therefore always exercising on an empty stomach with nothing to fuel your body.
Final Thoughts
I myself like to go to the gym four or five times a week, and at the same time every day (10.00 AM to 11.00 AM) because after a little experimentation, I found this to be one of the least busiest times of the day. It was also one of the most convenient times for me as well.
However every gym is different, and as you can see, there are some good reasons why you should and should not go to the gym at the same time every day.
Ultimately it doesn’t really matter too much. The key point is that you keep attending the gym on a regular basis in order to get the most out of your training and achieve your goals, and if going to the gym at a specific time every day helps you do this, then this may well be the best option for you.
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