Is There Really a Best Time to Strength Train After 50

The researchers actually recruited 108 adults ages 60 to 80.

Now, adults, obviously you know this is both genders, so this is not specifically women only.

But at 60 we can guess these women were, those included, were post-menopause and 41% of them, so just a little over probably about 45, 46-ish.

My math is not great on the spot.

Before training began, researchers tested each person's strength at four different time periods, 8:00 AM, 12 noon, 4:00 PM, and 8:00 PM.

And this wasn't simply asking participants whether they considered themselves morning or evening people.

This was identifying when each individual actually demonstrated their highest and lowest strength performance.

Participants were randomized into train around their individual peak performance time, train around their lowest performance time, or remain in a non-training control group.

Nobody wants to be in that group, by the way.

For 12 weeks, the exercise groups performed two supervised whole body resistance training sessions, just two each week, and plus one moderate intensity cycling session.

So picture this again.

This is, uh, really very much like participating in a Flipping 50 program.

So maybe you strength train on your Monday and Thursday or maybe you split it Monday and Friday and then you do your cycling on Wednesday.

That was their picture.

So the question essentially that the study asked, "If I identify when you're naturally strongest and you consistently train then, will you gain more strength or lean muscle during that period of time by doing it that way?" And the answer, wait for it, was no.

Training at an individual's peak performance time did not produce meaningful greater f- improvements in strength or appendicular lean mas- muscle mass, meaning your arms or your legs.

And then training at their lowest performance time.

So let's say, you know, I'd rather have you do your intense early and light late.

It is still the second tenet of Flipping 50 because over years it's what I've seen and we know that cortisol levels are high, so it came from science and was steeped in proven training.

But here's the other thing.

The third piece of that wheel is you and I get it done if we get it done in the morning much more likely than if we wait till afternoon because we, we often are gonna get sidetracked, rerouted.

Somebody's gonna need you at 5:30 PM.

It's much more likely than they will need you at 5:30 AM.

I think we can all agree on that one.

So I'm gonna restate what the findings were.