Cardio last thing before bed. Good or bad idea?

Hi Daz

I've never personally tried this and like you say it is probably dangerous for your joints, etc. I can't see why it would burn significantly more calories than running in the day time but if it works for you and gives you a great night's sleep, then go for it.

There may be a slight disadvantage of sleeping soon after exercise because this may slow the metabolic boost you get post exercise as opposed to being awake afterwards but that's just a theory until someone can test it.

Thanks for the reply Mark :-) I also train with serious high intensity late at night. Last night for example, I began at 2330 hrs, and burnt 1000 cals, finishing at 0042hrs. My theory behind this method involves perpetuating growth hormone for as long as possible after a workout to accelerate the recovery process. Of course I get my post workout supps (in liquid form), and then wait half an hour for some solid then get straight to bed.
I love experimenting and trying my new theories out on myself. I have clients also that have shown marked improvements following some of my methods. Different things work for different people.

One point that I'd have to say is that since I've been supplementing my pre/peri and post workouts with BCAAs and now (since reading your advice) EAAs, I find that I'm having to pee loads afterwards. This of course does not fit well with my late night regime! haha

Daz I have done cardio just before bed before (and then just casein shake before bed) and this did help when getting into best shape ever at 4% bf and 93kg. That said......i always prefer to do it on an empty stomach first thing in the morning and train in the evening with weights. It really depends on ones work but the majority of us cant workout or run that late as would not be up in the morning!

As Mark says the reason cardio is also done first thing when fat burning is the primary goal is it revs up your metabloic rate for the rest of the day.

Thanks Ryan. I guess it may be my psychological mindset behind it in that I find it hard to get up and run first thing...I just don't feel like my body is awake (e.g. my joints feel stiff, my head groggy). Last thing at night I can get into a zone when running in the dark (I seem to run better in the dark for some reason!), and my body is fully awake, and I feel like I'm burning off any excess calories that I've accrued during the day. I too got into my best ever shape using this method but I agree that it can affect the way that one feels in the morning. I can also see the wisdom in the morning kick start to one's metabolism...hmmmm
The late evening resistance training....I'm torn, as again, I seem to perform better late at night, yet I understand the need to fuel the working machine with the nutrients that it needs to grow and repair afterwards. Would you say that One liquid meal, followed by one solid meal is adequate? Maybe training around the 6-7 pm mark is optimal in that you can wind down afterward and squeeze two solid meals into that 3-4 hour anabolic window that is much promoted these days?

Again, I based my theories on growth hormone and following what my body 'wanted to do' instinctively. I'm sure that most people could easily 'go to sleep' after an intense workout?? My last client lost over 10% body fat, doubled most of his lifts, and gained over a stone of lean muscle tissue in 3 months following these principles. He had previously been training for over ten years with very little to show for it. I admit that other variables such as overhauling his nutrition come into it but I've no doubt that it works