Night Owl Training

 If you can’t handle dawn patrol workouts, make the most of your evening training sessions with these tips:

 

EAT A LATE-AFTERNOON SNACK
● “If you’re going to eat lunch at noon and work out at six or seven in the evening, you’re setting yourself up for a bad workout,” says Charlie Cates, a Chicago-based performance enhancement specialist. He recommends having another meal, even if it’s just a protein bar, so you refill your energy reserves before you hit the gym.
WORK ON HIP MOBILITY
● “Static hip-flexor stretches prior to exercise are key,” according to Cates, especially if you work a desk job, which can increase the tightness in your hips as you sit all day. Get into lunge position resting your back knee on the floor and push your hips forward until you feel a stretch in the front of your back thigh and hip. Hold for 30 seconds and repeat on the other leg.

DON’T DELAY
● Hit the gym as soon as you get out of work. “A 7 p.m. workout is still an optimal time to get results,” says Martin Rooney, a strength coach and COO of the Parisi Speed School in Fair Lawn, NJ. “But as it gets later and later, it impacts sleep negatively.” You should always have a few hours after you train to wind down before bed.