Exercising contributes to burning fat, but is there a particular time that one must adhere to for the best results? In his recent newsletter, Arnold Schwarzenegger addressed the crucial topic of whether or not working out at night helps burn more fat. However, unlike the rest of his usual newsletter segments, the answer for this might not be as precise as we would want it to be.
A study on the link between the timing of intense exercises and diseases in obese adults suggests that the subjects performing more rigorous workouts at night had a lower risk of diseases. However, unlike other research that Schwarzenegger usually referred to in his newsletters, there was a catch in this one.
While the theme was intriguing, Schwarzenegger pointed out that it was an observational study, which meant that it was missing certain nuances that barred them from drawing a definitive result. Although the data derived wasn’t useless, it could’ve taken more variables into account.
For instance, one of the researchers leading the study clarified that while they did observe better fat burning at night, their trackers couldn’t detect what kind of exercise the subjects performed. Out of the 30,000 subjects who wore activity trackers, it wasn’t clear if they followed a structured plan or performed haphazard exercises.
“When data suggests a relationship, it’s good to see if other studies have tried controlling variables to determine cause and effect.”
Alternatively, Schwarzenegger also highlighted a randomized controlled trial with about 100 subjects performing a similar experiment. Only this time, they all followed a structured plan, and the researchers could observe if morning or night training made a difference.
“The scientists found that the timing of exercise did not influence fat loss.”
This wasn’t to negate the observation made by the previous experiment since it’s clear that under certain circumstances, exercising at night could be better. But Schwarzenegger admitted that contradictory results would still prevail in this situation. The solution then was to focus less on the timing and more on consistency.
Arnold Schwarzenegger once revealed how consistency was the key to weight management
While one could adopt several forms of workout routines or plan every step to the T, fitness goals were only achievable if one put in continued efforts. For Schwarzenegger, consistency was king and the key to crossing off all the major milestones on one’s weight loss plan.
In an older newsletter, he talked about how there was no magical plan that fit all weight loss goals. Instead, scientists recommend realistically picking and choosing the plan an individual could stick to for the longest time and follow earnestly. This worked in terms of following both a workout routine and a diet plan, where subjects observed significant changes only when they were consistent. As Schwarzenegger always says, focusing on the bigger picture helps avoid thinking about minor inconveniences. Therefore, smaller, consistent steps could bring enormous changes.
