Morning or evening for gym time?
What time works better for those of you in banking? It sounds like morning would be easier since you don’t know when you’re logging off.
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Weekend
I've always heard good things about working out in the morning but cant realistically imagine ever doing it. I'd always prioritize sleep. therefore nights when im less busy seem optimal, as if you try to go 4 days a week and make it on the weekends, you just need to fit in 2 other days across a 5 day work schedule, which is very doable
Based on the most helpful WSO content, morning workouts are generally recommended for those in banking. Here's why:
Predictability: Evening gym sessions can often be disrupted by unexpected work demands or late nights, which are common in banking. Morning routines are more predictable and easier to stick to.
Energy Levels: Starting your day with a workout can leave you feeling refreshed and energized, helping you tackle long hours at work.
Control Over Schedule: As one user mentioned, you might have no control over your evening if something urgent comes up, making mornings a safer bet for consistency.
Team Culture: While some teams may have a gym culture where people work out in the evenings, this is not guaranteed. Morning workouts ensure you prioritize your health regardless of team dynamics.
However, if mornings interfere with your sleep due to long working hours, you might need to adjust. Some users also fit in shorter workouts during the day or evenings when possible, but mornings remain the most reliable option for many in banking.
Sources: Lifting and IB, Investment Banking bad for your health?, Day in the Life: Hedge Fund Associate - Investment Banking Background, Investment Banking bad for your health?
morning
Evenings because I'm not a morning person.
If you can make mornings work, it's way less busy at most gyms and workouts go a lot faster.
If your office has a gym, I've seen people make it work by doing a gym session in office in evenings (around 6-7pm) with their phone on them. If you get called up, you simply go back to desk.
Once I was a couple years in and didn't feel as much pressure to be at my desk 24/7, I found lunchtime gym sessions to work the best.
Morning sucks because who wants to do that when you are regularly getting 6 hours of sleep. Evening sucks because I'm really hungry by dinnertime plus I'd rather meet friends if I can.
Meanwhile, I can get in, turn whatever comments came in at 5AM or whatever, then send things off for another round of review and hit the gym. Plus lunchtime is when MDs seem least likely to be reviewing decks.
Morning. I have no idea how evening workout people go to sleep at night.
We have no idea how you get up in the morning!
lol +SB
Evening cause who wants to wake up at 5am. That said, when I have kids it'll probably be morning
I’ve always been in the evening workout group. Lifting in the morning just feels wrong.
used to workout exclusively after work.. now exclusively in the AM before work.. don't think there's a right answer. but one quote that has changed my behavior.. "do something for yourself before you do something for someone else"
Do you feel your lifts feel weaker in the morning? Outside of getting enough sleep, I had this challenge when I tried a similar switch.
this is a good point - i think if you're running on very little sleep, doesn't really matter when the workout is.. with that being said depends on your goals. i definitely don't workout "as hard" as let's say for sports workouts in high school, more so for maintenance and health. taking creatine has helped a ton for me personally in recovery and having that extra boost of energy in the AM, only supplement i like to take here and there
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