If you’re interested in health and fitness, you may have heard of time-restricted eating. However, time-restricted training is a new exercise approach that’s also been gaining popularity. What is it, and how can it help you build muscle? Explore the science, benefits and practical tips for maximizing muscle growth through this approach.
Why Time-Restricted Training?
Exercise supports heart health while lowering stress and anxiety levels for enhanced mental well-being and clarity. When you exercise is as important as how — and that’s where time-restricted training comes in. This method aligns workouts with your body’s natural circadian rhythms to improve results.
How to Use Time-Restricted Training
Time-restricted training involves scheduling your workouts within a set daily window, matching your eating period if you follow intermittent fasting. You train during this time and rest for the remainder of the day.
For example, if you eat between 12 p.m. and 8 p.m., schedule your workouts during that time. This optimizes your body’s rhythms for muscle growth, fat loss and overall health. Diet and exercise contribute to leading a healthier lifestyle, so combine your exercise with leafy greens and nutritious fruits during your eating window.
The Secret Behind Time-Restricted Training
Your body functions according to a natural circadian rhythm, which regulates your sleep-wake cycle and repeats roughly every 24 hours. Studies show that aligning meals with this rhythm can improve metabolism and digestion, regulate hormones and minimize the risks of obesity, diabetes and other chronic conditions.
Science suggests that doing resistance work during an eating window can benefit muscle growth and your overall health if you adhere to the following key principles:
- Consistency: Train at the same time every day.
- Alignment: Align your workout and eating windows daily for optimal results.
- Recovery: Allow for adequate rest time outside your training window.
Benefits of Time-Restricted Training
While studies differ on the best time for resistance training, many suggest that working out during your body’s peak energy periods — late morning to early evening — may improve muscle gain. There is more evidence to suggest that training at the same time of day improves performance-related outcomes, especially alongside time-restricted eating. Combining these two elements means your body becomes nutrient-efficient for muscle repair and growth.
1. Optimal Protein Intake
Protein is essential for muscle growth. Inadequate protein intake leads to muscle loss and weakness, heightening the chances of infection and disease. The protein your body needs for muscle growth is relative — timing your intake makes a more significant difference in starting the muscle-building process. Daily training in the same window as you eat will provide sufficient protein for muscular development. Ideally, eat a protein-filled meal after you exercise for optimal results.
2. Fat Reduction
Time-restricted training helps burn fat by increasing your body’s reliance on stored energy during fasting periods. This allows your body to burn fat during and after exercise, with your diet assisting the process. A higher metabolic rate from strength training means you reduce fat while building muscle as you rest. Six to eight weeks of consistent resistance training will reduce fat and heighten your resting metabolic rate to support new muscle growth.
3. Better Hormonal Balance
Your hormones play an essential role in muscle growth and fat loss. Time-restricted training helps balance testosterone and estrogen levels — vital for building muscle.
Testosterone encourages growth hormone release in your body, allowing you to build lean muscle mass faster than without it. Your testosterone level decreases when fasting, while a subsequent increase after eating is beneficial for exercise. Estrogen influences muscle mass by reducing exercise-related damage and aiding recovery. Testosterone and estrogen also work to interact with other pathways that impact muscle growth.
4. Increased Focus, Energy and Recovery
Training at the same time each day using the time-restricted method allows your body’s circadian rhythm to anticipate and prepare for the activity. Therefore, you’ll enjoy improved mental focus and higher energy levels during strength workouts. Maintaining consistency also makes sticking to your fitness routine easier while enjoying enough recovery time to encourage muscle growth, injury prevention and overall well-being.
How to Start Time-Restricted Training
Are you ready to attempt time-restricted training? Make the transition easier by following this basic step-by-step guide.
Step 1: Choose a Training Window to Align With Your Eating Habits
Pick a window of around eight hours that suits your lifestyle. The timing is entirely up to you, but ensure it suits your eating patterns to allow for a seamless workout during this period. You will want to feel energized and ready for the workout session of your choice.
Step 2: Plan Your Workouts
Schedule all your training — strength, cardio and other activities — within your chosen window. Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous activity weekly. Add your workouts to your calendar so they are nonnegotiables.
Step 3: Prioritize Nutrition
Eat balanced meals that are rich in protein and include healthy fats and complex carbs during your eating window. Doing so will support muscle growth and recovery and give you the energy to work out to the best of your ability.
Step 4: Monitor Your Progress
Track your workouts, energy levels and muscle mass gains. If you need to adjust your window or routine, do so as soon as possible to allow consistency in eating and exercise. It may take some trial and error, but determining the best timing that provides the results you want is well worth the effort.
Step 5: Plan for Rest
Regardless of workout intensity, prioritize rest to support muscle health. Schedule your training window to avoid excess energy at bedtime while still producing the endorphins that generate and maintain a positive feeling to promote better sleep. Getting enough rest is vital for your health and aids in recovery.
Time-Restricted Training Includes Several Benefits That Promote Muscle Growth
Any strength training program will invariably assist with muscle growth. However, the science-backed benefits associated with time-restricted regimens make them a viable alternative to your traditional workout. Fine-tuning your methods, especially when optimizing resistance training, will make a huge difference in the results you see. The added benefits in muscle growth and recovery make refining existing routines worth doing to enjoy better and healthier outcomes.