My name is JB and I’m a jammy bastard.

I’m dead jammy because I get to train in the middle of the day. This is just dandy for me because:

• It’s in the middle of the day where I have the most energy.
• It’s the quietest time of day for me so I get to train without any distractions.
• It gives me the evenings to do other stuff.

However, I do realise that most people don’t have this luxury and instead have to train either before or after work. I’ve written an article about helping you through those morning training sessions but what about you folks who have to train a bit later?

It comes with its own set of problems that need to be tackled if the only time you can get in the gym is when most people are snuggled up at home on the sofa eating their dinner in front of the TV…

1. GO STRAIGHT FROM WORK

Early morning training can be tempting to skip thanks to the lure of staying an extra hour under the duvet. Evening training is no different, except this time is the temptation to sack off the gym in favour of cracking open a bottle of something nice and ploughing your way through a box set.

One of the best things about being a PT? I work where I train. I can easily pop off to get a session in during my free time. I of course however realise not everyone else is so lucky.

To make the choice of going to the gym that little bit easier, pack all your kit and take it to work with you. As soon as you clock off, get your backside straight to the gym. This way you won’t get comfortable at home and spend the evening with Jon Snow on the telly rather than the squat rack.

2. DITCH THE CAFFEINE

Don’t take any caffeinated drinks like pre-workout, coffee, Red Bull, Monster etc. (or caffeine pills) in the evening to get you through a workout.

Yes, it can be tempting to have something like this to get you through an evening session. However, it will impact your sleep regardless of how immune you think you are to the effects of caffeine which will make you feel like death the following day. You’ll then need some caffeine to help you going that evening, then you won’t sleep well again… you get the picture. Certainly a vicious cycle.

Instead…

3. HAVE SOME PRE-WORKOUT CARBS

Carbs won’t have quite the same effect as some pre-workout caffeine but it’ll still keep fatigue at bay, especially if the last time you ate was at lunchtime as your blood sugar will have dropped.

The amount you should eat will greatly depend on what your calorie/macronutrient goals are but a good rule of thumb would be to eat a carb containing meal/snack 15 mins to 2 hours pre-session. 15 minutes would be sufficient for a small bag (~15g) of Haribo, or 2 hours+ for a full blown meal.

Just a wee snack. No seriously, best to give something like this a couple of hours to digest before you train.

4. PAY FOR IT

If you’ve got the funds, I would seriously consider hiring yourself a coach.

The financial investment will make you think twice before not turning up for a session and if your trainer is good, you’ll make progress in a fraction of the time you could by yourself, making it excellent value in itself.

Failing this, if the bank balance really doesn’t allow you to have a trainer, why not get a friend involved? Whilst it might not have the same effect that the expertise of a trainer would bring, it still gives you the accountability to make you think twice about skipping a session.

5. CUT OUT THE FLUFF

If you have to train late, you’ll likely want to be in and out of the gym as quickly as possible whilst still getting the job done.

So consider this… ask yourself WHY are you doing everything in your program?

For example:

Why do you have 4 arm exercises in your routine? Would one suffice?

Why are you performing 10 sets of 10 reps? Would 5 sets do the same job?

Do you need to perform 20 minutes of steady state cardio at the end of your session when just eating into more of a calorie deficit would do the trick?

So if you don’t have a reason for the inclusion of something in your program, get rid of it! If you need help with this just feel free to ask.

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