Morning or evening training: what the evidence and the heat say

• Bruggisser and colleagues (2023) screened over 14,000 articles and included 26 training studies that compared two or more times of day, seven of them in the meta-analyses. Their conclusion: the research provides evidence neither for nor against a specific time being more beneficial for performance or health. There was some evidence of larger effects when training and testing happened at the same time of day.
• Grgic and colleagues (2019) pooled 11 studies of resistance training at fixed times. Strength was higher in the evening at baseline. Training in the morning raised morning strength towards evening levels, and overall, strength gains and muscle growth were similar whether people trained in the morning or the evening.

The limits matter. Bruggisser's team rated the risk of bias as high in most studies, the trials were small and short, and averages hide individual differences. What the reviews do support is a simple rule: consistency at an hour you can keep matters more than the hour itself. That is how RPM in Al Manhal approaches it too, with early-morning and late-evening opening and shorter Friday hours.

Indoor gym sessions take most of the weather out of the decision, but outdoor training does not. The World Health Organization's fact sheet on heat and health tells the public to keep strenuous activity, and trips outdoors, away from the hottest part of the day, and to stay informed about official heat warnings. It also notes that athletes are among the groups exposed to exertional heat stress.

• From May to September, keep runs, cycling and outdoor circuits away from the hottest part of the day, or move them indoors.
• Check official heat warnings before an outdoor session rather than relying on how the morning feels.
• For an indoor session, the hour matters mainly for the walk from the car and the drive, not the workout.
• Anyone with a heart condition, or who is pregnant or takes regular medication, should ask a doctor about exercising in the heat.

For runners deciding where to train through the hot months, gym cardio vs outdoor running in summer compares treadmill and road.

Sleep is the factor people underrate. If a morning slot means sleeping less, that cost may outweigh the convenience. If you train late, some people find a hard session just before bed keeps them awake while others sleep well. Training at a late-night gym looks at what a review found about hard sessions and bedtime.

In many gyms the hours before work and straight after offices close are the busiest, which can turn a planned session into a queue for the rack. When the gym is least busy maps the usual pattern through the week and the year. RPM has no published busy times, so the reliable test is to turn up at your intended hour for a week or two and ask the team how that slot usually looks.

• If your only spare hour is a busy one, write a session that can start on any open station.
• If you can move by even a short spell earlier or later, try it for two weeks before deciding.
• Weekend mornings and the Friday after prayers have their own rhythm, so check them separately.

The calendar can make the choice for you. In Ramadan, many people who fast move training to the evening after iftar, and gyms often change their hours for the month. Whether RPM's hours change in Ramadan is not confirmed, so check with the team as the month approaches. Anyone fasting with a medical condition should speak to a doctor before training.

On ordinary weeks, your working hours narrow the options before biology does. Fitting gym training around office hours works through the windows a government or private-sector week leaves.

RPM is one club, on Level 4 of AD HUB Sports Complex in Al Manhal, with free on-site parking at AD HUB and a lift up. Men use the Mixed section. Women can also train in the women-only Ladies section, equipped with its own strength and cardio kit, if their tier includes it.

When you book the free guided tour, pick the slot you would normally train in. The floor you see then is the floor you will get. Ask about public holiday hours as well as Ramadan.