Is it bad to work out in the evening?

On Ep. 196, Nikkiey explains that there is no single right time to train. Drawing on what she learned from Dr. Cabral, she describes a pattern many women in the WarriorBabe community recognize: cortisol is low in the morning, so you wake up sluggish with brain fog and low drive, then it peaks in the afternoon and stays up at bedtime. He calls this tired and wired. For some people in that state, evening exercise could actually help. Still, she notes that morning or afternoon workouts can help regulate sleep, and intense sessions right before bed may work against you. Her stance for the last eight years has been the same: it depends on the individual.

Why it matters: Nikkiey says elevated cortisol at night can cut into deep sleep and recovery, which slows results no matter how hard you train or how dialed in your macros are. If you suspect your cortisol or thyroid is part of the picture, that is a conversation for your doctor. On the habits side, she also suggests limiting caffeine and alcohol, especially close to bedtime, since both reduce deep sleep.

There is also the practical side. On Ep. 276, client Karen shares that she started out training in the evenings because that was where the time seemed to be. But coming home knowing she still had to work out made the whole day feel like something was looming. Switching to mornings made her more alert, gave her more energy through the day, and freed up her evenings for family.

So evening training is not bad in itself. Pay attention to how you sleep and feel, keep the hardest sessions away from bedtime if they wire you up, and pick the time you can actually stick with. If your current schedule keeps fighting you, the schedule is the problem, not you.