Should I Work Out After Not Sleeping Well?

[motof]

hey guys
Party of the college life is long nights of homework and sometimes all nighters. I am wondering if on the day after an all nighter or even just a late nighter with little sleep, should I workout the next day?

(On an all-nighter I probably won't workout, but these are more rare)

I can't tell if I should leave the day for rest, get a good sleep, and hit the workout hard the next day or stay on routine and still lift.

What do you all think?

-Motof

[Chris]

I always recommend staying on schedule with your workouts unless you have a physical problem or sickness. Basically the way I look at it, being tired is an excuse. If you make an exception for being tired, then maybe next week you make another one cause you "don't have time", or "your training partner isn't available", or "you just don't feel like it today". That is a slippery slope, and usually once you make an exception, you are more likely to make another one. You can always overcome being tired, especially if its just for an hour workout.

[Chameleon]

Originally Posted by Chris

I always recommend staying on schedule with your workouts unless you have a physical problem or sickness. Basically the way I look at it, being tired is an excuse. If you make an exception for being tired, then maybe next week you make another one cause you "don't have time", or "your training partner isn't available", or "you just don't feel like it today". That is a slippery slope, and usually once you make an exception, you are more likely to make another one. You can always overcome being tired, especially if its just for an hour workout.

I agree mostly, however... if you don't get at least five hours of sleep I would say "no, don't work out" mainly because a lack of sleep can hamper concentration, muscle recovery and sometimes strength. I think this is one case where blanket statements can't be made... if you get to bed an hour late, it's not a good excuse to skip a workout, but if you didn't get to bed until 2 a.m. and have to get up at 6 a.m. to be able to get into the gym & workout, if it's a lifting day, sleep in get your workout in the next day after a good nights sleep... just my two cents... when you can't concentrate on what you're doing because you're too tired you can get sloppy on form and get injured... it's much better to move that workout one day then to potentially get injured... just my two cents

[Andrew]

My workouts aren't as good when I'm either tired or had a poor sleep the night before. My view is, that even if I am tired I should do a workout and get it out of the way as I will feel better for doing it.

[big g]

my thoughts are is how determined are you about your body. me i dont hit the weights after bad sleep. not worth my time because i can never hit even to close to my normal poundage. i just do some cardio enough to work up a sweat but so much where it will take all my energy.

[Tove]

one night no sleep has never killed anyone. So my triathletes do even ironmans on no sleep because they are so nervous..get in the gym baby!