Arnold Schwarzenegger Reveals Why Working Out Before Bed Can Be a Bad Idea

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Arnold Schwarzenegger is sharing a clear warning for people who like to work out late at night.

Arnold Schwarzenegger, the famous bodybuilder and actor, advises against strenuous workouts right before bed. In his newsletter, Arnold’s Pump Club, he shared that late-night exercise can disrupt sleep and hinder your body’s ability to recover. He regularly uses the newsletter to discuss health, fitness, and everyday routines.

Arnold Schwarzenegger, now 78 years old, stresses the importance of workout timing, especially with gyms increasingly open around the clock. He notes that many people with demanding jobs and families exercise late at night, but he maintains that when you work out can significantly impact your progress.

Arnold Schwarzenegger explains that intense exercise within four hours of bedtime can disrupt sleep, making it both harder to fall asleep and stay asleep. He cites research showing that these late workouts can delay sleep, reduce its duration, and put stress on your nervous system. However, he notes that lighter or moderate evening exercise is generally okay.

A recent study from Monash University, published in Nature Communications, examined the connection between exercise and recovery. Researchers analyzed data from over 14,000 adults who regularly work out, focusing on how the duration and intensity of workouts impacted their sleep, resting heart rate, and heart rate variability – an important indicator of how well their bodies were recovering.

The study found that intense evening workouts made it difficult for the body to relax and prepare for sleep.

The research showed that doing strenuous exercise right before bed can make it much harder to fall asleep, sometimes delaying sleep by over an hour. People also tended to sleep for a shorter time and experienced reduced recovery. As Arnold Schwarzenegger put it, this results in falling asleep 80 minutes later, getting 43 minutes less sleep, and significantly hindering recovery.

He also had some encouraging news: vigorous exercise didn’t interfere with sleep or recovery if it finished at least four hours before bed. However, within those four hours, gentler workouts were far more beneficial. As he put it, “Shorter, less intense exercise is much kinder to your body in that time.”

Arnold Schwarzenegger knows it’s not always possible to work out in the morning due to work and other commitments. He advises people not to worry if they can only exercise in the evening. He suggests prioritizing your toughest workouts for when you have more energy earlier in the day and keeping evening sessions lighter.

He also stressed the vital role of sleep. Schwarzenegger frequently recalls a key principle from his bodybuilding career: “You grow when you sleep, not when you train.” While you rest, your body releases hormones that repair muscles and replenish energy. Not getting enough sleep can hinder recovery, compromise your immune system, and limit strength improvements.

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2025-12-29 16:44