Best time to exercise as bodybuilder?

For bodybuilding, there isn’t one universally best time: choose a time you can train consistently, though late afternoon or roughly three hours after waking may offer a performance edge. 1

• Potential windows: The suggested windows are 30 minutes after waking, three hours after waking, and late afternoon—about 11 hours after waking. These are opportunities, not rigid rules. 2
• Body temperature: Performance may be better and injury risk lower when body temperature is higher; temperature commonly peaks in late afternoon. 3
• Consistency and cognitive work: Pick a schedule you can maintain. If your work is cognitively demanding, a very vigorous workout—especially one taken to failure—can leave you tired and affect the rest of your day, so account for its intensity and timing. 4 5
• Morning training: Regular morning workouts may help you feel more energized through the day; Huberman also described blood-work changes in testosterone and estrogen in relation to whether he got a weekly jog, rather than establishing a general testosterone effect from morning exercise. 6

For muscle growth and strength, the time of day itself does not appear to matter much; fit training around your schedule and sleep. 1