New to 5x5 SL

cassandrag93

Hi everyone,
I'm new to this group. I tried the 5x5 SL once a week and every week I am unable to get those 2 other days in. (Unmotivated, gym clutter, gym equipment in use) and today was supposed to be my first 5x5 SL day where I complete the whole week, no excuses! Well I decided to go early in the morning, however, I hit the snooze and went back to sleep. I am struggling with getting in the pattern of waking up at 5:30am and getting ready to go to the gym. Any advice that can help prepare me for those early mornings where I'll be lifting? I originally wanted to workout Monday/Wednesday/Friday but over spelt so having to change it to Tuesday/Thursday/Saturday.

I'm deciding to workout that early because during the weekdays my gym gets sooo busy. I am unable to preform the workouts with how over crowded it is, or people already using the equipment I need. Since I'm new and uncomfortable with my body I get shy and don't want to do the lifts in front of a lot of people, since I'm still learning correct form. I noticed that early mornings it's not as busy, so that would be my time to go.

Any advice at all would help.

Thanks!

Llamapants86

I found it works best when I am flexible time wise.
3 x a week with at least one day in-between worked well for me. That meant if something happened on Wed, I could just go Thursday and Saturday. Get back on M/W/F after that.

As for early mornings you just need to do it. I try not to think about it too much. When the alarm goes off, I don't snooze, I don't think about how tired I am or about how much no creature should ever have to be awake at 4:30 in the morning. I just get out of bed and get to it. I have noticed that if the room is a little bit warmer it is much easier to get going so I have a little space heater on a timer that starts 15 minutes before I get up (soon that will go away once we start getting into summer weather).

Good luck!

cassandrag93

@Llamapants86 thank you for the advice! I was wondering if being able to switch days up like that would be okay. I wasn't sure.

indianarose2

I've heard of the moment our alarm clock going off referred to as the “heroic moment” and refers to our getting out of bed immediately when our alarm sounds. With that said, I am no hero! Getting to bed on time sets you up for success or at least for no excuses. It helps too to think of the night before as the actual beginning of the next day. I will be fighting this battle too as I promised to wake up with my husband to work out with him out before he goes to work which will be hard because he is the reason I stay up too late sometimes! I guess we will both have to give something up. Rooting for you!

cassandrag93

My boyfriend is also a big reason to me staying up late. Definitely know what you're going through! Rooting for you as well! Let me know how it goes

mirrim52

You could try one of those smart phone apps that puts a puzzle on your alarm. To shut it off you have to solve a puzzle or quick math problem. By then you are awake enough that it doesn't make hitting snooze worth it.

cassandrag93

@mirrim52 great idea!!!

awkwardsoul

My husband does the "put the phone across the room" tactic so he has to get up and walk across the room to shut it off.

Don't worry about looking lame in front of people. I never notice anyone when I'd go to the gym (I lift at home now) unless they were doing something really creatively weird.

canadianlbs

i like morning workouts for the reasons you mentioned, but don't get to them nearly often enough. for me, as very much NOT a morning person, get-up-and-go does not work and it never will. my neurology needs time to get itself booted up before i start on a day. if i don't get that done in my pre-day window of time, my brain has holes in it for the rest of the day. and also, coffee.

with that said though, quiet time in the gym and the kind of peaceful concentration that lifting gets you doesn't really interfere with my mind all that much while it's warming up. it's not all that different from the puttering around at home that i do before i'm ready to leave the house and be spoken to by other peole. so i can start the bootup process, let it run while i drink coffee and make a shake, and then take the completion of it out there and let it take place at the gym. on a more practical front, i do find it really helpful to do the thing where you set out everything you're going to need in the morning, before going to bed. if i have to start doing that then i'm just not going to get there in time.

i agree with the advice to not get too hung up on particular days. instead of holding myself to a schedule, i more just monitor how many days since the last workout and go by more relative rules than the absolute ones. i guess really i only have two: i ALWAYS go two full sleeps between workouts, and i try not to go longer than 4. and that's about it. over the long haul, little fluctuations in that from week to week . . . well, they pretty much level themselves out.

MalineVD

I also go in the mornings at 7am. For me it helps that I'm not going alone. If I were to go alone, I think I would sleep in a lot more, but now I don't want to let my friends down AND I don't want to fall behind. They're two guys, so it's already hard to keep up with them.

I also really really really WANT it. I WANT to be better, become stronger, more fit, more toned.

I've read something really awesome about making excuses for not working out.
Instead of "I couldn't go, because of this and this reason", you have to say "It's not a priority for me, because I chose sleep/... over it."
When you admit to yourself that it's not a priority (and let's be honest, it really isn't when you're constantly making excuses not to go), then at least you're being honest and true to yourself and you can find (other) solutions starting from there.

cassandrag93

Love all of the feedback! Thank you guys all so much, I feel like I can relate with a lot of you. I downloaded a puzzle alarm and that helped me wake up a bit. Today was the first successful 6AM workout. Hopefully I can keep at it, I feel refreshed and ready for my day. I am already home, showered and resting next to my boyfriend that is still sleeping. I'm a little bitter about that, but I feel GREAT! Thanks for all the encouragement ladies!

canadianlbs

cassandrag93 wrote: »

boyfriend that is still sleeping. I'm a little bitter about that

tickle him. or other stuff, as appropriate. for being a non-morning person myself, i'm really intolerable on the rare occasions when i actually do feel full of the joys while someone else is asleep.

ohiotubagal

I know this sounds crazy, but I've heard of some people sleeping in their gym clothes. I've never done it but I can see how it would help.

I always get my gym bad ready the night before, since I go on my way to work and have to take work clothes. Of course, this doesn't always prevent me from forgetting my underwear, bras, work shoes, etc. (like yesterday when I forgot my regular bra, so I had to wash my sports bra in the shower and dry it with a towel).

annaskiski

When I hit the snooze button, I try to think about breakfast. Usually the prospect of food is enough to get me out of bed........

MalineVD

annaskiski wrote: »

When I hit the snooze button, I try to think about breakfast. Usually the prospect of food is enough to get me out of bed........

^^ this!

indianarose2

Yeah well I was the sleeping one this morning while my husband got up at 5:30 to work out. It wasn't like I was able to actually enjoy lolling in the bed though because our workout area is in the bedroom and he was blaring "O Brother Where Art Thou" on the tv so he could hear over the treadmill. I was nice however and gave him some pointers on his bentover rows. ;-) Maybe I'll get up tomorrow but I didn't realize he was getting up at 5:30! That's not exactly what I signed up for! We'll see...