Early Morning Workout?? Opinions??

I work 12 hour shifts and I absolutely hate getting up at 5:30 am let alone 4:30 am to work out. However I do have to say after 12 hours of work I don't want to do anything so ultimately getting up early saves me time and after I get going I don't even notice a difference and actually feel better throughout the day! Good luck!

The best time to work out is whenever you have time to do so.

^ This.

The physiological differences (fat burning) would only be applicable for already lean individuals and even in that case it would depend.

See here:
http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/fasted-cardio-and-fat-loss-qa.html

The best time to work out is whenever you have time to do so.

^ This.

The physiological differences (fat burning) would only be applicable for already lean individuals and even in that case it would depend.

See here:
http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/fasted-cardio-and-fat-loss-qa.html

^^ What he said.... However, I like the morning workouts and feel better if I workout in the morning. I am dead to the world if I don't. Then I put it off and it doesn’t get done… 5 kids will do that to you! I wake up at 4-4:30 (depending on how long or what I am doing that day) get dressed and go right into my workout hard. It works for me. I am doing Insanity right now and they have about a 10 min warm up in the beginning then into stretches so this gets me going and I don't have to wait to wake up or wait to get my HR going. When I run or do the elliptical I do ladders and in the beginning of those you do a warm up to, to get you started.

I know I feel better during the day when I'm able to get an early workout in but I'm such a sleepyhead in the mornings.

I alternate and like both. I have trouble sleeping after my 9pm workouts but prefer the evening workouts. 3 days a week I run trails and do it at sunrise due to the heat of the afternoons.

If you can do it, I would recommend it. It's tough the first day, but I've noticed that in the following days, I have much more energy and it's easier to get up. I put on some good music (when I'm actually doing it, that is! :laugh: ) and that puts me in a great mood for the day. The only problem for me is that if I skip it one day, just one morning say "Oh, I don't need to do it today," I am done for. I won't get up the next day or the day after that. And then I have to work back up to forcing myself to get up in the morning. It's a never ending cycle for me, even though I know that I love the way that I feel for the rest of the day (and about myself in general) when I get up early to exercise, I still wake up in the morning and say "Ten more minutes..." Why, just this morning I woke up at 5:55 like usual to give my son his thyroid medicine, and he was pretty wide awake so when I tried to lay back down, he came in and was talking to me. I got up, moved the kitten out of my room, tucked my son back into bed, and then went and got on the computer to (of all things) look up how many calories I would burn (roughly) if I did a 27 minute Jillian Michaels video! I didn't actually get up and do it, I sat on the computer thinking about doing it! Wide awake and everything. I guess I'm working my way up to it. I just need a good kick in the pants to get me going!

For all of you that rise at o' dark thirty...
What do you fuel with pre workout that early?

I start out with a banana and a big glass of water before my ride.

I started getting up at 5am to ride my bike because that is the only time I know I can ride. It was rough at first, but now I like it. It is not as hot and the roads are quiet.

I feel the most productive after an early morning jog with the dog. I get my exercise complete, beat the heat and i set myself up for a healthier day.
Only problem is if i DONT sleep well the night before i usually cant drag my butt out of bed. Getting up at 5:45 can take its toll. I'm beat by friday night.

I could workout in the mornings if I really wanted to, but I do not like to at all. I always feel weak and like I am going to pass out. I have to eat breakfast before I can workout, but cannot workout on a full tummy (my breakfast is my biggest meal of the day). So I usually workout as soon as I get home from work (around 4pm) and it is perfect for me. It is long enough for my body to digest my lunch and right before dinner (I try to eat an early-ish dinner) so I can get my post workout meal in. The only early morning workout I like to do is jogging.

If working out in the morning is the best time, or the only time, I say go for it. One workout suggestion would be to Jillian Michael's DVDs. You can purchase several that are about 20-40 mins long. Or, you could purchase any other kind of home workout DVD. Or just doing old school stuff, like jumping jacks, mountain climbers, push ups, crunches. If you google "at home workouts" there are lots of different suggestions. Also, youtube has free workout videos. Just go to youtube and search BeFit. Hope that helps.