Early Morning Workouts

Good morning everyone! My week 2 for P90X3 - awesome stuff. Does anyone here workout in the early morning....if so, I have a few questions....

How much sleep do you get?
What time do you get up, and what time to you start working out?
Do you eat before or after the workout?

Ive heard its best to eat 30-60 minutes upon waking for fat loss...but that conflicts with a morning workout. Your thoughts...

Thanks!

Replies

  • groundhawg
    groundhawg Posts: 121 Member
    I wake up at 5:50, so I'm usually pushing play on Cold Start at about 6:10. I have a few prunes, or a few spoonfuls of oatmeal before the workout otherwise I bonk out (which resulted once in terrible trembling, a fever, and almost passing out) because I'm already eating at a deficit for weight loss((**note I'm not eating at that much of a deficit, this only happens if I work out in the morning, its not a problem if I work out in the evening, but I find that inconvenient)).

    I'm usually in bed by about 10-10:30 and I fall asleep fairly immediately (thank you p90x3 I'm always tired lol), and so I get about 7-7.5 hours of sleep. I would like it to be a bit more but that's the most manageable. Afterwards I have my actual breakfast- protein shake, quinoa oatmeal, yogurt soaked muesli, egg and sweet potato hash. Something filling but not super high in calories, I hate feeling heavy in the morning from food, so I normally have a fruit & protein snack at about 10:30-11:00 or whenever I get hungry.

    Honestly though, I don't worry to much about timing my eating, etc. Following those algorithms for weight loss seemed redundant and hard to follow for me. If you are sleeping well, exercising, drinking water, and eating healthy food in healthy portions, you'll get your body where you want it. Eating 75 minutes after waking up or fifteen minutes after a workout isn't going to change that.
  • AngDenSti
    AngDenSti Posts: 184
    My husband and I wake up at 4:45 AM and work out everyday at 5 AM. We don't do the cold start workout (even though we should) because I just can't get up any earlier. We eat within 30 minutes of finishing our workout and that works for us. And I get at least 7 hours of sleep each night. I wish I could get more, but it just never happens. :)

    I LOVE P90X3 even at 5 AM!!! :)
  • melissawiltrout
    melissawiltrout Posts: 15 Member
    I am trying to switch over from evening work outs to morning work outs. So I go to bed at 9 and wake up at 4:30 then drink my protein shake right after my work out. Then I eat a bowl of oatmeal (or yogurt and fruit or a hard boiled egg and turkey sausage) about 9am. I don't know if that's what I'm supposed to do but it works for me.
  • guerin
    guerin Posts: 6 Member
    I sleep 7 hours per night. Workout first thing in the morning (7:30) with empty stomach. Looks like I'm the lucky one.Then I have my breakfast.
  • My work schedule is from 8am-9pm. I try to wake up at 6 and get going as opposed to coming home after 9 and working out.

    I typically reserve the yoga/stretch exercises for the evenings because it's a nice way to end the day and prepare my body for sleep. But with the weights and cardio workouts, I plan to do in the mornings.
  • MzTate81
    MzTate81 Posts: 63 Member
    I get up at 3am for my workouts and eat after ... I get about 7 hours of sleep
  • Ledgehanger
    Ledgehanger Posts: 125 Member
    I started working out first thing in the morning a while back. I had some friends tell me that by doing that people sleep better, and they feel better throughout the day since they started the day with a workout.

    I found that I didn't sleep any better (although really... I don't think it's possible to sleep better than I do now...), and I spent all day every day feeling like I'd been run over by a truck. Combine that with my natural reluctance to get up a second before I absolutely must do so...

    And that's why I exercise at night. :laugh:
  • Has anyone tried that E&E drink BeachBody advertises for Pre-workouts? I typically work-out on an empty stomach but somedays have nibbled on a power bar just to get me going.
  • Butrovich
    Butrovich Posts: 410 Member
    I wake up at 5am to get to work before 6:30am. During a typical workweek I manage to get my workouts done around 3pm before teaching an evening class. My weekends give me the flexibility to workout whenever I feel like it.

    My five meals fall around standard times, but I always try to eat a little protein/carbs immediately after a workout.

    Mike