morning workouts

how do you do it??!?
i love sleep. i love going to bed, and i hate my alarm so much.

how do you get yourself up and alert enough to focus on a workout? what time do you get up and what is your morning routine?

Replies

3dogsrunning

I don't make it an option. If I do, I choose sleep Everytime. I know going to bed that when my alarm goes off I am getting up without a second thought and going. And that's what I do.

I have a different schedule now so my workouts are at lunch but I was getting up at 4:30 am to do my workout before my 12 hour dayshift that started at 7 am.
I haven't had an issue with being alert but I had to travel to the gym. Even when running by the time I'm up and ready, I'm awake.

LiveLoveLift67

I am just a morning person and have more energy early in the morning. I try to get to the gym by 5am when they open. I am so used to do that , that i dont even need the alarm clock any more.....kinda sucks on sundays and days when i dont want to get up that early . I also feel more energized thru the day and if anything comes up i know i already got my workout in.

A pre workout helps or some caffeine for sure.

Ashes_To_Beast

Same for me, up at 4am in the gym by 5.. If I don't go before work I feel off all day and after work I'm drained.

auddii

I'm a morning person, and even if I don't set my alarm, I'm up at 7am at the latest, even when I'm trying to sleep in. I work at 7am, so I'm up at 4:45 to get to the gym. I try to be in bed by 9:30-10, and I'm usually out pretty fast after that. My alarm clock is across the room so that I must physically get out of bed to turn it off. This is a habit from back in grade school, but it does help prevent snoozing.

ETA: As for my morning routine, I get up, get dressed, and am out the door. I work out fasted just as a preference. I lay out all my clothes and pack my work clothes and lunch the night before. Just make it grab and go to optimize my time in the morning so I don't have to get up even earlier. I eat breakfast once I'm at work.

Calliope610

Every morning I have the choice to be lazy or to be awesome. Put into that context, the choice becomes easier to make.

ETA: The alarm goes off at 5:15 for SL5x5 M-W-F.

sheltol

I do beachbody workouts at home. I get everything ready the night before. So DVD is in and ready, workout clothes are ready for me in the bathroom. It takes a good two weeks for your body to adjust but if you push through it becomes habit. I'm up at 4 and working out at 4:15-4:20. Once you are in front of the TV you push play and it's go time.

Also, I would say having a support group helps. There are morning I don't want to get up but I know there are people that are in much worse shape than me who fight and put in the effort. So why should I make excuses when they are doing it. We've also had people form texting groups who are in the same time zones for accountability. What ever it takes!

lts42uk

I don't make it an option. If I do, I choose sleep Everytime. I know going to bed that when my alarm goes off I am getting up without a second thought and going. And that's what I do.

This ^^^

I'm up, dressed and ready to start my workout before my brain has had a chance to catch up! I've been doing this for 3 years, 6 days a week - it's normal now! If it didn't get done in the morning - it wouldn't get done!

TR0berts

Up by 5AM, input some coffee and creatine, then I pick things up and put them down.

aswearingen22

I've been running in the mornings for a few years. Sunday's is easy to get up at 5:45 as I have to leave the house at 6:40 to meet my running group at 7. No option to be late there, people counting on me.

The rest of the week is harder. Sometimes I run with neighbors and that's motivation as someone is waiting on their driveway for you. We usually meet around 5:30, but have met as early as 4:30 depending on the mileage we're running and if someone has an early meeting at work or something with the kids. When I have to get up on my own, not meeting anyone, I struggle. I can't seem to get back in the habit this spring yet, so I've been having to squeeze it in during other parts of my day (while kids are at sports practices, after dinner, etc) and it's not fun. SO much easier to have it done and out of the way by 6:30 which is the time I'd normally be getting up. And I feel awesome the rest of the day knowing I did it and that it's done. I finally made myself get up and go alone today and I feel so much better knowing I don't have to find time later. It gets easier for me to get up once the weather heats up as it's miserable to be running once the sun is up, cooler in the dark before dawn!

It's all about habit. Make yourself do it for a few weeks and then you'll crave it.

shauntelang

I do a morning workout M-F up at 4:15 and classes start at 5. M-W-F I do Bootcamp and T-Th I do Thai Fit. I am NOT a morning person and sometimes I really have to convince myself to get up but once I am there I am glad that I did. I love working out in the morning and have the best workouts when I do. I pack everything the night before, sit out my clothes, make my lunch, etc. that way when I get back from the gym, it's a quick shower and out the door for work.

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apple_22over7

I am not a morning person. At all. I hate mornings with a passion. I tried to get up early for working out for months, and it just never happened. The times I did get up early, I would half-*kitten* the workout and feel crap. I tried every strategy going - multiple alarms, alarms set the other side of the bedroom, alarm apps on my phone that will only shut off when I scan a QR code, bed earlier, sleep in my workout clothes, down a pint of water before bed so you need the loo when you wake up.. there were many many strategies. I tried them all, and whislt some worked better than others, none worked consistently enough for me. The pull of my bed was too strong.

The solution? I started to schedule my workouts to be later in the day, either at lunchtime at work or after work. That way, I’d be awake and alert enough to complete it and it fits in with the rest of my day and my schedule. And it allows me to have the luxury of lying in bed until 8am, guilt-free.

There is no rule that says exercise must be done first thing in the morning. Whilst I believe there is *some* evidence that morning work outs have marginally more benefits than workouts later in the day, the fact is that a workout at 5:30pm that gets done is infinitely better than a morning workout scheduled for 6am that you slept through and never bothered with. Admittedly there can be problems with a later workout – it may simply not fit your schedule, it can be difficult to get motivated after a long day at work, it can feel like you’re eating into “play” time in the evenings – but that’s where you need to decide what your priorities are.

jonlfischer

I get up at 5:40 am first thing i do is down a protein shake, eat a peanut butter sandwich, get my gym bag ready(most times the night before) take my creatine, aminos and pre-workout. I am usually in the gym by 6:30.For megetting some type of food in my system helps.

cuinboston2014

I also tell myself the night before this is what I'm going to do. My alarm will go off at 5 - I have my clothes ready. I will get out of bed, change, drive to the gym and when I get to the gym this is the workout I'm doing. having any of that be unknown gives me room to fail. My husband sometimes will also push me out of bed.

I hate going to the gym after work, especially when my daughter and I are still in school. That's a huge motivator. I only have a cuople hours to spend with her at night and that's doing homework, piano, extra curriculars, etc and then after she goes to bed I have to do my homework. leaving a workout until night just isn't fun when her bedtime is 8pm.

If I'm taking a rest day, I still get up at 5am so that I can get other stuff done and nto break my routine. As much as I hate getting up at 5am sometimes, I hate sleeping in more.

Lu2012NP

I am NOT a morning person, but I have been going each weekday morning to our local SNAP Fitness 24/7 gym which I love!

What I do is set my alarm to get up around 5:30 AM, which gives me enough time to do just sit and drink my coffee. By trying to get up at 5:30, I will still have enough time to get to the gym, even if I hit the snooze a couple times.

I also pack my gym bag the night before in case I sleep longer. I am at the gym about 7 am and do the treadmil for 45 min. I have to be at work by 8:30 am.

Plus my alarm clock is set 10 minutes ahead to trick myself into getting up earlier. Amazing that I fall for it every morning!

Hope I could help.
Lu

Julesbait

For me, it isn't that I like getting up at the butt crack of dawn. (Up by 3:30 am, working out by 4.) I hate it, really. But in the evening, I have so many other things to do on top of being pooped from being at work all day, that I just KNOW I would always find an excuse to not work out. In the morning, there's no excuse other than laziness. Which is part of why I got fat in the first place.

anewdesign

thanks for all your suggestions people - i appreciate it.

i ususally do my dvd at home after work, but then sometimes it turns to after dinner.. or after the dishes.. or.. after.. whatever. you know? i feel as though if i were to be able to have it done and over with in the morning before my shower i would feel more accomplished.

maybe i will just have to stick it out for awhile, see if i can make it a habit. thanks for your help!

any other insights are welcome!

Platform_Heels

On the days I do get up to workout in the morning I don't get up terribly early. Maybe after 6, sometimes later depending on what errands I have to run after.

Since I switched my cardio to the afternoon it's easier to get up a little "later" in the mornings to lift.

If I don't get up early in the morning and I don't say to my husband "We are going to the gym at X time" then we won't go because work gets in the way and then it starts to get late and there are certain times where the gym is packed and you can't get any equipment.

It's just nice to have it done and over with early and not have to think about it during the day

thebejota

I am in the same boat. Every morning is a little bit of a struggle, but it has been getting easier (only two months into it though).

Here is my schedule for Tuesday-Friday (I take Mondays off from working out, but go to the gym on Saturday morning as well to take my kids swimming):

Previous night
- Pack my work clothes and toiletries for the shower.
- Pack as much of my breakfast/lunch for the next day.

10:30 PM - go to sleep. This was tough to go to sleep this early, but kicking my caffeine habit has helped.
5:00 AM - wake up and immediately get workout clothes on. Feed the dog, eat a piece of fruit, chug 24 oz of water, load up the car and head to the gym.
5:30 AM - 7:00 AM - workout then shower and get ready for work. 1/2 weights and 1/2 cardio.
7:30 AM - arrive at work and eat some yogurt.

akaiookami

I have to prepare things the night before- and I don't even go to the gym, I do FitnessBlender videos at home. I prepare EVERYTHING: from laying out my clothes down to pre-scooping the dogs' food into the bowls, lol. Anything to make it easier and give me less to do in the morning overall. Knowing that all I have to do is stumble into some workout clothes and downstairs to the living room makes it less intimidating. I don't think I'd make it if I had to be presentable enough for the gym.

The only problem I encounter is food. I down a protein/breakfast shake right before the workout that sometimes feels uncomfortably sloshy when I do burpees or even jumping jacks. Slowly planning on pushing the alarm earlier so I have a bit more space between eating something and exercising.

ATM though.. I'm just happy I get my hour workout in.

willrun4bagels

I meet up with one of my MFP friends at the gym... it makes it slightly easier to force myself out of bed at 4:30am when the alarm goes off since I know I'll be ditching her if I'm not there. We work out separately once we get there.

Also - lay out your stuff for the gym the night before. Everything. Contact lens case, clothing, shoes, socks, deoderant, hair tie if you need one, headphones, EVERYTHING. I put my scoop of preworkout into my shaker bottle the night before, and also get my protein powder scooped into another shaker bottle for after the gym. So when I get up, everything important is already done for me. Loud music in the car while drinking preworkout also helps wake me up

I used to be the person that would always make an attempt to set the alarm to work out before work, but I'd always just shut it off and go back to sleep and forget the workout. My gym was insanely packed full of resolutionists beginning in January of this year, so that's when I switched to the early morning routine instead of going at night. It's made a world of difference. I went one night after work a few weeks ago for the first time in months and it almost didn't look like the same gym... swarming with people, lines for all of the equipment, ugh.

ETA: I am generally in bed by no later than 10pm. Ideally, 8:30pm or 9pm. Friends call me a little old lady...:sad:

anewdesign

wow you guys are dedicated!
hopefully i can reach a level like that.. that will definetly take some time.

my BF and i both woke up early today - i was up at 5:46 to do my beachbody DVD in the basement. i only got through 20 of 30 mins bc i just was not ready.. but i think that after a week or two my body will be used to the early exertion and be able to push through it with regular intensity.

thank you all for your inspiration - hopefully i can make this a habit!

rsoice

Up at 4:40 each morning and working out by 5. I work out with my wife and we started working out in the mornings to free up time after work for additional time without skipping any workouts. Accountability is a great motivator.

mamahannick

You have to just do it. I'm a full time working mom and make time at 4:30 every morning to get in at least 30 minutes of exercise.

dbanks80

I signed up for one year 7 AM boot camp that is extra cost with my membership. The cost motivates me to get up in the morning. :bigsmile:

antaylor2009

I get my clothes, charge my headphones, and etc ready the night before. My alarm goes off at 4:40am and I roll right out of bed (:

mickey9694

I just tell myself that that night's sleep is going to be amazing if I'm extra tired lol