question for those who workout first thing in the morning...?

I typically get up around 4:45-5AM, drink coffee or a pre-workout drink (sometimes both) and stretch until 5:30. I then do a session of cardio on my elliptical/stairstepper for about 30-35 minutes as a warm-up then transition directly into body-weight circuit training for the next hour. I try not to rest at all between sets, I simply transition to a different muscle group. It's pretty intense and wears me out. But I do not eat before working out, I just drink coffee, a pre-workout drink, and drink water during my workout as needed (I sip on a bottle of water). After my workout I hit the shower and get ready for work, then it's breakfast and a protein shake. I do this about 5 days a week for recomp. The hardest part about getting up early to work out is getting to bed at night. I sometimes sneak off to bed around 8-8:30pm and for someone with kids that might be tough. I watch TV in bed until I get sleepy but generally am asleep by 10 at the very very latest. Gives me 6-7 hours of sleep on those 5 days.

I don't have anything for breakfast before a run or swim. I'm afraid my uh hem..... Bowels will move. Then coffee coffee coffee!

I prefer to workout fasting in the morning.

Morning: Wake, pee, weigh, drink water, do cardio, drink water, cook breakfast, eat, shower, dress.

Even if I get up at 6 a.m. I prefer exercising in the morning. Anything to keep me busy and out of rush hour traffic.

PS I am in bed by 9PM. Sleep like a log until 530-545.

I run early most mornings. I get up at 4:30, drink a glass of water, throw on the headlamp or Knuckle Lights and out the door I go. I rarely eat fist unless it is a 10+ mile run. Then I will have a banana and peanut butter on toast.

Voltarik wrote: »

Remember one Golden Rule of loosing weight.
No food after 7 PM and before 7 AM.

I don't mean to be.. well.. mean at all because I'm just not that kind of person, but that's the dumbest thing I've heard. It's one of the oldest myths out there for weight loss and I fell for it for years. It does not matter when you eat. Meal timing is only important if you're training for a specific goal, and even then it's questionable.

Up at 5:15. Lets the dogs out. Pee. Weigh. Treadmill for 30 mins then eat. But my treadmill is downstairs, so I'm not hitting a gym.

slinky_shaz wrote: »

oh my gosh! you guys are all amazing getting up at 4am!!! i thought 6:30am was a good start.

only trouble is i don't go to bed at 8pm or 9pm. i've only just sat down now from my day and it's 9:15pm. i'll be up for at least another 2 hours.

i'll let you know how it goes tomorrow.

thanks for all your tips and routines - it's really helpful.

Everybody is different but I have done bed at 10 up at 4;15 for years.

If you need more sleep go to bed earlier. Why do you need to "sit down from your day for 2 hours?

I'm up at 5:15-5:30 M-F and work out in my garage before I get ready for work. I have a half cup of coffee to get me going, and sometimes a small piece of multi-grain toast. Just depends how hungry I am.
If I am not in bed by 10pm, I have a hard time getting up that early. I don't sleep great so I will take a Benadryl or Melatonin beforehand, to ensure I get sleep.

So, I'm guessing all you guys waking up at 4am are going to bed at 8pm?

slinky_shaz wrote: »

hi,
i was just wondering how you do your morning.
i usually workout at home after baby has gone to bed (6:30/7pm) and before i've cooked dinner for my husband and i. it's annoying to be honest so i'm thinking of doing it in the morning instead. i'm up at 6:30am so have window to do it before the house wakes up and i leave for work but do you eat or drink beforehand? the thought of exercise at 6:30 on an empty stomach makes wonder ....

thank you

I don't typically eat before exercise unless I'm doing an early morning long run. I usually just have some water and maybe I'll have coffee if there's time.