Up at 4am, gym at 5, at the office at 7.

Up at 6am, gym for just after 7am, office by 8:30 (short walk). 5 days per week, 1 day off, and a game of golf to round of the week.

Gym I go to opens at 5:30. So up at 5, light breakfast and there by 5:30 (along with a dozen or so others). At work by 7, but I'm a guy so the presentable thing is easier for me.

Today I got up and did my normal morning routine but when I headed out the door, there was too much snow so I went back inside, changed and shoveled for an hour.

Never in my life did I think I would be so disappointed at not being able to hit the gym. It's now habit for me and the break in the habit sucks.

I guess the point is to just do it until it becomes second nature. Motivation is fleeting, habits are more permanent.

My gym/workout hours are similar, up at 4:30, gym at 4:50, to work by 7. The biggest thing for me is that I've built up a home gym. While I realize that's not an option for everyone, it's so much easier for me to stumble down to the basement and still get ready at home instead of having to leave for the gym and work at one time. Even using at home streaming workouts like daily burn or youtube workout videos at home can help you get into the early morning workout habit without having to go to the gym super early.

Hi there! I am currently (and very sadly) not able to go to the gym super early anymore because of scheduling childcare. But, I used to and I LOVED getting my workout in first thing in the morning! It sets a great tone for the whole day! In the beginning, this may sound crazy, but I literally would sleep in my gym clothes so I could roll out of bed, put my sneakers on, pee and walk out the door lol. I then got more energy and more used to the schedule so I didn’t always have to rock my gym clothes as jammies, but if I knew I was having maybe a later bedtime than normal and I was gunna be extra whiny about going in the morning? Gym clothes jammies it was! Sounds a little ridiculous but it definitely helped me! :-)

AdinaRin wrote: »

PAFC84 wrote: »

AdinaRin wrote: »

Thank you so much for those great responses! I have no idea how to mention you both but I appreciate the feedback and the support! I have been thinking about going back to LT for quite some time now and I will start back up again in January! That's my happy place.

I was going to ask why you left LT because it almost sounds like you purposefully, or subconsciously, sabotaged yourself. I think they key is to make things as easy for yourself as you can so you can get to the gym: train somewhere you like, get a good nights sleep before, have your gym kit ready etc.

As for the 15mins getting ready, as a guy I can have my hair done in 5 secs once its washed. Don't hate on me too much lol Have you considered shorter hair? If you wear makeup, I can't advise as I have no experience with that sort of thing. The only thing I'd say is don't do it whilst driving.

@PAFC84 I really think i did sabotage myself. My son had gotten two warnings in kids club (nothing crazy) and it was an odd time where there were more sign ups than usual so the weight room was busier than usual and it all annoyed me, so i left. The irony is how much busier 24’s are and the awful *kitten* contest the weight room is there. That last comment had me laughing thanks for that! I couldn’t do my makeup while driving, i can’t really do it that great standing still.

@AdinaRin We've all sabotaged ourselves at some point in our lives, whether its gym related, work related or relationship related. The main thing is to get back on track which is what you're doing. I think stress (in the many forms it comes) makes our brains make short term/reactionary decisions which are often not in our best interests but make sense from a "survival" perspective (even though we're usually not in a dangerous situation).

I've seen quite a bit of it but I've seen even more women sitting on the train doing their eye liner and eyebrows whilst it bounces along. I imagine that A&E is filled with one eyed women clasping their other eye which has been speared like a cocktail sausage, on an eyebrow pencil or makeup stick, waiting to have it re-fitted. TMI perhaps?

My schedule is almost the same as yours but my gym does allow people in around 4:45! I actually go in late two days a week just so I can make it to 7 and get a longer workout in. At first, it was tough to motivate myself, especially considering I was losing an hour of sleep, which seemed so precious LOL However, the biggest change for me was trying out a week where I got up at that time, whether I was going to the gym or not. I thought previously that it might burn me out quicker but it actually made it more of a habit and now, even though it amazes me, I get up at 4 voluntarily, even on days like today when I do a yoga workout at home. It's nice having the house to myself and having the chance to eat a warm breakfast after I work out.

And yes, having a home gym will be amazing! I literally just ordered my equipment yesterday and am looking forward to it arriving next week and some parts around the New Year. I wanted to get in the gym time first to ensure that I had the discipline to do it and I've proven that to myself. Like @justkeeprunning91 just said, it's so much nicer to stumble into your home gym and work out then get ready in the comfort of your own home, minus the transit time to the gym, time to put stuff in or get stuff out of your locker, etc. Because of my work schedule and the gym opening up at 4:45, the most workout I can usually get in is about an hour and I'd really like to push it to an hour and a half (I do that on weekends when I'm not pressed for time) and get a little bit of cardio in after my strength training. So, if it's an option, I highly recommend starting with a gym and, after you prove to yourself that you WILL work out regularly, set up a home gym and make more of your time. I'm especially looking forward to it so that I won't have to deal with the New Year's rush of people at the gym this year...