Working out in the AM or PM?

[sarahc3416]

Ok, so, how many of you workout in the mornings? I find it really hard to wake up at 5 am to workout. Currently I work out in the PM, usually right after work before I make dinner. I workout for about an hour and a half and then have to make dinner which means I eat at about 7-7:30 pm (which I know it doesn't matter @ what times of the day I eat) but I still hate eating late...

Any tips for waking up so early?

I'm extremely motivated to workout, but waking up (no matter what time it is) has always been really hard for me.

[akbodybuilder]

Ok, so, how many of you workout in the mornings? I find it really hard to wake up at 5 am to workout. Currently I work out in the PM, usually right after work before I make dinner. I workout for about an hour and a half and then have to make dinner which means I eat at about 7-7:30 pm (which I know it doesn't matter @ what times of the day I eat) but I still hate eating late...

Any tips for waking up so early?

I'm extremely motivated to workout, but waking up (no matter what time it is) has always been really hard for me.

I prefer doing cardio first thing in the morning, but by no means do I wake up at 5am!:) Thankfully, my schedule allows me to get cardio done around 8am most mornings and then perform an afternoon weight workout. This is ideal for me, but obviously not realistic for most people who have to be to work by 8am or before. When I'm getting ready for a competition, cardio may temporarily happen 2X per day, and motivation arises from wanting to look my best onstage and of course winning! I need to have a strong motivator to get that cardio in period. If I get enough rest, then I can get up at any time in the morning to get whatever I need done. It's when I'm sleep deprived that nothing gets done... have you tried getting to bed a little bit earlier to ensure you get adequate sleep and won't be dragging by the time 5am rolls around?

[Euqinom]

I workout in the am, but I always try to be awake at least 1.5-2 hrs before hitting the gym. Can't you eat between work & gym?
Waking up at five would -in my case- mean going to bed at nine... That's not doable for me.

[Outdoor Girl]

I work out in the morning, sometimes it's easier than other times. :) Usually the first week is the worst, but once I get into the routine it's easier. To do it, I have to get to sleep by a certain time. It's ideal if I have all my stuff ready to minimize prep time in the morning. Even on weekends I won't stay up very late because it can mess up my schedule. I'm training and dieting right now so I find I really need my sleep.

If I wait until afternoons to work out I find much of the time I'm too tired or something has come up at work and I have to stay late, etc. Going first thing really makes sure I get a good workout in. Everyone is different. All I can say is if you want to give it a try, do it for 1-2 weeks and maybe see if it gets a little easier?

Good luck! :)

[Euqinom]

As to the waking up:

I get out of bed more easy if I wear warmer stuff. Not hot, but Longer pants in the winter, you know? Maybe try a wake up light, or waking up to your radio. And: get plenty of sleep!

[jkliveng]

11am for cardio and 9pm for lifting is what works for me, morning gym time with all the elderly and the place is empty at 9.

[sha11]

Ok, so, how many of you workout in the mornings? I find it really hard to wake up at 5 am to workout. Currently I work out in the PM, usually right after work before I make dinner. I workout for about an hour and a half and then have to make dinner which means I eat at about 7-7:30 pm (which I know it doesn't matter @ what times of the day I eat) but I still hate eating late...

Any tips for waking up so early?

I'm extremely motivated to workout, but waking up (no matter what time it is) has always been really hard for me.

I love working out in the morning. Depending on the day and the workout, I usually get out of bed between 5 and 5:30 a.m. I tell my clients (and also my husband) that if you aren't a morning person, be prepared for it to take up to 3 weeks for you to adapt. Make it easier on yourself - lay your clothes out the night before, print out your program, have a shake/bar ready to go, choose your clothes for work the night before (pack your gym bag with them if necessary), etc. Keep your gym bag, work bag, etc. near the door so you don't forget anything. As I'm sure you've learned already, every minute counts!

[sarahc3416]

I work @ 8 am, so I figured 5 am would be adequate time. I'm very fortunate to have an elliptical trainer and enough equipment to not go to the gym. A good variety of dumbbells, benches, etc. So thankfully I don't have to go to the gym. I am sure I will outgrow the equipment that I have and will eventually get a gym pass. I tried to get up at 5 am this morning and that didn't happen. I set my alarm for 5am, got my boyfriend to try to wake me up at 5:30am and it was a no go. I sleep like a log! ;)

Anyway, I will go to bed earlier tonight, get a lot of sleep (even if it means going to bed @ 9pm) and see how that works.

Wish me luck and I'll update tomorrow. lol

[kfisherx]

Why not workout at 9:00 instead of going to bed? Never made sense to me to workout in the morning since I am not a morning person. I love working out late at night.

[fitnessfreak88]

I love working out first thing in the morning- I hit the gym as soon as it opens (7am). I hate at weekends when it doesn't open until 10am- I always wake up early and am raring to go! I find this means that I have the most energy for lifting and a good appetite for the rest of the day when I workout at this time.

To the OP- it is always going to be hard to force yourself to workout when you don't want to, what is the problem with the time you workout now?

[sarahc3416]

The reason the timing is bad is because I work late often and then rush home to make dinner for my boyfriend and I. (we work at a hotel and live across the street so he comes home during his shift to have dinner). Someone mentioned working out after eating, but, I can't do that...I'm too bloated. Working out late at night it something to consider but since I wake up early for work, i'd be cutting into the 8 hours of sleep thing. I guess i just always thought that my only alternative would be to work out early in the AM. It's not completely impossible, just hard. I've done it before and I felt great all day, I had so much energy, etc. It's just the fundamentals of dragging myself out of bed.

It sounds soooo lazy, but, i'm sooooo not. My body just loves sleep, I guess. lol

[taf1968]

Hope you don't mind a guy chiming in . . .

I started working out first thing in the morning abut 2 years ago and I love it! I am not a morning person at all (at least I wasn't), but I kept finding it harder and harder to get in my workouts later in the day. Work related things would come up, wanted to spend the evenings with my family after work, was just feeling tired later in the day, etc. So I decided to give 5am workouts a try and get the gym time done before going to work.

I won't lie. It's really hard at first to get used to getting up that early--the hardest part is getting out of bed. Once I got to the gym I was fine. My trick to getting up is to have 2 alarm clocks, one by the bed and one pretty loud/annoying one that I have to get out of bed and walk out of the room to turn off. Once I'm out of bed, I might as well hit the gym! But the first few weeks especially you really have to force yourself into doing it. I wake up around 4:30am, get dressed, drink a pre-workout shake of whey and maltodextrin (have been adding a NO supplement as well) and then head for the gym. I'm lifting by 5am.

Making sure you get enough sleep is important. But I don't go to bed all that much earlier than I used to . . . usually in bed by 10:30 or 11. Only way to see if it would work for you is to try it out. Make sure you give it a fair shake, though. It takes a few weeks to really start getting into the habit.

Benefits of the morning workout (for me) are:

- I get the workout done first thing and hardly anything gets in the way of it (occasionally, but it's rare)

- Working out first thing gives me great energy through the day

- I'm working out while my family is asleep . . . doesn't cut into family time at all

- Gym is pretty empty, just the early morning crew is there so I can generally use whatever equipment I want andfor as long as I want