Motivation to wake up at 4:15 to work out.

j6-stone · 11-10-2009, 11:46 AM

Hey all-
I am looking for tips and motivation for waking up so I can work out in the early am before work. I commute an hour plus each way and have an infant son. But life just doesn't go tight when I am not working out.

When do you wake up and work out? How long did it take your body to adjust to your new schedule? Do you get support at home? What time do you go to sleep?

Again thanks fir any help and motivation.

Italiantank26 · 11-10-2009, 11:53 AM

Just get up. Don't think about it, just get the f*ck outta bed. For football, I use to wake up at 5, workout, then go to school, and then go to football practice. **** wasn't easy, hardest part was getting my ass outta bed. Did this 3x a week, and after a while you kinda like the feeling of being up so early, cause no one else is up and to me it was peaceful n sh*t idk. Anyways just do what you gotta do to get outta bed, if that means slapping yourself in the face to wake yourself up just do it. Also taking some caffeine helps a **** ton, drink some coffee or take a caffeine tablet.

samcanadian · 11-10-2009, 12:01 PM

It's pretty hard. Focus on getting enough sleep rather than coffee or caffeine tablets to help you wake up in the morning, because if you're only getting 5 hours of sleep a night, it's NOT going to be enough. You'll notice more fatigue overall and your gains will suffer.

Going to bed at 9-10:00 should help you get enough sleep to wake up at 5 for a workout.

JeRSeY KiD 3 · 11-10-2009, 12:17 PM

150shot · 11-10-2009, 12:47 PM

J6- congrats on your baby, but you dont want to buy the "norm" or sterotype of dads that look terrible after having kids. You have to want to be the one that stands out.

Your young and this is your prime to look your best. I play bball with an old 51 year old that is on my league team. He is a good 20-25 years older than 90% of our league and hangs just fine. He always tell us when he was our age ( 25-35) he was ripped, in shape, and so on...it is the prime time of your life is RIGHT NOW. We dont have an excuse if we are healthy. For some reason that stuck to me. hopefully it helps!

kenpachi011 · 11-10-2009, 01:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by j6-stone

Hey all-
I am looking for tips and motivation for waking up so I can work out in the early am before work. I commute an hour plus each way and have an infant son. But life just doesn't go tight when I am not working out.

When do you wake up and work out? How long did it take your body to adjust to your new schedule? Do you get support at home? What time do you go to sleep?

Again thanks fir any help and motivation.

I found an very interesting solution to this - I put one alarm clock (very loud) in my bathroom which is attached to my bedroom and all...in the bathroom (I know this might sound corny) i have a picture of myself which says you dont want to look like that do you..so lets go to the gym and train hard once again...LOL..write whatever motivates you i guess !! if you dont have the bathroom close to you...just put an alarm clock far from your hand where it will make you getup out of bed !!

First the alarm clock is far away so you will get up
Second Picture Motivation
Third I am in the bathroom already - brush my teeth and i head downstairs to eat and taaddaahh I hit the GYM !!!

Efilon · 11-10-2009, 01:26 PM

I meditate like 10 mins really works for me.

j6-stone · 11-10-2009, 01:33 PM

Thanks for all the support. I like the picture idea as well. I just need to do it until it becomes a part of life. Thanks again.

1.8Tsunami · 11-10-2009, 01:34 PM

I use to do the alarm clock across the room when I swam in HS. I had to wake up at 4:30 to get there by 5am.

When I use to wake up, I was usually excited to get there b/c I knew that I was improving my times each time I went. The biggest obstacle to watch out for is the weekends. You may be tempted to stay up late or sleep in and this is hard to correct at the beginning of the next week. It will eventually takes its toll so you have to stay on top of it.

10pm was the absolute latest I would stay up, but I always tried to make it bed by 9.

j6-stone · 11-10-2009, 01:54 PM

The weekends seem to be the trcky part. I think I will be giving myself a 10 pm curfew on the weekends. And try to be in bed by 9:30 during the week.

selffirst · 11-11-2009, 01:59 AM

Dude...All I can stay is to look at your workout time as your personal time.....Say to yourself "I'm do this not for a girl,my boss,my realtives,friends".....I'm doin this for myself.....Lastly, some of the hardest things we do yield the greatest gains.....remember this....Self

stephaniealthea · 11-11-2009, 04:21 AM

It'll take you about a month to adjust to the change...I actually used to go to bed anywhere between 4:30 and 7:00 *in the morning* and wake up at 2:00 pm (lazy teen, lol) When I started BB'ing I started getting up at 6:00 am, then dialed it back to 5:00 am eventually...it SUCKED at first, I think I even cried at one point...two years later and I can't even stay awake past 10:15 pm lol I love waking up early to workout!! No one else is awake it's dark, it's just you and your workout, it's marvelous!

AlphaBrass01 · 11-11-2009, 05:13 AM

I get up around 4 am to train during the week, and around 7 on the weekends. It took about a month to really get used to it, but now I just do it. I actually get up a little bit earlier than I really need to, so I can be sure that I'm alert when I get to the gym, so I don't waste the first ten minutes of my workout. Eventually, you'll get used to when your body needs you to hit the sheets at night and whatnot, and then it will be routine!

boogie102786 · 11-11-2009, 05:38 AM

Well Ijust started getting up early this week. I also have to drive an hour each way for work. Monday I got up at 5:10am, today I had to push it back a few mins early to 4:50am. I'm still trying to figure out what time to get up on each day since some workouts don't take as long. Main thing is I have to get up, cook apost-workout meal or just make a shake, cook lunch, workout, shower then be at work by 8. The George Forman helps out with the time schedule alot.

For me waking up hasn't really been that hard I just get up hit the alarm and swallow my animal cuts and get in the kitchen. Just have the tv and lights out by 9 and you should be good.

btw since I just started, this thread actually motivates me to get up do my workouts in the morning. So know you're not alone and JUST DO IT! lol

notforyou · 11-11-2009, 05:42 AM

Some good ideas posted here

Efilon · 11-11-2009, 09:20 AM

Just think of how good it makes you feel afterwards.

j6-stone · 11-14-2009, 02:41 PM

Thanks for the Motivation guys. It's been a week and going well. I missed one workout because I left my towel (post workout shower) at home and didn't have a plan to get to a particular gym in the the morning. I kind of need to plan which Gym I am going to since I work in different locations nearly every day. So far this week I have been to 4 different gyms.

And if am getting done too early and have time to kill before work, I then have time to read since it's quiet and I don't really get that at home.

Valjean · 11-14-2009, 03:11 PM

There's an elitism about doing something no one else does. Among these, of course, are bodybuilding. When you wake up, and the world is asleep, there is no one in your way, no one as driven as you. In your new found confidence you find the drive and stamina to do anything.

Xler8d · 11-14-2009, 04:39 PM

I'm in a similiar situation---> long work hours and a 20 month old son. If I get up early, then the dog wakes up early and my wife wakes up and the boy eventually wakes up. Bad sequence of events for me. I work out in the evenings. It's not my ideal time but it's when I know I can make it happen. Just like you need motivation to get up, it takes the same motivation to work out after a long day at work. It's easier for me to get motivated in the evenings as I'm not to good in the morning.

If you don't make time for it then there will never be time.

NorCalJR · 11-14-2009, 05:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Valjean

There's an elitism about doing something no one else does. Among these, of course, are bodybuilding. When you wake up, and the world is asleep, there is no one in your way, no one as driven as you. In your new found confidence you find the drive and stamina to do anything.

This I love being up before the distractions of the world prevent me from doing what I need to do.

USAFSura · 11-15-2009, 11:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NorCalJR

This I love being up before the distractions of the world prevent me from doing what I need to do.

This thread is full of win. As is my first post here...

My entire military career I've dealt with forcing to get up before I want to, so I clicked on this thread. Plenty of awesome tips and general motivation here. Im sitting at work right now and today is my rest day, and Im crazy motivated. All I wanna do right now is go kill it at the gym...

Im lucky enough to be on swing shift now, so I dont have to wake up until 3 pm, work till midnight. I would work out after work but there is no 24 hour gym on base. Im considering staying up after midnight until 4 am when the gym opens, and working out then, then sleeping all afternoon.

This thread wins!

USAFSura · 11-15-2009, 12:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Valjean

There's an elitism about doing something no one else does. Among these, of course, are bodybuilding. When you wake up, and the world is asleep, there is no one in your way, no one as driven as you. In your new found confidence you find the drive and stamina to do anything.

Couldnt help but make a motivational poster out of these words. Awesome man...

Enjoy

bluebloodedpony · 11-15-2009, 05:24 PM

You really just have to force yourself up outta the sack. Make sure you are getting enough sleep. And don't forget, missing a workout is not the end of the world. If your infant has a bad night and your sleep suffers because of it, don't let that get you down. I have been getting up an hour earlier to work out and it has been tough, especially when you are used to staying up late and getting that extra hour in. One thing I had going for me is two weeks into my workout routine was the time change which helped ease me into my new schedule. Just do it and your body will slowly start to adapt to your new schedule.