Some say that you shouldn’t put weight on your back so early upon waking, but my schedule leaves me little choice.
I’ve recently begun a new job that has me working from 8:30 AM to anywhere between 6 PM to 11 PM. It’s like that 5 to 6 days per week. Furthermore I’m taking graduate level classes during two weekday nights.
So, now that my reasons are out of the way, do any of you weight train this early in the morning? How much time do you give yourself from waking to training? Do you eat before training? What tips do you have to make this manageable?
You’re going to want to be moving for at least an hour before you put a weight on your back. I really wouldn’t risk loading the spine while your discs are stretched with fluid.
Also, hydration is going to be real important in the morning since you just spent a few hours dehydrating. When I have to train early in the morning, I make sure I’m drinking a glass of water or a shake every 15 minutes before I make it to the gym.
I also find that a warm-up is more important in the morning, since overall body temperature and mobility is lower since you haven’t been moving for a few hours.
Agreed with white lights…if you’re doing squats or deads, wake up earlier. It’s worth it.
I eventually got to the point that I can eat a full breakfast before and then drink a shake after, but you’ll need to ease into it (unless you enjoy vomiting).
Also, Spike makes life seem worth living at 5 am when you’re trying to lift on a few hours sleep.
I wake up at 4.30, have breakfast and lift at 6.30.
I think it is better not to have just a shake before and hit the weights like half an hour upon waking up
definitely wake up atleast an hour before you have to lift…it really helps…i used to wake up at 430 drive in to school and start lifting at 6…get some food in you when you first wake up if possible…otherwise a good shake will do the trick…but lifting on an empty stomach isnt the greatest.
My schedule called for early morning training starting a little over a year ago, but it really wasn’t that hard. I am awake over an hour before going- get some fluid in me, and take a hot shower, etc.
I was very worried about not being as strong that early and without eating, but I set some PRs in 2008 before 8:00.
Yeah, once I get started I really don’t feel like the early work-outs feel different from later in the day.
One thing is I only have about 45-50 minutes… I wish I had more, but it’s not possible.
Definately use Spike and drink lots of fluids, do a much longer warm-up, and do eat something before otherwise you’ll just have no energy to be lifting with
One summer in school, I had to hit the gym before 5AM in order to make it to work on time. I remember sipping on a protein shake immediately upon waking. Getting everything out to make the shake in the morning helped me wake up; scooping powder, peeling a banana, taking the lid off a yogurt, then the raaaahhhhhhh! of the blender. Once I got to the gym, I’d take it slow. Bodyweight movements, then with just the bar, and slowly added weight. I wouldn’t dive into a workset until I was sweating.
Firstly make it a habit. Wake up early enough to get a meal in and enough time to absorb some of it. Take a user specific amount of your stimulant of choice and go get it done. It boils to how badly you want something. Many will come but few will be chosen. The plates will ring and clang regardless of the time, date, etc in my world.
apparently i need to change my workout schedule. my first class starts at 6:55 every week day. So, in order to work out i wake up at 4:50, have a quick shake, and get to the gym by 5:05 and immediately start my warm up, and get going as fast as i can. could this actually cause problems in the future?
I agree with Altimus. I spent the last year getting to the gym at 4:45 am, and the key for me was to really warm up slowly. For instance for squats I’d do this:
bodyweight x 20
bar x 20
95 x 20
135 x 10
185 x 10
225 x 10
275 x 10
315 x 10
then start piling on the weight. Did this take away from my energy for the heavy sets? I don’t think so, that early in the morning I think it helped my work sets, plus my knees, hips and back thanked me for it!
I would save Squats or deadlifts for later in the day when those fluids in your spine have dispersed them selfs more evenly, and Deffinatly try to be awake for more than an hour so that u can be fully alert.
I am up at 6 and in the gym by 6:30, there is no real option to do anything different.
Might need to swap things round so Squats are on a Saturday when I have more time to prep but really, getting up earlier is not an option. I already only get maybe 5-6 hrs of sleep.