Why Do I Train In The Mornings?
When I talk to people about my training, the thing that seems to startle people most is that I train first thing in the morning. What I'm going to do in this article is attempt to explain why I do this.
Historically I have never been a morning person, I was the person who would get out of bed at the latest possible moment in order to get somewhere on time but in January 2013 I realised that I was using the excuse 'I don't have time' too often not only in terms of keeping fit but with my work as well. I was right I didn't have time to work out and complete all of my work to a high standard because I would spend the first 3-4 hours of the day procrastinating, thinking about how tired I was and therefore made a change to my lifestyle in order to become more productive. The change was getting my arse up in the morning and train!
What I quickly found out is that the hardest part of training in the morning is actually turning up. The 10 seconds between my alarm going off and me getting out of bed are the hardest 10 seconds of my training. I know from personal experience that it takes more willpower to get out of bed in the morning and I am occasionally tempted to go back to sleep and miss my training session. In order to minimise the chances of me doing this I start my pre-workout preparation the night before by writing out my workout and laying my kit out ready for the next morning. This means that when the alarm goes off and I get out of bed I don't have to think about anything.
Two of the most common things people say when I tell them that I workout in the morning are "I couldn't workout on an empty stomach"or "I always feel sick so I wouldn't be able to eat before my workout", both of these are terrible excuses. Firstly, it is not a necessity to eat before a workout regardless of the crap you might read on certain fitness sites and secondly, if you've eaten correctly the day before your stomach won't be empty when you wake up first thing in the morning. Eating for me personally is essential before a morning weights session just to give me that extra bit of willpower, I normally have a porridge or two Protibix with milk to get me going. If it's a cardio session however I will not eat as I find I cannot digest any food properly before the session.
What I find great about working out in the mornings is everywhere's quiet, the streets, the gym, the pool; they're all deserted. Which is brilliant as you can complete your workout without disruption from traffic or other gym goers. Anyone who's been in a gym or trying to run/cycle at 5pm will know what I'm talking about!
Another thing I like about morning workouts is that the world is still asleep and that means there are going to be far fewer potential distractions in your workout i.e. phone calls, Facebook updates, text messages. I try not to check my texts, e-mails etc. until after my workout because not only do I find it slows my workout down but it can also distract me mentally if a text or an e-mail has particularly pissed me off in some way.
However, my favourite thing about working out in the mornings is that it gives me time to think. I think about what I'm going to do on that day, when I'm going to do it and how I'm going to do it. This means that when I've finished my session I'm ready to tackle the day head on, I'm full of energy and in a positive productive mood.
I appreciate that not everyone wants or feels the need to train in the morning. However, for me it was a positive change to my life and despite being tough at the start I genuinely enjoy it. For me there is a great satisfaction in knowing that you have already achieved something before most of the world has woken up. I feel as though training in the morning has also improved my relationship with food as I now feel as though I'm eating to refuel my body rather than eating to give me something to burn off.
Joey G
Historically I have never been a morning person, I was the person who would get out of bed at the latest possible moment in order to get somewhere on time but in January 2013 I realised that I was using the excuse 'I don't have time' too often not only in terms of keeping fit but with my work as well. I was right I didn't have time to work out and complete all of my work to a high standard because I would spend the first 3-4 hours of the day procrastinating, thinking about how tired I was and therefore made a change to my lifestyle in order to become more productive. The change was getting my arse up in the morning and train!
What I quickly found out is that the hardest part of training in the morning is actually turning up. The 10 seconds between my alarm going off and me getting out of bed are the hardest 10 seconds of my training. I know from personal experience that it takes more willpower to get out of bed in the morning and I am occasionally tempted to go back to sleep and miss my training session. In order to minimise the chances of me doing this I start my pre-workout preparation the night before by writing out my workout and laying my kit out ready for the next morning. This means that when the alarm goes off and I get out of bed I don't have to think about anything.
Two of the most common things people say when I tell them that I workout in the morning are "I couldn't workout on an empty stomach"or "I always feel sick so I wouldn't be able to eat before my workout", both of these are terrible excuses. Firstly, it is not a necessity to eat before a workout regardless of the crap you might read on certain fitness sites and secondly, if you've eaten correctly the day before your stomach won't be empty when you wake up first thing in the morning. Eating for me personally is essential before a morning weights session just to give me that extra bit of willpower, I normally have a porridge or two Protibix with milk to get me going. If it's a cardio session however I will not eat as I find I cannot digest any food properly before the session.
What I find great about working out in the mornings is everywhere's quiet, the streets, the gym, the pool; they're all deserted. Which is brilliant as you can complete your workout without disruption from traffic or other gym goers. Anyone who's been in a gym or trying to run/cycle at 5pm will know what I'm talking about!
Another thing I like about morning workouts is that the world is still asleep and that means there are going to be far fewer potential distractions in your workout i.e. phone calls, Facebook updates, text messages. I try not to check my texts, e-mails etc. until after my workout because not only do I find it slows my workout down but it can also distract me mentally if a text or an e-mail has particularly pissed me off in some way.
However, my favourite thing about working out in the mornings is that it gives me time to think. I think about what I'm going to do on that day, when I'm going to do it and how I'm going to do it. This means that when I've finished my session I'm ready to tackle the day head on, I'm full of energy and in a positive productive mood.
I appreciate that not everyone wants or feels the need to train in the morning. However, for me it was a positive change to my life and despite being tough at the start I genuinely enjoy it. For me there is a great satisfaction in knowing that you have already achieved something before most of the world has woken up. I feel as though training in the morning has also improved my relationship with food as I now feel as though I'm eating to refuel my body rather than eating to give me something to burn off.
Joey G
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