The Go-Getters Guide to the Morning Gym Sesh

Alright! We made it through another week. What doesn’t kill us makes us stronger right?! Sure!

I have had a lot going on lately. Just trying to figure out my next moves in life. Ugh…being an adult…blah. But, this past Sunday I had a welcomed break from all of that. I had my first book club meeting! Does that make me old? No! it totally doesn’t make me old because my 20-year-old niece belongs to a book club so clearly, I’m just cool now. It was so much fun! It was our initial meeting so we just had lunch and got to know a little bit about each other. We picked our first book to read and settled on our next meeting date. It was nice to meet so many women from so many different walks of life. We all came together with the common goal of meeting new friends. It’s so difficult once your out of school to really meet new friends. I’m psyched! Except now I actually have to read.

So, this week I want to talk about going to the gym….in the morning. When I started working in cooperate America the rule of thumb was work then gym then dinner then sleep. This regimen worked well for me. I couldn’t wait to leave work and head to the gym…..on most days. Other days I was exhausted but would still drag myself to there. This dream continued all while I lived 15 minutes from work.

Eventually I outgrew that position and had to move on. I moved to an even more cooperate job and now I had a commute. Without traffic…..20 minutes. With traffic…1 hour! It would take me and hour to get there in the morning and an hour to get home at night. If there was an accident…forget it! My gym time went from ending around 7pm to ending around 8pm or later. It just wasn’t working. It was too late for me to eat dinner, it made it difficult to go to sleep at a decent time and by the time I was making to the gym I was already over everything after sitting in traffic. I decided to start going to the gym before work.

Ooooo I can feel you cringing but just hear me out! If you’re stuck in this dilemma my goal is to offer some guidance and you too can be an early riser. Exciting, right?!

I have been keeping a morning gym routine consistently for a little over 3 years now. I get up around 4:00am every morning (I say around because I like to take my time when I get up that early so I try to get out of bed by 3:35am and 3:45am.) Once I’m dressed and the dog has been walked and fed I am out the door and on the way to the gym. When I first started going early it was difficult for sure! I was tired, I wanted to sleep and the last thing I wanted to do was exert myself. The payoff came at the end of the day. I was able to go right home after work, eat dinner at a decent time and spend time with my husband which wasn’t happening previously. It also afforded me the opportunity to run any errands I had after work, schedule appointments and have dinner with friends.

When I first started my morning routine I was a member at a gym that was further from my home. I would bring a duffle bag with me each morning and just get ready there after my work out every day. Now, I am a member at the gym that is across the street from where I live so I have the luxury of getting ready in my own bathroom after my work out. Whether you will have to get ready at the gym or at home it’s always good to have a plan of action.

Here is my guide on how to become and early morning gym goer and stick with it!

Time: First, decide what time you need to get up in order to get a good workout in and make it to work on time. This can be the hardest part and may take a few days to figure out. You need to factor in not only the actual time it will take you on the gym floor but also your commute to and possibly from the gym. You’ll also need to factor in how long it will take you to shower, get dressed and groomed. Will you need to make breakfast or stop for breakfast?

Set Multiple Alarms: I cannot stress this enough, especially if you love to sleep.  I set one 10 minutes before I need to get up, the time I need to get up and then about 10-15 minutes after I need to get up. I’m never one to hit snooze but I have a safety net just in case.

Prepare the night before: It can be annoying and you won’t want to waste your evening preparing for the next day but trust me! It is so worth it. 10 minutes of your time the night before can save you a huge headache the next day. The night before, decide what you are going to wear, pack your lunch and snacks for the next day, anything you need to remember to take with you set it by the door or put it in your car. This will save you time and frustration the next morning. If you are getting ready at the gym, pack your bag the night before. Keep a check list so you make sure to take all of your toiletries, clothes, shoes etc. and bring a plastic bag to put your dirty gym clothes in. They can stink up your car otherwise.

Before you leave the house: Eat or drink something. If you are the type of person that hits a wall during their workout if they haven’t eaten, eat something small. I suggest ½ a protein bar. I do not do well in the morning if I eat something prior to my workout so I just drink a full glass of water. Something to let your metabolism know you are awake and it’s time to start burning.

When you get to the gym:  Warm up. Even if this isn’t in your training plan take at least 10 minutes to hit the elliptical, treadmill, something! Doing this will help relay the message to your body that you need to wake up because it’s time to do work!

After your workout: Make sure you stretch. This goes for any workout but particularly your morning workout. It can be easy to skip this step when you are trying to rush to get ready and get to work but make the time. Even 5 minutes can help out tired muscles and keep you from tightening up and possibly having cramps throughout the day. I sit all day at work so I try to get a good stretch through my legs and back every morning even if those were not my muscles of focus that day.

Eat: Working out is great but eating is the most important. Getting a good meal in after your morning workout helps set the tone for the day. Post workout I typically have a protein shake, another protein such as chicken or fish and a starchy veggie. I’ll also add almonds or cashews if I’m feeling extra hungry.

I don’t have time to make and then eat breakfast after the gym. I just use foods I have cooked during my Sunday meal prep. I eat on the go during the week. It isn’t ideal but it’s what works with my schedule.

Just like anything else going to the gym in the morning takes some getting used to. Once you figure out a schedule that works for you it gets less and less difficult to get up that early. Like I said before, you won’t regret it when you are able to come home and relax at the end of the day. For me, I only like working out in the morning now. Even on my days off I still go right when I wake up. I feel I do my best work in the morning. Plus, it leaves the rest of the day to do other things!

Follow the blog on Pinterest! I have a bunch of great workouts up there so you can put your brain on cruise control while getting through that morning gym sesh! Ha! I have an official button for that now at the bottom down there! See it!

Check out the blogs Instagram too! I’m always putting meal ideas and workout ideas on there!

Come back next week……and bring some friends! I’ll be showing you another workout you can do with things you have on hand. No gym required!