[xpost from r/fit]: Redditors over 30, who go to the gym/workout before your 9 to 5 job, is it worth it?

[paperboat]

I personally have only attempted this a few times in the past 5 years (currently 36 yo) and never hit the weights in the morning regularly after college.

The few times in the past 5 years where I have lifted weights w/in 2 hours of being awake, I had poor work outs and one time really aggravated an old injury. I feel that an early morn WO for me would take a significant amount of warm up therefore extending gym time to excess (my current program is 90 - 120 mins). 2.5 hours in the gym is...a lot for me.

• Who has had success w/"first thing work outs" when over 30?
• What type of work out?

Please share your thoughts.

 

[asmith_20002]

@paperboat It's worth it. I'm over 50 and I get up at 4:40am to work out in my home gym for 45 min before heading to work by 7:00am. Because of my age I'm just working to maintain my weight, maintain flexibility, strengthen bones, and maybe add a bit of mass. I don't warm up, I just start with light weights/simple exercises and start adding complex movements as I start to wake up.

I tell you, every. SINGLE. morning I wake up and try to think of a reason not to go work out. But I've been doing it for years and it's a habit, and by the time I'm halfway through the first set I'm glad I got up. (If I skip the workout the rule is I have to take the stairs to get to my office, and I HATE those stairs).

My fitness goal is to outlive my kids. Or die trying.

 

[paperboat]

@asmith_20002 Awesome response. Thanks!

 

[ahsiek81]

@asmith_20002 I have just started this my goal is to be up at 5 right now life is crazy so 5:45 and 30 minutes of stretching is all i can currently get it.

I am 35. My fitness goal is to have been the longest living male in my family. Right now i only need to make it to 84. Now my father may push that up a few years. I want to be a nimble 90 year-old.

 

[ration]

@asmith_20002 Awesome goal. Mine is to make it to my 100th birthday party, then be able to dance to a jazz/swing band there. (If I die two weeks later, or even the next morning, that's cool by me.)

Are you a morning person or an evening person? I can't do weights in the morning - just too stiff, and I have better results in the evening.

My normal routine is gym/fitness park at 9:30, finish by 11:00, bed by 12:30, up at 6:30. I've been trying to get to bed earlier (11:30) but I seem to naturally wake at 5:30. Since I'm up, I'm trying cardio in the morning. Will see if that lasts, and if I continue to get results.

How long did it take you to actually feel good after the morning workouts?

 

[asmith_20002]

@ration I'm a night person - I'd stay up until the wee hours if I could. I hate the mornings and I hate getting up early. But after work is time I devote to my family (having supper together, helping kids with their homework, maintenance around the home) and there is little time - little CONSISTENT time for me - to work out. For me, consistency is key. It has to be a habit that I follow every day so that I feel odd if I don't do my workout.

I actually started out doing morning cardio on an elliptical, increased to HIIT, and then started lifting. I alternate lifting and cardio, and as my goals change I just adjust the amount of each. A cold shower (or a brisk Canadian winter morning) and I'm feeling great; blood pumping, metabolism racing.

 

[amysarahgirl]

@paperboat Not exacly 30, i'm 29 and have been doing a 8h30-5h job for 8 years +.
I always train in the morning, i'm in the gym at 5h30 and train for 1h-1h30. I only warm up 5min. on the stationary bike. But then my workout introduce warm up at each exercice as in I always start with an empty bar and work my way up to my working set. I do a powerlifting workout so it's not that i'm not touching heavy weight. I get a lot of energy for my day by working out in the morning and have my night off to do wathever else I need to do. I'll never go back to training after work.

A tipical progression for a given exercice :

Empty bar - 1x12

115lb - 1x10

135lb - 1x8

155lb - 1x8

175lb - 1x6

195lb - 1x4

215lb - Working set (the real workout)

It may look long but since they are all pretty easy weight you don't rest between set. You only rest before the first and between working set.

 

[estherthehappygirl]

@amysarahgirl What time do you go to sleep?

 

[amysarahgirl]

@estherthehappygirl Around 10 but I really try hard to make it 9h30 (I fail often).

 

[tarand]

@paperboat This is an awesome question, thanks for posting. Never considered morning workout as I'm not a morning person, but the few posts that are here are very motivating! (38 year old male, 6'2" @ 280lbs)

 

[paperboat]

@tarand

Yeah, I am seriously considering this as well...

 

[dawn16]

@paperboat I typically get up at 4:30 and am warming up for my first set at 4:50a. I don't do a lot of warm up, though. Maaybe some light stretching for about 5 minutes or so.

It is really the only time I have that doesn't overly interfere with other obligations. Married, 3 kids, 80-90 minute commute to work, etc.... I am usually in bed by 9p, and asleep by 10p.

It is not for everyone, though. My wife cannot make this happen - she works out later in the evening, usually starting at 7 or 8 p. I think it may just depend on how you are set up.

 

[paperboat]

@dawn16 Word. Thanks for the response.

 

[kevinkraft]

@paperboat 35 here. I do a 3x/week morning workout before work. I also run for longer distances on weekends and sometimes during the week.

Typically I will get up at 5:30-6. First I do cardio - run to the gym or run/bike at the gym for 30 minutes before lifting. I have a 15 minute stretch routine I do after cardio which starts with stretches and ends with curls/push-ups. I feel this is important as I get older and need more joint mobility.

After all of that I'll hit the weights. My lifting routine is much shorter than yours - 30-60 min for total workout time anywhere from 1-2 hrs. I do a combination of dumbbells and barbell lifts - dead-lift/squats etc. I had issues with my elbows and shoulders doing bench presses so I do dumbbell presses for now and will eventually get back into that.

I suppose everyone's goals are a bit different. I put equal emphasis on cardio/lifting which I understand is hard to do, but my goal is to be functionally athletic / aesthetic. I had never set foot in the gym before age 33, and had issues with joins (elbows, knees) at first. Those have all gone away now. I don't think it has much to do with when you do your workout as to how hard you are pushing yourself and whether your body is ready for it (on a macro timeframe, not a micro timeframe).

It's definitely hard getting up that early. I try to be in bed by 10:30 and feel that is really pushing it on sleep, ideally I'd be in bed by 9 but have too much going on to do that.

I suppose I've had success at doing that. I've been slowing losing weight and gaining muscle for the last 2+ years. And that's success in my book!

 

[paperboat]

@kevinkraft I failed to mention that I am typically up and working @ 4:30a but I have a very flexible schedule so I could be lifting at that time instead.

I feel you on the bench press as well. I have switched to dumbbells for the past several weeks and really notice how much easier it is on my shoulder with added range of motion to boot!

 

[peter283]

@paperboat 5am: 5k with dog
6am: 1k to gym
6:15: weights or yoga (alternating days)
7:15: 1k home
7:30: shower
at work about 8

Doggie is ready to go by dawn and is deaf to argument, so way we go. After that,mom already sweaty and awake and in the zone so it's naturally gym time next. If I tried to find time later in the day I would never ever exercise. It's my top priority. I do it first.

 

[thx1138]

@paperboat Yes it is the best thing I ever started doing. I work as a consultant so I'm always in different parts of the city. So I joined 24 Hour Fitness since they are all over the DFW area. Then i find the one closest to where I'm working that day. I get up around 5 or 5:30 depending on how far away my client is and head to the gym. The best part is I miss all the morning rush hour traffic. Plus I feel more energized and happy throughout the day. Since I do this 5 days a week I alternate lifting and hard cardio days, with a bit if walking every day just to get my blood flowing.

 

[backhoebob]

@paperboat I wake up at 4:40 AM and get to the gym before 5:30 AM, Warmup for about 10 min, and finish about 7.

It's not fun, sleeping another few hours would be nice, but it's the only time I have available to go to the gym. However, I love the feeling I get the rest of the day after crushing a good workout. Ive been doing it a few years, and still argue with myself most everymorning that I should stay in bed.

Mon	Squat + accessories
Tues	Bench + accessories
Wed	Deadlift + accessories
Thurs	Bench + accessories
Fri	Squat + accessories
Sat	Deadlift + accessories

Day
Lift

 

[paperboat]

@backhoebob Great dedication. I also lift 6x a week w/a lot of "heavy" compounds:

• DL variations 2x per week
• Squat variations 2x
• 2x upper push
• 2x upper pull
• Various accessories 6x

The heavier lifts are what scare me as far as injury since I always hit those first.

 

[dawn16]

@paperboat 36, I normally work out in the morning two days a week, but I really notice a difference in fitness from when I do it around lunch time on the third day. Especially when it comes to cardio. I do believe it's more about getting into the routine for me. Once I'm used to getting up a bit earlier, it's better. It's just hard to get there. And I've not noticed that you need less sleep with age at all yet!