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Other/Mixed Early morning WO: Mark Wahlberg style?

Other strength modalities (e.g., Clubs), mixed strength modalities (e.g., combined kettlebell and barbell), other goals (flexibility)
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steve-in-kville

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Mark Wahlberg has been known for his early morning workouts, I believe as 2am. He is a very disciplined man and I respect him for that. Hence the following question:

Does anyone workout early mornings, like 3am or so? My work schedule could be potentially changing where I will be starting at 4am, or shortly thereafter. I always felt better in getting a workout in before work, as I just always had better energy & focus throughout the day. My workplace has a lot of land with farm lanes and such where I could fit in a ruck or even sandbag carries with a headlamp. I'm in bed early anyways and have ridden bike to work this early in the past.

Any thoughts on this? Comments? Suggestions?
 
Mark Wahlberg has been known for his early morning workouts, I believe as 2am. He is a very disciplined man and I respect him for that. Hence the following question:

Does anyone workout early mornings, like 3am or so? My work schedule could be potentially changing where I will be starting at 4am, or shortly thereafter. I always felt better in getting a workout in before work, as I just always had better energy & focus throughout the day. My workplace has a lot of land with farm lanes and such where I could fit in a ruck or even sandbag carries with a headlamp. I'm in bed early anyways and have ridden bike to work this early in the past.

Any thoughts on this? Comments? Suggestions?
Wahlberg supposedly gets up at 2am. I remember reading he does prayers and eats breakfast and stuff first. I think his workouts are at 3-4am.
I get up at 4am and hit it by about 430. It’s not ideal. Have to stretch and open my hips up before hand or I’ll be in trouble. It’s definitely doable but I definitely think I’d be better off if I could get it in the evening.
That being said. For my work/family situation it’s ideal and it helps a lot. Get some time to myself. Get to start my day off right. And most of all I feel GREAT knowing I got it in before anyone I know is even awake :)
 
Does anyone workout early mornings, like 3am or so? ... I always felt better in getting a workout in before work, as I just always had better energy & focus throughout the day.
Yes, I Do

I am a morning person. Like you, I have more energy.

One of the primary keys for optipmal workout has to do with...

Circadian Rhythm

This has to do with your body's cyclical rhythm of your body temperature. You body temperature fluctuates minutely during the day. However, small fluctuations are big numbers.

Some interesting information on this is from Charlie Francis (one of the greatest Sprint Coaches) about...

"Those Whacky East Germans

"The East Germans understood the role of additional heat when an extensive review of world record performances revealed how often the record setter was at the early stages of a cold and running a fever when the record was set. (Later into the cold, the adverse effects outweigh the benefits, of course.) This led the East Germans to experiment with de-natured viruses to generate a slight fever immediately prior to a world record attempt!"

Source: High Octane Training 2 | T Nation

Your Circadian Rhythm is genetic. It determines if your are a...

Early Bird or Night Owl

Early Birds perform best in the morning; their body temperature is elevated then. They are less efficient in the evening.

Night Owls perform best later in the day and evening; their body temperature is elevated then. They are less efficient in the early part of the day..

Warm Up

One of the primary functions of a the Warm Up to increase body temperature.

One of the main issue with many is they turn the Warm Up into a workout. Doing so, mean you burn yourself out before you get to you top set; you end up lifting less than you are capable of.

Warm Up need to be kept to a minimum.

"Grease The Grove"

The main purpose of a Warm Up to is a practice the movement with a light load, progressively increasing it so that the pathway forms between the muscles and your nervous, allowing you to push or pull the greatest load in that movement.

Take Home Message

1) Train when you feel you best.

2) Increase your body temperature prior to training: coffee/caffeine, a warm shower, etc.
 
Yes, I Do

I am a morning person. Like you, I have more energy.
Thank you for the reply. I always enjoy your detailed responses.

Back when I was cycling to work everyday for about 10.5 months out of the year, I felt so much better through out the day. I was leaving the house as early as 3:45am and started work not long after 4am. Yes, there were times I didn't remember the ride in, but I felt the benefits all day. I *rarely* hit a slump in the mid-afternoon. But it took routine and discipline on my part... getting to bed early enough and getting quality sleep which is half the battle.

I am also more creative in the morning. I am a writer and journal a lot and I have been known to burn through notebooks to the point I buy them in bulk now, and I can smoke through pens, too. Come evening, that's gone, or at least not as sharp.

I just may give this a try for a week and see how it fits in with work and the family.
 
Mark Wahlberg has been known for his early morning workouts, I believe as 2am. He is a very disciplined man and I respect him for that. Hence the following question:

Does anyone workout early mornings, like 3am or so? My work schedule could be potentially changing where I will be starting at 4am, or shortly thereafter. I always felt better in getting a workout in before work, as I just always had better energy & focus throughout the day. My workplace has a lot of land with farm lanes and such where I could fit in a ruck or even sandbag carries with a headlamp. I'm in bed early anyways and have ridden bike to work this early in the past.

Any thoughts on this? Comments? Suggestions?
I’ve been training early (mostly) for over 40 years; 22 of which was military and almost another 22 by choice. Definitely a morning person by genetics and/or acclimation but my energy “is generally higher at 0330 or so.

That said, I’ve recently decided to make some changes and wait a bit later based on the fact that we awaken with a higher level of cortisol (catabolic) and for various PERSONAL health reasons, I’m choosing not to have an adrenaline rush right away. Simply a personal choice and not much later. I also quit caffeine and am attempting to awaken naturally with normal hormone regulation so….I’ll just see my way out.

Gary
 
Your Circadian Rhythm is genetic. It determines if your are a...

Early Bird or Night Owl

Early Birds perform best in the morning; their body temperature is elevated then. They are less efficient in the evening.

Night Owls perform best later in the day and evening; their body temperature is elevated then. They are less efficient in the early part of the day..

@kennycro@@aol.com, from personal experience, I would argue this point. Nothing below is science, just anecdotal "evidence" from my life and those around me.

I was very much a late-night person when I was younger. I lived in a house in my early 20's with other people, all about the same age or a little older, and the people who lived on either side of me and me formed a continuum - one went to sleep around midnight, I went to sleep around 2-3 am, and the guy on the other side often stayed up until the sun was coming up, 4-5 am or so.

I started jogging when I was in my mid-20's, and ran regularly for the next 25 or so years. I found that running in the summertime here in the NE US is pretty miserable at any hour, but if you want to run in the summer here, you're better off running early, before the heat of the day. I believe that change rewrote my body clock - I stopped running 15 or 20 years ago, but I'm still very much a morning person.

The other factor is age - most of us need less sleep as we get older, and I find I like waking up early, 5 or 6 am or so. If I need more sleep sometimes, I'll take a nap, but I usually won't sleep later in the morning. And I think a lot of older folks wake up with the sun.

-S-
 
I’ve been training early (mostly) for over 40 years; 22 of which was military and almost another 22 by choice. Definitely a morning person by genetics and/or acclimation but my energy “is generally higher at 0330 or so.

That said, I’ve recently decided to make some changes and wait a bit later based on the fact that we awaken with a higher level of cortisol (catabolic) and for various PERSONAL health reasons, I’m choosing not to have an adrenaline rush right away. Simply a personal choice and not much later. I also quit caffeine and am attempting to awaken naturally with normal hormone regulation so….I’ll just see my way out.

Gary
How much coffee were you drinking when you quit? I want to significantly cut back but man is it hard.
 
How much coffee were you drinking when you quit? I want to significantly cut back but man is it hard.
It varied over the years; tons in the Army but when I quit cold turkey one month ago, I consumed a minimum of two cups but usually no more than three. Too, I also may have downed a caffeinated Zevia beverage or two. Stopped those also. BTW, no noticeable withdrawal issues.

Recently, I believe on one of @hubermanlab podcasts, he explained that the best time to consume caffeine is around 0830/9:00 if one must. This would presume a 5/6 am wake up. It’s hormonal; specifically about the counter-hormones (cortisol, hgh , etc) and not simply caffeine bashing or whatever. Whatever your reasons for “cutting back”, good luck.

Gary
 
Mark Wahlberg has been known for his early morning workouts, I believe as 2am. He is a very disciplined man and I respect him for that. Hence the following question:

Does anyone workout early mornings, like 3am or so? My work schedule could be potentially changing where I will be starting at 4am, or shortly thereafter. I always felt better in getting a workout in before work, as I just always had better energy & focus throughout the day. My workplace has a lot of land with farm lanes and such where I could fit in a ruck or even sandbag carries with a headlamp. I'm in bed early anyways and have ridden bike to work this early in the past.

Any thoughts on this? Comments? Suggestions?
Yes. Trained early AM for decades. And yes as early as 0200 - 0300. Running, rucking, cycling, KB’s. And some ‘serious training as well’ No problems or issues ever.
 
Yes. Trained early AM for decades. And yes as early as 0200 - 0300. Running, rucking, cycling, KB’s. And some ‘serious training as well’ No problems or issues ever.
What time did you go to bed? Where there any con's to working out that early, other than the obvious?
 
Back in the day I had client sessions at 4;30 or 5:30a six days a week, I would get in a 90 minute session, shower up and then eat a bit prior to client session. I'd take a 30 min. power nap somewhere in the gym during the day. Always felt much better training first thing.
 
What time did you go to bed? Where there any con's to working out that early, other than the obvious?
Bedtime varied (varies) over the years depending upon circumstances. But anywhere between 1930 and 2000.
6 hrs has always been a good amount of sleep for me.
I have never found any cons obvious or otherwise to training early.
 
we awaken with a higher level of cortisol (catabolic)

Cortisol

Like many, you apper to view Cortisol as "Evil"; which isn't necessarily true.

Cortisol continues to be associated with burning muscle mass.

However, Cortisol also burn body fat and fuel intensive training.

Acute Elevation Cortisol

It does occur with waking, exercise, etc.

It increase glucose to get you up going in the morning. That good, not bad

Acute Cortisol Elevation with exercise burns body fat. That means it catabolic when it comes to burning fat, lipolytic.

Acute Elevated Cortisol (as well as nor-epinephrine, epinehrine, glucagon, and human growth hormone) occur during intensitive training sessions and during fasting. They allow for better intensive training session and produce EPOC (Excess Post Oxygen Consumption).

EPOC increase metabolic rate which means that you burning even more calories/body fat for hours after a intensitive training session.

Overall, Acute Elevated Cortisol is fine. The body is doing something it need to do.

Chronic Elevated Cortisol

This leads to a multitude of health issues.
 
Bedtime varied (varies) over the years depending upon circumstances. But anywhere between 1930 and 2000.
6 hrs has always been a good amount of sleep for me.
I have never found any cons obvious or otherwise to training early.
No, I get it. I’ve spent many, many hours researching the topic. I did say for “PERSONAL” health reasons I’m “CHOOSING” to delay training a bit.

I probably should have just left that last paragraph out since it’s a personal decision and reason and not relevant to the general question. My bad.

Gary
 
No, I get it. I’ve spent many, many hours researching the topic. I did say for “PERSONAL” health reasons I’m “CHOOSING” to delay training a bit.
Gary
This was meant to be a reply to Kenny and the cortisol issue.
 
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