Why I Train Early In the Morning
Yesterday I was in the gym doing some Bench at 6:30am. One of the trainers (that I hadn’t met yet) walked in and said “you’re keen”.
I was a little confused.
For me, getting to the gym as soon as it opens is just normal. I’ve been doing it for about a month now since I’ve moved back to Cambridge.
But for this guy — and in fact most of the people I’ve seen there — it was unusual. To the point where he was genuinely surprised that I was in there.
The gym’s quiet
So why do I work out so early? First off it’s just super quiet. Every day I either workout or swim. During the week it’s more workouts, with a couple swims at the weekend.
I’ve optimized the schedule for maximum people-avoidance.
Some people love the noise. The atmosphere. Some people just can’t get in the zone without other people there.
I’m totally the opposite. I like silence. It gives me a chance to focus on myself and my progress. Each lift individually.
It gives me a break from my otherwise hectic life.
I’m an early riser
Plus it’s not really that early for me. I’m usually up before 4am. So getting to the gym for 6:30's hardly an effort.
Having that time before my workiut’s great too. I’m not there as soon as I wake up. Ive already had coffee and done some work. Some writing.
It’s not quite the first thing in my day. That works for me.
I get my workout done before most people wake up
Then there’s the fact that while I’m working out, most people are still in bed. Or getting ready for their 9–5.
I get to go through much of my workday after working out. I’m more energized. I feel better about myself for it.
And there’s a small amount of pride I feel getting back home after and being reminded that it’s still stupidly early.
There’s two periods a day for deep work
Most importantly I get two periods a day I can do deep work. There’s the morning obviously, when everyone’s asleep. That’s my favorite.
But splitting my day with the gym gives me a second period too. When I’m back from the gym my brain’s working double time. I’m on fire.
It’s the perfect time to get into some work. I can spend a couple hours there before another break. That way I get twice the amount of time each day to do creative and awesome things.
So you should give it a go. The benefits are pretty numerous. They sure have been for me. And what do you have to lose?
I’m just a guy from the UK that’s okay at writing, better at startups, awesome at making coffee.
I curate a weekly email digest and publication called Starting Up.
This is day 97 in a 365 day writing experiment. You can check out why I’m writing every day here.
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