Why My Most Consistent Clients Train Before 8am (and How You Can Too)
Just set the alarm for 5:02 a.m. Jump out of bed. Attack the day. Never hit snooze. Because I’m built different, right? Not exactly.
Waking up early to work out sucks.
Most mornings, your body is begging to stay put—safe, warm, and still. There are no predators. No deadlines. No actual need to abandon your cocoon of comfort. And every logical part of your brain is making its case: We could just go later. We need rest. It’s still dark out.
And yet—for nearly a decade—I’ve done it. Week after week.
Not because I’m a morning person or naturally disciplined. And (believe it or not), I don’t enjoy suffering. I just built a system that makes early training more automatic—even when I’d rather do anything else. I’ve coached hundreds of high-performing adults—lawyers, CEOs, firefighters, parents. People with real jobs, real stress, and real calendars. The ones who stick with fitness long-term?
They train early.
Here’s why early workouts change everything—and how to make them suck less.
Why 5 A.M. Works
You don’t need to work out at 5 or 6 a.m.—but for a lot of people, it’s the only time that actually sticks. No meetings. No fires to put out. No toddlers launching applesauce at the wall.
Just time you actually control.
My most consistent clients don’t rely on evening workouts—because evenings are chaos. Meetings run late. Traffic drags. Energy crashes. One glass of wine turns into two. That’s why 80–90% of them train before noon. Some lift at 5:30. Some start at 6:45. Some go for a walk at 9. Doesn’t matter. They get it done early—and once it’s done, it’s done.
No more spending all day wondering, “Will I actually work out tonight?” They’ve already knocked out the hardest part of their day before most people finish breakfast.
Here are 3 simple steps to get your first morning workout in next week:
Step 1: Mental (This is the most important)
If you don’t have a strong reason to rip those warm covers off, you won’t.
I’m writing this at 5:44 a.m. I woke up at 5:05. When the alarm went off, here’s exactly what ran through my head:
This sucks.
I’d rather stay in bed.
This is too important to sleep through.
That last one is the key. You need a reason that beats the blanket. Not a vague “be productive” or “get in shape.” A real, personal reason that actually feels worth it at 5 a.m.
For me, it’s two things: writing and training. Both are tied to long-term goals that matter:
Writing: I committed to 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week. It helps people, grows my business, and sets up long-term freedom. Worth waking up for.
Working Out:
Short term: I feel sharper and less cranky.
Medium term: I look better, which helps confidence.
Long term: I stay healthy, reduce disease risk, and age slower.
Helping others, growing a business, feeling better, looking better, living longer? Not a bad return on a 5 a.m. investment.
If your reason isn’t clear, the snooze button wins by default. Lock that in first—then worry about the logistics.
Step 2: Physical Prep — Fix Your Sleep Hygiene
Here’s the truth: if you’re not sleeping enough, waking up early will feel like a slow death.
And no amount of motivation or Rocky training montages can save you. That’s why the first real step is getting your sleep dialed in. Not perfect. Just not trash.
For most people, that means:
A relatively consistent bedtime (yes, even on weekends)
Caffeine cut off by 3-4 p.m.
No screens in bed—TikTok is not a sleep aid!
A cooler, darker room to trigger melatonin
Enough total hours (At least 7)
You don’t need to overhaul your life. But if you’re staying up until midnight watching Netflix and downing espresso at 5 p.m., don’t be surprised when mornings are rough.
Fix the foundation first. Early training depends on it.
Step 3: Environmental Setup — Automate the Morning
At 5 a.m., your brain is useless. So stop asking it to make decisions!
The trick isn’t to “power through.” It’s to pre-decide everything in advance, while you still have executive function.
Set up your mornings like a lazy robot could execute them:
Lay out your clothes (yes, including socks and underwear)
Know your workout—what, where, how long
Queue up your coffee, shaker, or whatever gets you moving
Put your phone/alarm across the room so you can’t just roll over
The goal is frictionless execution. Every barrier—digging through laundry, fumbling for caffeine, trying to pick a workout—gives your half-asleep brain an excuse to bail.
Don’t leave it up to willpower.
Plan ahead, reduce resistance, and let your half-asleep self run the script you set the night before.
What If It’s Not Realistic for You Right Now?
Early workouts aren’t realistic for everyone.
If you’re chasing toddlers, tag-teaming night feedings, or running on three hours of sleep because your brain won’t shut off… this might not be your season. That doesn’t make you soft. It makes you human! Some of my clients are in that exact phase. And right now, survival > sunrise squats.
But if your mornings are somewhat predictable—and you’re just stuck in a late-night Netflix loop or waiting to “feel ready”—this might be the upgrade you didn’t know you needed.
Because for the people who can pull it off, early workouts change everything.
Final Thoughts
Those first 2–3 minutes of discomfort when you get up early to do something hard?
They set the tone for the entire day.
Start your day with a win, and momentum kicks in—physically, mentally, emotionally. You think clearer. Move better. Make sharper decisions with food, stress, and focus.
Win the morning → win the day → win the week.
And life? It’s just a series of weeks. So the question is: Are you going to keep hitting snooze—or start winning?
If you want a real plan, clear structure, and someone who’ll actually check whether you made it out of bed—
That’s exactly what my fitness coaching is built for. Learn more about it here.
Best,
John
P.S. Staying on theme—two beautiful morning skies from this past week: Phoenix and Houston.
3 Steps You Can Take
Apply for coaching - If you’re ready to start, you can fill out a coaching application here (it takes 90 seconds or less). Best case, you change your life. Worst case, I’ll help you draw up a road map to get closer to your goals.
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Keep learning - You can check out my other articles here. Nobody asked me to, but I’ve spent a ton of time researching everything from artificial sweeteners to saturated fat to testosterone and more, so you don’t have to.
