Issues with Converting to early morning training

[Royal Dragon]

Hello all!!

Most of my martial career, have worked for others, which means I had to be somewhere at a certain time. Training in the moring was just not in the cards. I have allways been an evening trainer. But now I have a small business and I don't have a dedicated schedule anymore.

I am not really an early riser, but with my new found freedom I think I may be able to start working out in the morning. I figure if I can get up a half hour earlier than before, and start working a half hour later, combined with the fact that I no longer have a 40 minute commute, in Theory, I should be able to make this work.

It's been rough, but I managed to get to the park several times last week, and so far this morning this week. I think in time, especially with good weather i can get there early.

The problem I am haveing is a total lack of engery....I mean it's really bad, just my basic warmup wipes me out. In the evening, even if I starved myself all day, I can breaze through the warmup, train hard and recover soon after. But in the morning, I feel drained, struggle just to warm up, and seem to need a nap right after.

Also, I have been craving ham and eggs severl hours after the early morning workout....umm I mean warmup...that I didn't finnish...

What do you guys make of this?

[Becca]

You're not a morning person.














But try changing you warm up. What do you do? I stick to Yoga or Tai Chi as neither are hard and both get the body moving. I have no prefence, really. Somedays I feel more like sitting to strech. somedays I'd rather stand. Both warm up the joints and muscles nicely.

But I do niether at night as both also get my Chi running high.

[SevenStar]

D@mmit, quit agreeing with me.

yeah, you're not a morning person. Why force yourself to workout that early? unless you are training in the morning and evening or you have some schedule conflict in the evening, what benefit are you getting from training in the morning?

[Royal Dragon]

What bennifit? More time with my daughter, or the Women I date. The Women I date especially seem to not like it when I am not avalaible in the evenings, and it messes up my getting laid.


In all seriousness, I have allways had a problem with consistancy, and I am hopeing if I can get a good workout done first thing, before all the distractions of the day start flooding me, I can maintain some sort of consistancy and progress more.

The other thing is I am trying too assemble some guys to work with in the evenings, and I don't want to waste good partner time on conditioning, stance work and mechanics exercises. I want to drill apps, and various other partner drills.

The goal is to do all the stuff I can and prefer to do solo in the morning 4 days a week, and anything that requires partner work in the evenings.

[Becca]

D@mmit, quit agreeing with me.

If I said it first, aren't you agreeing with me?

Novel idea; no one agrees with me....

[PangQuan]

But I do niether at night as both also get my Chi running high.

this one is my problem. I'm a banker and work bankers hours. so when i train it has to be after work.

i get off work, bike 2 miles home, stretch out and do a bit of warm up, bike 6-7 miles to wing chun (which ive found is tiring in a totally different way than my previous kungfu training) work for 2-4 hours, then bike home.

i get home around 11 on average and cannot simply jump into bed. once midnight rolls around i finally decide i better go to bed before its too late. then i just lay there for another couple hours trying to sleep.

so i dont know if this is the best place to ask this type of advice but this thread brought it out of me.

what can i guy do to drop his energy levels after something like that to get to sleep. ive tried just working out longer to try and tire myself, while i do get physically more exhausted, mentally im still wide awake.

ive tried melatonin (SP) but it doesnt seem to help me out, and im not really into sleeping pills or anything (and yes no GF or wife, so that options is not possible )

[Becca]

... what can i guy do to drop his energy levels after something like that to get to sleep. ive tried just working out longer to try and tire myself, while i do get physically more exhausted, mentally im still wide awake.

ive tried melatonin (SP) but it doesnt seem to help me out, and im not really into sleeping pills or anything (and yes no GF or wife, so that options is not possible )

Did you try meditation? Not in bed, either. If you can't sleep, get up. The older I get, the more I find myself not being to sleep. I asked my sifu for advice. The first thing he said was never lay in bed unless sick or sleeping. You'll train your body to assosiat bed with sleep. Or you'll train your mind to shut down. Either way...

I find a nice, quiet place away from your sleeping space and meditate. I have a 55 gallon fish tank that I leave the water level a bit low in. The sound of the water makes it easier for me to blank out my mind. I also have alot of live plants in that area, so the air is nicely sented and full of oxygen. Sounds silly, but hey, it's not like I was sleeping anyway. Might as well get my meditation practice in.

Ok. Enough rambling for now. Back to chasing over-due orders...

[RD'S Alias - 1A]

Well, it's cold and rainy here today, so I slept in..I'm such a wuss!

[Water Dragon]

what can i guy do to drop his energy levels after something like that to get to sleep. ive tried just working out longer to try and tire myself, while i do get physically more exhausted, mentally im still wide awake.

Stop biking to Wing Chun. Drive or take a bus. If you have to, bike there and take a taxi home. You're not giving your body enough time to cool down before you goto bed. If you don't have to bike home, you can let your body unwing quicker. and you'll be more ready to sleep when you get home.

Also, try eating right after your Wing Chun workout. Bring a power bar, or a couple bananas, something like that.

[RD'S Alias - 1A]

Good advice, except for the bannana. That is more pre workout food. He's better off protine loading after a workout, so his muscles have the building blocks they need to grow.

[Water Dragon]

True, but it's also important to recarb. Ideally, you want a little dose of both. The idea behind eating immediately after the workout is to get food into the body quickly so the body can start repairing immediately.

I like to take in a lot of protein right before I go to sleep. I usually take in some whey, which digests quickly, and cottage cheese, which digests more slowly. But that's because I lift too.

[RD'S Alias - 1A]

I do the same,but avoid the cheeze as well as most other dairy products. Dairy products are bad for your cardio due to increased flem production. I prefer steaks (organic preferably) or other meats.

[SevenStar]

Well, it's cold and rainy here today, so I slept in..I'm such a wuss!

I've been telling you that for years

[SevenStar]

Good advice, except for the bannana. That is more pre workout food. He's better off protine loading after a workout, so his muscles have the building blocks they need to grow.

bananas are fine post work out. they contain potassium, which helps with lactic acid buildup

[RD'S Alias - 1A]

Hmmm, Never thought of it that way. My focus was limited to protine intake.