To be successful, it’s not just about what you have to do, it’s also about what you have to give up. Time spent in one area of life means time not spent in another. One of the biggest factors in our health and fitness lifestyle is time. Everything we do requires a time commitment – meal prep, cardio, and weight training, or your chosen exercise regimen can all capture a significant part of your day.

For me personally, my training is something that I do not want to rush. I’m not saying this needs to be a 2 hour adventure, but I personally need about one full hour to accomplish my workout goals. That means the best time to get it done is before the rest of world is out of bed and partaking in the hustle of the day. So what do I suggest to get the most out of early morning training?

Cardio
If your workout for the day is simply cardio, and your goal is fat loss, an early morning session is optimal regardless. To optimize fat burning, you’re already in a fasted state, and body fat is primed for energy expenditure. To enhance this effect, you can simply add Labrada’s Garcinia Cambogia fat loss aid prior to the session. I also suggest fully hydrating prior to the session. Studies show dehydration slows fat mobilization and can result in up to 10% fewer calories burned during a normal session.

Weight Training
This is a little trickier. With the goal being to stimulate our muscles, we need to ensure that the body is hydrated and all systems are primed to go. To accomplish this we need to ingest at the minimal influx of all essential amino acids as well as enough leucine to turn on protein synthesis. This can easily be done with a 25+g high-quality protein shake like whey. Although this would accomplish the goal, there are additional steps that can be taken to optimize the training session further, such as adding carbohydrates and fats for energy. Below I will outline my thoughts on what optimal pre/intra/post nutrition might look like to optimize your training session, but these are all very individual based on your current goals.

1 Hour Before
Lean Body^® MRP & cream of rice with 16-32oz water are recommended.
These are both very easily assimilated. This will provide a light meal that will not weigh heavily on the stomach. It will also turn on protein synthesis and provide carbs for energy, rather than burning the aminos.

On Way To Gym
Grab a large cup of coffee with another 16oz water.
As you most likely already know, coffee increases energy, blood flow, stamina, and will help keep you focused throughout the duration of your workout.

Intra Workout
Get in your BCAA’s paired with 16-32oz water.
Depending on your goals this is an excellent time to take in an amino acid blend. With the muscle being in a state of hyperplasia, nutrients will easily be shuttled to them. Many individuals use products like this a pre-workout shake, but in all reality, with digestion time, this should be utilized around the end of your workout.

Post Workout
Consume your normal enjoyable breakfast that provides a whole protein source like egg whites, and easily digestible carbohydrates, like oatmeal and fruit. Due to the fact you have optimized your workout session with an intra workout shake, this meal does not have to be immediate. I do suggest it within 1-1.5 hours postworkout.

My suggestion above may be more time-intensive than you like. There are many other options that you could do to make your morning faster, but again I am suggesting these for optimal results. I feel the worst mistake anyone can make is to enter the weight training session on an empty stomach. Although fat burning may happen during the session, you will also likely expend enough amino acids to not create new muscle, or even worse, burn pre-existing muscle.