1997aggies said:

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Unfortunately for me, I have to be at work around 3 am every day. Therefore, working out before work simply isn't an option for me so I have to workout after work. I have found that this is incredibly difficult for me. Anyway, I am desperately looking for some motivation anywhere that I can find it. Is there anyone who has successfully and consistently worked out after work for a long period of time as in 1 year or more? Please pass onto me some motivation. Thanks.

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Can you give more detail as to why you are having trouble? What are your specific goals? That helps know what and how to approach this. If you are into power lifting for instance, group fitness as suggested earlier won't work. Same with hypertrophy (body building either competitive and non competitive). Those are specific goals. Group fitness doesn't usually help with specificity, unless it's set up like Starting Strength gyms do their sessions.

Also, as mentioned before. This IS your job. It's literally as important if not more important than whatever job you have that pays you. I have heard it said that one should treat it like a meeting with your boss. Would you skip a meeting with your supervisor? No. Look at this as the exact same thing with the exact same urgency.


I train almost exclusively after work. I have 2 kids and a wife that works. Granted, I have to be at work at 7:30, not 3am. So I have a normal night of rest. Honestly, it would be a reason I would not take a strange hour job. My training affects what careers I choose. It's that important to me. That said, creating an environment conducive to getting enough sleep and keeping your room dark and cool with plenty of circulation is important. Also, you must have a regimented schedule including what time you go ton sleep. If you find that you want to go out with friends on nights before work and have other activities that keep you from maintaining a standard go to bed time, you are going to have to make choices you may not like. Make sure you get 7-10 hours of sleep each night. Set your time for that to be possible.If it means going to bed at 5pm, so be it. Even 4.

Mose Schrute said:

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No one can **** with you at 5:30 AM..

It takes some effort but after a while it's truly muscle memory.

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You are correct! I will say though, that If that is the only time that will work, that is fine. And this may not apply to you personally. But I also HAVE to have enough sleep, or the session is likely better skipped. Yes, I said that. Granted, for gen-pop fitness, performance might not be as big of an issue. But when one is on a program with specific more advanced level goals, sleep is maybe the most important ingredient to gains. I just cannot fall asleep consistently before 10pm. I just know this now. If getting up early means multiple weeks and months of sub optimal training sessions, I would rather go in the late afternoon to evening. The #1 factor that leads to injury is the lack of sleep. Studies show this to be the case and it makes sense. Don't compromise your training to go too early without enough sleep, IF you have the ability to go later and know that you'll not be able to sleep through the night.

I have been doing 3x a week CrossFit classes at 4:30 pretty consistently. I usually can get a lot of my work done by then and it's early enough that I still have a whole evening left afterwards. I think choosing that time has kept me consistent vs if I did one do the later evening classes. Plus when you are in group settings like that, you tend to look forward to seeing people you like and you can have fun with the workout.

I don't have kids so that is a big factor.