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The First and Last 30
How you start and finish your days can have a big impact
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How you start and finish your days can have a big impact on how the proceeding day will go. Something that has paid dividends of late is having a 30 min pre and post sleep routine. I have been ‘practicing’ my routine for nearly 9 months now after over 2 years of trial and error to get it right.
The reason I am a fan of routine is your body and mind enter a state of comfort once you are in them which I think is of particular importance especially before sleep and getting a good start on a productive day. I developed my routine because for the past 2 years, not one week went by that I consistently slept in the same bed (work & study commitments, not the reason you’re thinking of… keep it clean please). I worked out that it largely didn’t matter on the environment I was in or woke up to it was how I felt going to sleep. And, as most people probably know… going to sleep in a comfortable mindset means waking up fresher and more productive.
You need to figure yours out for yourself but I think a good pre sleep routine should involve 4 things.
Limiting blue light, TV, computer phone screen etc… I stop watching any TV or looking at my phone/computer 30 min before I want to sleep, sometimes a full hour.
Emptying the mind. I write down what my following day involves and order it either by time or importance of tasks. This gives my brain one last chance to remember something I have forgotten and ‘switch itself off’ for the night. This also comes back into play for the morning.
Stretching. Personally I use ROM WOD as it varies which stretches you do for each day and has some good calming breath work which I like. Again, you may have a stretch routine you really like to do, just make sure it’s a relaxing one and doesn’t create heat in the muscles.
Reading. Usually the last thing I do before I sleep. I’ve worked out thanks to forgetting my book a fair few times it doesn’t matter what I read I just need to read something. Only thing that hasn’t worked is the room service menu… I now check if I have remembered a book or not and pick something up prior to my 30 min routine window.
Boom, 4 things I need to do and no matter the time or location i’m asleep. I always pack my bag or have things ready the night before which helps with emptying the mind too but I have that done long before bed time. Oh and clean your teeth!
As said earlier, going to sleep with a good mindset means waking up with a good mindset. People who get up on the wrong side of the bed normally get in on the wrong side of the bed. There are still a few things you can do in the first 30 min of a morning though to help set you up for the day.
Mine is ordered pretty much the same everyday but again you need to figure it out for yourself.
Always have an alarm to wake up to. Never, no matter how tempting, hit snooze. Unless you’re willing to have a ‘lazy morning’.
Sit up asap, get up and move. This stops you being tempted to hit snooze.
Drink water. I always have water by my bed and drink at least 500ml straight away.
Toilet. It’s like clockwork…
Measure HRV and fill in wellness scores. This helps you actually reflect on how you are feeling and makes you aware of where your head and body is at.
Review your mind emptying list from the night before.
Crack on with your day!
These 7 steps take me around 5 – 10 min each morning. From there I have 20 min to make coffee/breakfast, drink more water, shower or put my kit on and start my day without feeling rushed or in a state of unproductiveness.
ENGINE
A sustained 50-minute aerobic workout designed to build your engine and endurance. Expect continuous movement across the bike, rower, ski erg, and running, all at a manageable, steady pace.
GYMNASTICS
This week is all about the bar! On Tuesday, we’ll continue working on pulling strength, followed by kipping and butterfly progressions. On Thursday, Bar Muscle Ups will make an appearance. Get ready for low bar drills, strength work and BMU progressions galore.
HYROX
A high-intensity session focused on building leg strength and muscular endurance. We will finish each movement with short runs to build resilience under fatigue.
MOBILITY
Back to the flows, yes, back in popular demand, I’m running it back. Full body stretching ended with stability/activation of course.
PURE STRENGTH
This week in Pure Strength, we kick off Monday with a heavy set of RDLS, followed by some Front squat volume, and then some frontal plane strength work. On Wednesday, we have some overcoming isometrics to kick our session off, followed by some cluster sets on the bench press, and then some push-pull accessory work.
WEIGHTLIFTING
Weightlifting this week is snatch; we are breaking down the movement. Starting with the 3-position snatch. Drilling the timings under the barbell. Followed by snatch pulls and a complex of behind-the-neck push press into OHS.
Monday Ride
A ride dedicated to group riding skills and some fitness. Coach Rob Foster leads this ride, if you'd like to join email Rob Foster
Start time: 05:59 am
Session Length: 1.5 hour
Location: The Loop Cafe, Bike DXB
Track Tuesday
Our weekly on track speed session! For any level of runner looking to build their run speed, threshold and Vo2max fitness and run with the best running community in Dubai.
Time: 05:59 am
Session Length: 1.5 hour
Location: Dubai Sports City Sports Park
Friday - Coffee Run
Our weekly tempo run. Sessions are built on an RPE scale and accessible to all levels of runner. We start together, run hard then finish together and chat about it over a coffee and breakfast.
Brief time: 05:54 am
Start time: 05:59 am
Start Location: Common Grounds
Saturday - Long Ride
Our weekly endurance ride.
Please email Rob Foster for more details.
Time: 05:59 am
Location: Bottom of the Stick, Al Qudra.
Monday
Time: 5:59pm
Location: InnerFight
Session: LRC Tempo
This week will be dialling into that Tempo effort (7/10 RPE) for 6 mins blocks. You will take a 1 min recovery after each block and repeat the sequence 5x.
Tuesday
Time: 5:59am
Location: Dubai Sports City Sports Park
Session: Track Tuesday
This is your chance to run fast with the wider IFE community and coaches. This week we will be running 400m repeats at 5km pace. After each 400m you get a 25sec rest.
Wednesday
Time: 5:59am & 5:59pm
Location: InnerFight
Session: LRC Intervals
Today we have intervals in the morning and evening. We will be running 800s and 400s. Try to run your 400m efforts slighly faster than you 800m efforts.
Friday
Time: 5:59am
Location: Common Grounds
Session: The Coffee Run
This week we will be doing hill repeats on the canal bridge. Efforts will be short and sharp, working on your power. 10-12X
20secs at 9/10;
2mins walk back to starting point.
Monday:
Starting the week with some pressing tempo push-up work, followed by some bench press and death march, and then a strongman-style workout for an epic start to the week!
Strength:
A) EMOM x 8 - 3 to 5 tempo push-ups tempo @31x1
B) Every 90 sec x 10 alt between - 5 Barbell bench press @20x1 (building) & 16 alt DB death march
Conditioning:
For Time:
10-1 Sandbag Over Shoulder
1-10 Dumbbell STOH
Tuesday:
Tuesday, we have some sled work in the strength, and then some Interval work that will challenge your squat and pull endurance.
Strength:
A) 6 mins build to max triple broad jump
Rest 2 mins
B) Every 2 mins x 5 2 length sled push
Conditioning:
4 min window
30 sec wall sit
30 wall balls
15 pull-ups
AMRAP cal ski
Rest 2 mins x 4
Wednesday:
Wednesday is all about the barbell in both the skill and a fast-paced
Squat clean and run workout.
Strength:
A) Every 2 mins x 8 - 2 power clean + 2 push press
Rest 2 mins
B) Every 90 sec x 3 6 BB good mornings @30x1
Conditioning:
For Time:
15-12- 9 Squat Cleans
After each set, a park run
Thursday:
Thursday, we have some strict pull-up work followed by a long endurance workout on the rower.
Strength:
A: In a 2-minute window, establish a MAX unbroken set of strict pull-ups/chest 2 bar/bar muscle-ups
+
B: EMOM 8 @ 33% of A
Conditioning:
30 mins Max Cal Row:
0-10 mins every 2:30 mins 6 burpees
11-20 mins every 2:30 mins 6 burpee box jump
21-30 mins every 2:30 mins 6 burpee box jump over
Friday:
FUF, we are finishing off with some single-leg and core work, and then 6 rounds of
Strength:
A) EMOM x 6 - 20 sec strict TTB/SLR
rest 2 min
B) Every 2 mins x 4 - 12 alt front rack KB reverse lunge
Conditioning:
6 Rounds For Time:
12 TTB
40/30 Cal Ass Bike and C2 bike (Alternating)
20 Russian KB Swing
How you start and finish your days can have a big impact on how the proceeding day will go. Something that has paid dividends of late is having a 30 min pre and post sleep routine. I have been ‘practicing’ my routine for nearly 9 months now after over 2 years of trial and error to get it right.
The reason I am a fan of routine is your body and mind enter a state of comfort once you are in them which I think is of particular importance especially before sleep and getting a good start on a productive day. I developed my routine because for the past 2 years, not one week went by that I consistently slept in the same bed (work & study commitments, not the reason you’re thinking of… keep it clean please). I worked out that it largely didn’t matter on the environment I was in or woke up to it was how I felt going to sleep. And, as most people probably know… going to sleep in a comfortable mindset means waking up fresher and more productive.
You need to figure yours out for yourself but I think a good pre sleep routine should involve 4 things.
Limiting blue light, TV, computer phone screen etc… I stop watching any TV or looking at my phone/computer 30 min before I want to sleep, sometimes a full hour.
Emptying the mind. I write down what my following day involves and order it either by time or importance of tasks. This gives my brain one last chance to remember something I have forgotten and ‘switch itself off’ for the night. This also comes back into play for the morning.
Stretching. Personally I use ROM WOD as it varies which stretches you do for each day and has some good calming breath work which I like. Again, you may have a stretch routine you really like to do, just make sure it’s a relaxing one and doesn’t create heat in the muscles.
Reading. Usually the last thing I do before I sleep. I’ve worked out thanks to forgetting my book a fair few times it doesn’t matter what I read I just need to read something. Only thing that hasn’t worked is the room service menu… I now check if I have remembered a book or not and pick something up prior to my 30 min routine window.
Boom, 4 things I need to do and no matter the time or location i’m asleep. I always pack my bag or have things ready the night before which helps with emptying the mind too but I have that done long before bed time. Oh and clean your teeth!
As said earlier, going to sleep with a good mindset means waking up with a good mindset. People who get up on the wrong side of the bed normally get in on the wrong side of the bed. There are still a few things you can do in the first 30 min of a morning though to help set you up for the day.
Mine is ordered pretty much the same everyday but again you need to figure it out for yourself.
Always have an alarm to wake up to. Never, no matter how tempting, hit snooze. Unless you’re willing to have a ‘lazy morning’.
Sit up asap, get up and move. This stops you being tempted to hit snooze.
Drink water. I always have water by my bed and drink at least 500ml straight away.
Toilet. It’s like clockwork…
Measure HRV and fill in wellness scores. This helps you actually reflect on how you are feeling and makes you aware of where your head and body is at.
Review your mind emptying list from the night before.
Crack on with your day!
These 7 steps take me around 5 – 10 min each morning. From there I have 20 min to make coffee/breakfast, drink more water, shower or put my kit on and start my day without feeling rushed or in a state of unproductiveness.
Monday Ride
A ride dedicated to group riding skills and some fitness. Coach Rob Foster leads this ride, if you'd like to join email Rob Foster
Start time: 05:59 am
Session Length: 1.5 hour
Location: The Loop Cafe, Bike DXB
Track Tuesday
Our weekly on track speed session! For any level of runner looking to build their run speed, threshold and Vo2max fitness and run with the best running community in Dubai.
Time: 05:59 am
Session Length: 1.5 hour
Location: Dubai Sports City Sports Park
Friday - Coffee Run
Our weekly tempo run. Sessions are built on an RPE scale and accessible to all levels of runner. We start together, run hard then finish together and chat about it over a coffee and breakfast.
Brief time: 05:54 am
Start time: 05:59 am
Start Location: Common Grounds
Saturday - Long Ride
Our weekly endurance ride.
Please email Rob Foster for more details.
Time: 05:59 am
Location: Bottom of the Stick, Al Qudra.
Monday
Time: 5:59pm
Location: InnerFight
Session: LRC Tempo
This week will be dialling into that Tempo effort (7/10 RPE) for 6 mins blocks. You will take a 1 min recovery after each block and repeat the sequence 5x.
Tuesday
Time: 5:59am
Location: Dubai Sports City Sports Park
Session: Track Tuesday
This is your chance to run fast with the wider IFE community and coaches. This week we will be running 400m repeats at 5km pace. After each 400m you get a 25sec rest.
Wednesday
Time: 5:59am & 5:59pm
Location: InnerFight
Session: LRC Intervals
Today we have intervals in the morning and evening. We will be running 800s and 400s. Try to run your 400m efforts slighly faster than you 800m efforts.
Friday
Time: 5:59am
Location: Common Grounds
Session: The Coffee Run
This week we will be doing hill repeats on the canal bridge. Efforts will be short and sharp, working on your power. 10-12X
20secs at 9/10;
2mins walk back to starting point.
Monday:
Starting the week with some pressing tempo push-up work, followed by some bench press and death march, and then a strongman-style workout for an epic start to the week!
Strength:
A) EMOM x 8 - 3 to 5 tempo push-ups tempo @31x1
B) Every 90 sec x 10 alt between - 5 Barbell bench press @20x1 (building) & 16 alt DB death march
Conditioning:
For Time:
10-1 Sandbag Over Shoulder
1-10 Dumbbell STOH
Tuesday:
Tuesday, we have some sled work in the strength, and then some Interval work that will challenge your squat and pull endurance.
Strength:
A) 6 mins build to max triple broad jump
Rest 2 mins
B) Every 2 mins x 5 2 length sled push
Conditioning:
4 min window
30 sec wall sit
30 wall balls
15 pull-ups
AMRAP cal ski
Rest 2 mins x 4
Wednesday:
Wednesday is all about the barbell in both the skill and a fast-paced
Squat clean and run workout.
Strength:
A) Every 2 mins x 8 - 2 power clean + 2 push press
Rest 2 mins
B) Every 90 sec x 3 6 BB good mornings @30x1
Conditioning:
For Time:
15-12- 9 Squat Cleans
After each set, a park run
Thursday:
Thursday, we have some strict pull-up work followed by a long endurance workout on the rower.
Strength:
A: In a 2-minute window, establish a MAX unbroken set of strict pull-ups/chest 2 bar/bar muscle-ups
+
B: EMOM 8 @ 33% of A
Conditioning:
30 mins Max Cal Row:
0-10 mins every 2:30 mins 6 burpees
11-20 mins every 2:30 mins 6 burpee box jump
21-30 mins every 2:30 mins 6 burpee box jump over
Friday:
FUF, we are finishing off with some single-leg and core work, and then 6 rounds of
Strength:
A) EMOM x 6 - 20 sec strict TTB/SLR
rest 2 min
B) Every 2 mins x 4 - 12 alt front rack KB reverse lunge
Conditioning:
6 Rounds For Time:
12 TTB
40/30 Cal Ass Bike and C2 bike (Alternating)
20 Russian KB Swing
ENGINE
A sustained 50-minute aerobic workout designed to build your engine and endurance. Expect continuous movement across the bike, rower, ski erg, and running, all at a manageable, steady pace.
GYMNASTICS
This week is all about the bar! On Tuesday, we’ll continue working on pulling strength, followed by kipping and butterfly progressions. On Thursday, Bar Muscle Ups will make an appearance. Get ready for low bar drills, strength work and BMU progressions galore.
HYROX
A high-intensity session focused on building leg strength and muscular endurance. We will finish each movement with short runs to build resilience under fatigue.
MOBILITY
Back to the flows, yes, back in popular demand, I’m running it back. Full body stretching ended with stability/activation of course.
PURE STRENGTH
This week in Pure Strength, we kick off Monday with a heavy set of RDLS, followed by some Front squat volume, and then some frontal plane strength work. On Wednesday, we have some overcoming isometrics to kick our session off, followed by some cluster sets on the bench press, and then some push-pull accessory work.
WEIGHTLIFTING
Weightlifting this week is snatch; we are breaking down the movement. Starting with the 3-position snatch. Drilling the timings under the barbell. Followed by snatch pulls and a complex of behind-the-neck push press into OHS.
How you start and finish your days can have a big impact on how the proceeding day will go. Something that has paid dividends of late is having a 30 min pre and post sleep routine. I have been ‘practicing’ my routine for nearly 9 months now after over 2 years of trial and error to get it right.
The reason I am a fan of routine is your body and mind enter a state of comfort once you are in them which I think is of particular importance especially before sleep and getting a good start on a productive day. I developed my routine because for the past 2 years, not one week went by that I consistently slept in the same bed (work & study commitments, not the reason you’re thinking of… keep it clean please). I worked out that it largely didn’t matter on the environment I was in or woke up to it was how I felt going to sleep. And, as most people probably know… going to sleep in a comfortable mindset means waking up fresher and more productive.
You need to figure yours out for yourself but I think a good pre sleep routine should involve 4 things.
Limiting blue light, TV, computer phone screen etc… I stop watching any TV or looking at my phone/computer 30 min before I want to sleep, sometimes a full hour.
Emptying the mind. I write down what my following day involves and order it either by time or importance of tasks. This gives my brain one last chance to remember something I have forgotten and ‘switch itself off’ for the night. This also comes back into play for the morning.
Stretching. Personally I use ROM WOD as it varies which stretches you do for each day and has some good calming breath work which I like. Again, you may have a stretch routine you really like to do, just make sure it’s a relaxing one and doesn’t create heat in the muscles.
Reading. Usually the last thing I do before I sleep. I’ve worked out thanks to forgetting my book a fair few times it doesn’t matter what I read I just need to read something. Only thing that hasn’t worked is the room service menu… I now check if I have remembered a book or not and pick something up prior to my 30 min routine window.
Boom, 4 things I need to do and no matter the time or location i’m asleep. I always pack my bag or have things ready the night before which helps with emptying the mind too but I have that done long before bed time. Oh and clean your teeth!
As said earlier, going to sleep with a good mindset means waking up with a good mindset. People who get up on the wrong side of the bed normally get in on the wrong side of the bed. There are still a few things you can do in the first 30 min of a morning though to help set you up for the day.
Mine is ordered pretty much the same everyday but again you need to figure it out for yourself.
Always have an alarm to wake up to. Never, no matter how tempting, hit snooze. Unless you’re willing to have a ‘lazy morning’.
Sit up asap, get up and move. This stops you being tempted to hit snooze.
Drink water. I always have water by my bed and drink at least 500ml straight away.
Toilet. It’s like clockwork…
Measure HRV and fill in wellness scores. This helps you actually reflect on how you are feeling and makes you aware of where your head and body is at.
Review your mind emptying list from the night before.
Crack on with your day!
These 7 steps take me around 5 – 10 min each morning. From there I have 20 min to make coffee/breakfast, drink more water, shower or put my kit on and start my day without feeling rushed or in a state of unproductiveness.
Monday
Time: 5:59pm
Location: InnerFight
Session: LRC Tempo
This week will be dialling into that Tempo effort (7/10 RPE) for 6 mins blocks. You will take a 1 min recovery after each block and repeat the sequence 5x.
Tuesday
Time: 5:59am
Location: Dubai Sports City Sports Park
Session: Track Tuesday
This is your chance to run fast with the wider IFE community and coaches. This week we will be running 400m repeats at 5km pace. After each 400m you get a 25sec rest.
Wednesday
Time: 5:59am & 5:59pm
Location: InnerFight
Session: LRC Intervals
Today we have intervals in the morning and evening. We will be running 800s and 400s. Try to run your 400m efforts slighly faster than you 800m efforts.
Friday
Time: 5:59am
Location: Common Grounds
Session: The Coffee Run
This week we will be doing hill repeats on the canal bridge. Efforts will be short and sharp, working on your power. 10-12X
20secs at 9/10;
2mins walk back to starting point.
Monday:
Starting the week with some pressing tempo push-up work, followed by some bench press and death march, and then a strongman-style workout for an epic start to the week!
Strength:
A) EMOM x 8 - 3 to 5 tempo push-ups tempo @31x1
B) Every 90 sec x 10 alt between - 5 Barbell bench press @20x1 (building) & 16 alt DB death march
Conditioning:
For Time:
10-1 Sandbag Over Shoulder
1-10 Dumbbell STOH
Tuesday:
Tuesday, we have some sled work in the strength, and then some Interval work that will challenge your squat and pull endurance.
Strength:
A) 6 mins build to max triple broad jump
Rest 2 mins
B) Every 2 mins x 5 2 length sled push
Conditioning:
4 min window
30 sec wall sit
30 wall balls
15 pull-ups
AMRAP cal ski
Rest 2 mins x 4
Wednesday:
Wednesday is all about the barbell in both the skill and a fast-paced
Squat clean and run workout.
Strength:
A) Every 2 mins x 8 - 2 power clean + 2 push press
Rest 2 mins
B) Every 90 sec x 3 6 BB good mornings @30x1
Conditioning:
For Time:
15-12- 9 Squat Cleans
After each set, a park run
Thursday:
Thursday, we have some strict pull-up work followed by a long endurance workout on the rower.
Strength:
A: In a 2-minute window, establish a MAX unbroken set of strict pull-ups/chest 2 bar/bar muscle-ups
+
B: EMOM 8 @ 33% of A
Conditioning:
30 mins Max Cal Row:
0-10 mins every 2:30 mins 6 burpees
11-20 mins every 2:30 mins 6 burpee box jump
21-30 mins every 2:30 mins 6 burpee box jump over
Friday:
FUF, we are finishing off with some single-leg and core work, and then 6 rounds of
Strength:
A) EMOM x 6 - 20 sec strict TTB/SLR
rest 2 min
B) Every 2 mins x 4 - 12 alt front rack KB reverse lunge
Conditioning:
6 Rounds For Time:
12 TTB
40/30 Cal Ass Bike and C2 bike (Alternating)
20 Russian KB Swing
ENGINE
A sustained 50-minute aerobic workout designed to build your engine and endurance. Expect continuous movement across the bike, rower, ski erg, and running, all at a manageable, steady pace.
GYMNASTICS
This week is all about the bar! On Tuesday, we’ll continue working on pulling strength, followed by kipping and butterfly progressions. On Thursday, Bar Muscle Ups will make an appearance. Get ready for low bar drills, strength work and BMU progressions galore.
HYROX
A high-intensity session focused on building leg strength and muscular endurance. We will finish each movement with short runs to build resilience under fatigue.
MOBILITY
Back to the flows, yes, back in popular demand, I’m running it back. Full body stretching ended with stability/activation of course.
PURE STRENGTH
This week in Pure Strength, we kick off Monday with a heavy set of RDLS, followed by some Front squat volume, and then some frontal plane strength work. On Wednesday, we have some overcoming isometrics to kick our session off, followed by some cluster sets on the bench press, and then some push-pull accessory work.
WEIGHTLIFTING
Weightlifting this week is snatch; we are breaking down the movement. Starting with the 3-position snatch. Drilling the timings under the barbell. Followed by snatch pulls and a complex of behind-the-neck push press into OHS.
Monday Ride
A ride dedicated to group riding skills and some fitness. Coach Rob Foster leads this ride, if you'd like to join email Rob Foster
Start time: 05:59 am
Session Length: 1.5 hour
Location: The Loop Cafe, Bike DXB
Track Tuesday
Our weekly on track speed session! For any level of runner looking to build their run speed, threshold and Vo2max fitness and run with the best running community in Dubai.
Time: 05:59 am
Session Length: 1.5 hour
Location: Dubai Sports City Sports Park
Friday - Coffee Run
Our weekly tempo run. Sessions are built on an RPE scale and accessible to all levels of runner. We start together, run hard then finish together and chat about it over a coffee and breakfast.
Brief time: 05:54 am
Start time: 05:59 am
Start Location: Common Grounds
Saturday - Long Ride
Our weekly endurance ride.
Please email Rob Foster for more details.
Time: 05:59 am
Location: Bottom of the Stick, Al Qudra.
How you start and finish your days can have a big impact on how the proceeding day will go. Something that has paid dividends of late is having a 30 min pre and post sleep routine. I have been ‘practicing’ my routine for nearly 9 months now after over 2 years of trial and error to get it right.
The reason I am a fan of routine is your body and mind enter a state of comfort once you are in them which I think is of particular importance especially before sleep and getting a good start on a productive day. I developed my routine because for the past 2 years, not one week went by that I consistently slept in the same bed (work & study commitments, not the reason you’re thinking of… keep it clean please). I worked out that it largely didn’t matter on the environment I was in or woke up to it was how I felt going to sleep. And, as most people probably know… going to sleep in a comfortable mindset means waking up fresher and more productive.
You need to figure yours out for yourself but I think a good pre sleep routine should involve 4 things.
Limiting blue light, TV, computer phone screen etc… I stop watching any TV or looking at my phone/computer 30 min before I want to sleep, sometimes a full hour.
Emptying the mind. I write down what my following day involves and order it either by time or importance of tasks. This gives my brain one last chance to remember something I have forgotten and ‘switch itself off’ for the night. This also comes back into play for the morning.
Stretching. Personally I use ROM WOD as it varies which stretches you do for each day and has some good calming breath work which I like. Again, you may have a stretch routine you really like to do, just make sure it’s a relaxing one and doesn’t create heat in the muscles.
Reading. Usually the last thing I do before I sleep. I’ve worked out thanks to forgetting my book a fair few times it doesn’t matter what I read I just need to read something. Only thing that hasn’t worked is the room service menu… I now check if I have remembered a book or not and pick something up prior to my 30 min routine window.
Boom, 4 things I need to do and no matter the time or location i’m asleep. I always pack my bag or have things ready the night before which helps with emptying the mind too but I have that done long before bed time. Oh and clean your teeth!
As said earlier, going to sleep with a good mindset means waking up with a good mindset. People who get up on the wrong side of the bed normally get in on the wrong side of the bed. There are still a few things you can do in the first 30 min of a morning though to help set you up for the day.
Mine is ordered pretty much the same everyday but again you need to figure it out for yourself.
Always have an alarm to wake up to. Never, no matter how tempting, hit snooze. Unless you’re willing to have a ‘lazy morning’.
Sit up asap, get up and move. This stops you being tempted to hit snooze.
Drink water. I always have water by my bed and drink at least 500ml straight away.
Toilet. It’s like clockwork…
Measure HRV and fill in wellness scores. This helps you actually reflect on how you are feeling and makes you aware of where your head and body is at.
Review your mind emptying list from the night before.
Crack on with your day!
These 7 steps take me around 5 – 10 min each morning. From there I have 20 min to make coffee/breakfast, drink more water, shower or put my kit on and start my day without feeling rushed or in a state of unproductiveness.
How you start and finish your days can have a big impact on how the proceeding day will go. Something that has paid dividends of late is having a 30 min pre and post sleep routine. I have been ‘practicing’ my routine for nearly 9 months now after over 2 years of trial and error to get it right.
The reason I am a fan of routine is your body and mind enter a state of comfort once you are in them which I think is of particular importance especially before sleep and getting a good start on a productive day. I developed my routine because for the past 2 years, not one week went by that I consistently slept in the same bed (work & study commitments, not the reason you’re thinking of… keep it clean please). I worked out that it largely didn’t matter on the environment I was in or woke up to it was how I felt going to sleep. And, as most people probably know… going to sleep in a comfortable mindset means waking up fresher and more productive.
You need to figure yours out for yourself but I think a good pre sleep routine should involve 4 things.
Limiting blue light, TV, computer phone screen etc… I stop watching any TV or looking at my phone/computer 30 min before I want to sleep, sometimes a full hour.
Emptying the mind. I write down what my following day involves and order it either by time or importance of tasks. This gives my brain one last chance to remember something I have forgotten and ‘switch itself off’ for the night. This also comes back into play for the morning.
Stretching. Personally I use ROM WOD as it varies which stretches you do for each day and has some good calming breath work which I like. Again, you may have a stretch routine you really like to do, just make sure it’s a relaxing one and doesn’t create heat in the muscles.
Reading. Usually the last thing I do before I sleep. I’ve worked out thanks to forgetting my book a fair few times it doesn’t matter what I read I just need to read something. Only thing that hasn’t worked is the room service menu… I now check if I have remembered a book or not and pick something up prior to my 30 min routine window.
Boom, 4 things I need to do and no matter the time or location i’m asleep. I always pack my bag or have things ready the night before which helps with emptying the mind too but I have that done long before bed time. Oh and clean your teeth!
As said earlier, going to sleep with a good mindset means waking up with a good mindset. People who get up on the wrong side of the bed normally get in on the wrong side of the bed. There are still a few things you can do in the first 30 min of a morning though to help set you up for the day.
Mine is ordered pretty much the same everyday but again you need to figure it out for yourself.
Always have an alarm to wake up to. Never, no matter how tempting, hit snooze. Unless you’re willing to have a ‘lazy morning’.
Sit up asap, get up and move. This stops you being tempted to hit snooze.
Drink water. I always have water by my bed and drink at least 500ml straight away.
Toilet. It’s like clockwork…
Measure HRV and fill in wellness scores. This helps you actually reflect on how you are feeling and makes you aware of where your head and body is at.
Review your mind emptying list from the night before.
Crack on with your day!
These 7 steps take me around 5 – 10 min each morning. From there I have 20 min to make coffee/breakfast, drink more water, shower or put my kit on and start my day without feeling rushed or in a state of unproductiveness.
One-Hour Workout: Revving Your Swim Engine
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