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Wake Fast Workout (WFW) - 20 minutes as soon as you wake up

I’m giving these type of workouts a name: WFW, wake-fast workouts.

I was recently reminded in a pro cyclist training video that from the moment our eyes open when we wake until the blood chemistry changes over from “sleep fasting” state there is a golden window of about 30 minutes. In this state our blood chemistry dictates that we burn only fat but it is hard to actually do anything during that groggy state. In fact, as soon as you are not groggy anymore you are probably out of it.

The trick used by one pro cycling team working on dropping a couple kilos before an event was to wake, gulp down a double-espresso immediately, and do some Z2 or core workout for 20 minutes before that window closes. I assume they used 20 minutes as a margin of error. I’ve heard others say 15 minutes probably for that same reason.

Once the window closes then working out can actually push your blood chemistry over into “starvation” mode (which is even harder on your body than not working out). It’s a very delicate balance and most people won’t manage to pull it off. Here are some reasons why:

• Linger too long in bed trying to wake up.
• Take too long to make coffee or use the bathroom before exercise.
• Sucked into working out too hard or too long.
• Failing to get food in fast enough after workout.

I remember that I used to do this when I was 2%-body-fat-guy in my 40s. I would wake and immediately run barefoot outside in the Summer. It totally worked. It was also the secret of a 90s fitness trend that had an annoying ad on all the time.

Here are some tips that I’ve started to notice help me to accomplish this lately:

• Have the bike already on the trainer before going to bed.
• Have espresso machine loaded and ready to go (or have coffee machine wake you).
• Put shoes and clothes on quickly or just keep on PJs.
• Use the same map all the time in Zwift.
• Start cycling before selecting a workout or map.
• Use Zwift workout instead of free-ride to avoid temptations.
• Have a recovery drink (about 100 cals for me, 1/2 normal) ready in fridge.
• Wait to use the bathroom until after workout (coffee and workout will make you want to go).
• Do daily weigh-in after workout, and bathroom, and recovery drink.
• Eat breakfast about 20 minutes after recovery drink (2 boiled eggs + 1 slice toast + multivitamin)

Eventually, my body has started expecting the same routine, which is good.

I’m also experimenting with the level of intensity allowed during a WFW since the entire idea is burning calories before your blood chemistry changes over. I wonder if going Z4 knocks you out of it or if it takes more advantage of it, or just makes the window shorter. So far I’ve noticed that the harder the WFW intensity the more I feel hunger pains even after eating breakfast, so my impression is that WFW intensity should be Z2 only, but I’m not convinced yet.

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