- Water + electrolytes before coffee. Light before screens. Movement before inbox.
- Stack supplements with food, not in isolation — absorption compounds.
- Consistency over intensity. We do ~70% of this 6 days a week.
Most "morning routine" posts are marketing. They show the optimized, filtered version: cold plunges, meditation, green juice, perfect lighting. Here's what we actually do. No ring light. No performance theater.
The Honest Version
5:30am — Wake Up (Or Stay Awake)
Ajay: I wake up naturally around 5:30. No alarm most days because my sleep is consistent (bedtime between 10-10:30pm, same every night). Some mornings I'm groggy, some I'm ready to go. Both are normal.
Tessa: I also wake around 5:30, usually because Ajay's up and the bed shifts. Some weeks I set an alarm (during certain cycle phases I need more sleep, so I try to get 9 hours). I'm not a morning person naturally—it took years of consistent sleep timing to make this work. Now my body just does it.
5:35am — First Thing: Water + Supplement Stack
Before coffee, before food, we hydrate and take supplements that are better on an empty stomach.
Ajay's morning stack:
- 16oz water (right when I wake up)
- Vitamin D3 (2,000 IU with a bit of fat, so I eat a small handful of almonds or have my coffee with a tiny bit of cream)
- Omega-3 (1,000mg EPA+DHA, best absorbed with food coming)
- Creatine (5g, can be any time but I do it here)
Tessa's morning stack:
- 16oz water
- Vitamin D3 (2,000 IU, same as Ajay)
- Omega-3 (1,000mg, same dose)
- Creatine (5g)
- Magnesium glycinate if I slept poorly (300mg, though I usually save this for evening)
Why this order: We're hydrating first because you're dehydrated after sleep. Supplements with water, then coffee and breakfast follow. This takes maybe 3 minutes.
5:40am — Coffee (The Simple Version)
Ajay: Black coffee. Chemex or French press if I have time (usually I do), otherwise Nespresso. ~100-150mg caffeine. Nothing in it. Takes 5 minutes to brew and drink.
Tessa: Matcha latte. Matcha + hot water + a splash of almond milk. Sometimes I use the matcha whisk properly, sometimes I just stir it. The ritual matters more than perfection. About 70mg caffeine. Takes 3 minutes.
We're not strict about this. Some days one of us has decaf. Some days no coffee at all. The important part is not being dependent on it (see our pre-workout essay—same principle).
5:50am — Movement (Not Training Yet)
This is the underrated part of the routine.
We don't jump straight into training. We move gently for 10-15 minutes. This could be:
- Walking around the neighborhood (easy pace, no intensity)
- Stretching and mobility work
- Yoga (slow, restorative, not hot power yoga)
- Just moving around the house, prepping breakfast
Why: This wakes up the nervous system, increases core body temperature, and preps the body for actual work. It's also meditation-ish without forcing meditation.
We often do this together, talking about the day. It's actually where we plan things and process thoughts, not a "performance" of wellness.
6:05am — Breakfast (If Training Today)
We eat based on whether we're training that day and how hard.
Training day (heavy strength): Real food. Scrambled eggs (3 whole eggs), 1 slice toast with butter, fruit (banana or berries). Black coffee. Takes 10 minutes to cook and eat.
Training day (moderate/recovery): Greek yogurt (100g), granola, berries. Coffee. 5 minutes.
Rest day or light activity: Toast with almond butter and honey, coffee. 3 minutes. We're less structured on rest days.
Why the variation: Calorie and carb needs change based on the training plan. On hard training days, we're more deliberate. On easy days, we just eat what sounds good.
There's no "magic" breakfast. We've tried fasted training, we've tried bigger breakfasts, we've tried protein smoothies. What we found: eat something with carbs and protein if you're training hard, don't stress the details on easier days.
6:25am — Actual Training (If Scheduled)
Ajay: Monday/Wednesday/Friday are heavy strength days. I train 6:30-7:30am. Tuesday/Thursday are lighter days—maybe a 30-minute walk or easy bike. Saturday is usually longer conditioning or a hike. Sunday is rest.
Tessa: She cycles her training based on cycle phase (see our cycle training post). Follicular phase is heavier (similar schedule to Ajay). Luteal phase is shorter sessions with more recovery.
What we actually do: Weight training (compounds—squat, deadlift, bench, press), some conditioning, some mobility. Nothing exotic. Barbell lifting mostly. ~45-60 minutes total.
Pre-workout protocol (if needed): Black coffee was enough. If Ajay's doing a max effort day, he might have an extra strong coffee or add L-citrulline, but that's maybe once a week.
The honest part: Some mornings one of us isn't feeling it. We do the workout anyway because it's scheduled, but at 80% intensity instead of 100%. No one died from not hitting a PR. Rest is also training.
7:30am — Post-Workout + Shower
After training, we eat something with carbs and protein within 30-60 minutes (not immediately after—we shower first, cool down a bit).
Typical post-workout meal: Protein powder + banana + almond milk (quick shake, ~25g protein), or a real meal if we have time (chicken + rice + veggies).
The supplement angle: We already took creatine in the morning. Post-workout we hydrate and refuel. Nothing fancy. Creatine is already in the system from the AM dose.
8:00am — Second Breakfast / Snack (If Hungry)
If we trained hard, we're hungry by now. Something with carbs and protein again. Toast + peanut butter, Greek yogurt, fruit, another coffee.
Tessa's note: During my follicular phase I'm actually hungry and eat more. During luteal, breakfast and post-workout food are plenty. I trust my hunger signals and eat accordingly.
8:30am — The Rest of the Day Begins
We're showered, fed, moved, trained, and it's not even 9am. Work starts here.
“The morning isn’t about maximizing — it’s about stacking small, boring wins before the world asks anything of you.”
The Supplements Throughout the Day
- Mid-day: If we didn't eat fish, we might do another omega-3 (so 2,000mg EPA+DHA for the day total). We don't always remember.
- Afternoon (only if Ajay's doing 2 training sessions): An extra scoop of creatine or some carbs + protein.
- Evening: Magnesium glycinate 300mg before bed (with dinner or 30 minutes before sleep). This is non-negotiable for sleep quality.
What's NOT in the Routine
- Cold plunges: We're not opposed, just not doing it. If it helped sleep or recovery noticeably, we'd try it. It doesn't seem to matter for us.
- Meditation: We talk about it, we don't do a formal practice. Maybe we should. Walking sort of does this for us.
- Green juice or special breakfast foods: We eat normal food. Eggs, toast, fruit, yogurt, coffee. Not optimized, just normal.
- Supplements that don't do anything: We're not taking "adaptogenic blends" or "performance stacks." We're taking supplements with clear evidence and clear reasons.
The Real Framework
If you strip away the details, this is what matters:
- Consistent wake/sleep time (best supplement ever)
- Hydration first thing
- Movement before intensity (gentle movement is nervous system reset)
- Fuel based on activity (eat more on hard training days, normal on easy days)
- Supplements that have evidence (D, omega, creatine, magnesium)
- Consistency over optimization (do the same thing most days, adjust for life)
Does This Have to Be Morning?
No. We happen to be early people now, but this is after years of building it. If you're a night person, shift this schedule. The principles remain the same: sleep consistency, hydration, movement, fuel, evidence-based supplements.
The routine isn't magic because it's early. It's effective because it's consistent.
The Boring Truth
The most effective routine is the one you'll actually stick to. Ours is boring because boring works. It's not Instagram-able, but it delivers: good energy, consistent training, stable mood, decent health markers. That's the goal.