I set my alarm for 5:07 a.m., though I usually wake up a few minutes before the ringer sounds.

I could go with 5:00 or 5:15, but 5:07 is the perfect middle ground to get me to the gym by 5:45, where I either take a class or meet a training partner.

I wasn’t always a morning person. But I’ve found that the only way to remain dedicated to a training program is to get it done first thing in the morning. If you plan it for later, someone inevitably will steal that time away.

Training in the morning has been life changing. It provides an endorphin rush that carries me through the late morning hours, making it the most productive part of my day. It also gives me a feeling of accomplishment. No matter how crazy the rest of the day becomes, I know I at least nailed that workout.

Getting up at 5:07 a.m. is easy only if you get to bed at a consistent time, which for me is 10 p.m. That means lights out at 10. To be in position to fall asleep immediately thereafter requires a sleep ritual to wind the body down. That means no screens for the previous hour – no phone, tablet, laptop or television.

If that sounds like a Spartan existence, I won’t disagree. But I’ve found that if I can control the bookends to my day, it’s a lot easier to be productive for the 17 hours I’m awake. By getting quality, consistent sleep and working out daily at the same time, I have more energy and focus and require less caffeine.

Perhaps you work nights. I did, too, for a number of years and this schedule would not have fit. But judging by the vast array of occupations represented at my gym in the hours before 7 a.m., most people can make an early-morning workout fit into their schedule.

The U.S. Army once had a memorable ad campaign featuring soldiers hard at work or training in the pre-dawn darkness and then again as the sun came up. The tagline? We get more done before noon than most people get done all day.

When you get up early and train early, you can’t help but feel like you’re getting a head start on everyone else who is still sleeping. When you go to bed early, you’re getting a jump on those still watching television or living online.

This schedule isn’t for everyone, though it can work for most. If you’re struggling to find the time to train, however, it might be the solution.