When should you drink coffee for optimal performance?

1. If you are going to consume a pre-workout meal or shake, do it about two hours before training. Many people ingest pre-workout protein bars or shakes an hour or less before training. Optimal digestion requires more time which is why many people get a stomachache if they eat too close to an intense workout. I personally work out in the morning and do not eat food before my workout. But I often use the Standard Process ‘SP Complete’ chocolate or vanilla flavor shake two hours before training. (Use Dr. Tucker's affiliate link for 10% off your purchase!)

My daily routine and what I recommend is MitoCore from OrthoMolecular an hour before training. I also personally enjoy a cup of coffee (you can have black tea too) before I work out in the morning. Both the MitoCore (4 caps) and coffee help me with training intensity and focus throughout the day.

2. Start your workout training 90 minutes - 2 hours after arising in the morning. While you are asleep your discs are ‘out drinking’ (water). This increase in water content in the discs adds to morning sensitivity and stiffness in the spine. The vertebrae and other joints are naturally not as stiff after about 90 minutes of being out of bed in the morning. 

3. Make sure you do a proper warm up that helps take you out of a flexed or rounded posture (typical sitting posture). I want you to feel less compressed before you begin working out. ‘Stand tall’ and try doing some back bending as part of your proper warm up. This will help prepare your nervous system for weight training and cardio.

4. I always spend at least 5-10 minutes doing movements that wake up and warm up my body such as fascial stretching, marching-in-place, and joint mobility i.e., dead bugs, body weight squats, lunges, and arm circles. 

5. Stretch the hip flexors, especially focusing on the quads before and after every leg workout to avoid knee issues. Often knee issues are a result of very tight quads.