Fitness influencer Ashton Hall may not have made it to the NFL, but he’s definitely making rounds on the Internet with his wildly unorthodox morning routine. From his brief stint as a running back at Alcorn State (where his stats didn’t exactly scream “future star”) to becoming a fitness influencer with millions of followers on social media, he’s finally gotten the attention of the NFL—but not for his football chops.
Hall is now going viral for one of the most bizarre and chaotic morning routine to ever hit the internet.
We’re talking mouth tape, dramatic dives into the pool, facial ice plunges, and banana peels to face. Oh, and don’t forget the mysterious person who shows up with bowls of ice water and breakfast like they’re Hall’s personal assistant. We broke down everything you need to know about the fitness influencer and why in the world he wakes up before the sun has even risen to film it all.
Who is Ashton Hall?
Before Hall was sprinting full speed across your social media platforms, he was a running back at Alcorn State University in 2014-2015. However, his college stats weren’t quite the ticket to the NFL Draft—he only had six rushing attempts for eight yards.
It was a tough pill to swallow when his football dreams didn’t come to fruition. Initially, Hall was depressed and took a break from working out. After his friends started teasing him about his new appearance, though, he decided to get back on track. Determined to push himself, he trained harder than ever before.
His perseverance eventually paid off when he became the personal training director at a major gym chain. Then, the COVID pandemic hit, forcing Hall to adapt once again by launching an online training program to help others reach their fitness goals.
“I was working out a lot with my own body weight, and wanted to share what I could do while gyms were closed so others could follow from the comfort of their own home. So when I started sharing those on social media, that’s when things really took off,” Hall said in a 2022 interview with The Ritz Herald.
When he was finally able to return to work, the motivation he once had for working in the gym just wasn’t there anymore.
“…Working at the gym no longer seemed to [give me] the passion I had making videos and sharing tips. Additionally, I was offering online training subscriptions. … It came to an ultimatum, and [the gym] urged me to quit doing my own thing online and delete everything from social media. I simply resigned and left that day. Then I just launched my own fitness coaching company. It was the beginning of the new journey for me,” he said in the 2022 interview.
Now with nearly 14 million followers on TikTok and Instagram, Hall’s content varies from fitness content, tips on growing your social media platforms, how to be an online fitness coach, and, of course — the infamous morning routines.
What is the viral morning routine?
Let’s dive into the absurdly detailed and long morning routine of Hall that begins at 3:53 am (yes, you read that right) and wraps at 9:25 am. He begins by peeling off his mouth tape (a TikTok trend with no clear benefits), brushing his teeth, and rinsing his mouth with Saratoga water.
Saratoga is the best supporting cast member of this entire routine. It’s unclear if Hall’s palette is too delicate for regular old tap water or if he has a sponsorship, but Saratoga appears multiple times throughout the video.
From 4:00 to 4:21 AM, he heads outside to his balcony for 13 minutes of push-ups and some moments of gratitude. I may not be a fitness influencer, but 13 minutes sounds like a dramatic amount of time for push-ups—just how many sets is he completing?
There are 17 minutes unaccounted for (getting lazy, Hall), and then from 4:38 am to 5:30 am, he prays, writes on the FIRST PAGE of what must be a brand new notebook, listens to a sermon, and drinks more Saratoga water.
Time for the first Saratoga water ice plunge at 5:46 am! He dunks his face for three minutes, and I have to wonder, what exactly does a facial ice plunge accomplish? Does it help him write emails faster throughout the day? Lock in for more hours?
He proceeds to time stamp getting dressed, heading out the door, getting into the elevator, and going to the gym (6:01 am to 6:38 am). The various tripod setups to get all of these shots sound more exhausting than the actual routine.
He runs on the treadmill until 7:30 am and executes a poor dive into the pool at 7:36 am. Followed by the hot tub and more moments of gratitude, he finally gets in the shower at 8:23 am.
The second-best supporting cast member appears at 8:43 am when he eats a banana and then RUBS the peel on his face at 8:45 am. The banana peel rub is yet another TikTok trend with no scientific evidence to support its alleged benefits.
9:06 am, time for the second facial ice plunge! He takes his first meeting of the day at 9:15 am and the video wraps with him eating breakfast at 9:25 am with a side of Saratoga water (shares in the company have risen since the viral video).
It’s unclear if Hall is in on the joke of his ridiculously unrealistic morning routine, but the video feels designed for engagement farming. The more people make fun of it, the more viral it goes, putting Hall in a position to cash in on his virality. One thing is for sure: he’s competing with Drew Walls for most tripod setups in a “routine” video.
