Your New Morning Routine
How Morning Routines Became the Hottest Meme
When fitness influencer Ashton Hall posted his elaborate morning routine on social media, he probably didn’t expect to set off a viral chain reaction that would ripple across the fabric of the internet itself, becoming a meme in its own right. But that’s exactly what happened. In the span of just a few days, Ashton’s routine went from motivational fitness and wellbeing content to comedic material as internet users across the globe dissected and parodied every meticulous detail of his routine. Central to this viral moment? Saratoga spring water. His beverage of choice has since been hilariously consumed, dunked and memeified by TikTokers everywhere.
Ashton Hall’s video went viral for one simple reason: its absurdity. The premise? Ashton wakes up at 3:52 AM, removes his mouth tape (yes, it’s a thing), brushes his teeth and then proceeds with a highly orchestrated series of rituals, each seemingly more bizarre than the last. From journaling at 4:00 AM to the unhinged act of dunking his face in ice water repeatedly, the video was framed in a motivational style that made it all look ridiculously impressive.
The video is an extravagant display of Hall’s commitment to his “grindset,” a term often used to describe the relentless pursuit of personal success. The routine stretches from 3:52 AM to 9:30 AM, a time frame that Hall describes as “when sin lives late at night,” implying that the key to success lies in waking up early and avoiding distractions.
Something that caught the attention of viewers (besides the bizarre combination of activities) was the timestamp glitch during his pool jump. At 7:36 AM, Hall is seen jumping into an outdoor pool. When he lands in the water, the timestamp jumps ahead to 7:40 AM, suggesting an impossibly long air time for a simple pool dive. Viewers quickly latched onto this as a key moment of ridicule, with many joking about the “insane air time” or speculating that Hall had torn apart the very fabric of space and time.
One of the more notable aspects of Hall’s routine was his nearly obsessive relationship with Saratoga Springs water. He didn’t just drink it; he was essentially married to it. The iconic blue glass bottles of Saratoga made multiple appearances throughout the video; he swigs it while sitting on his balcony at dawn, uses it to fill a bowl of ice water for his facial dunk and carries it to the gym, pool and even during his post-workout rituals.
It wasn’t just the brand placement, it was the sheer number of times he used it in his routine. Whether he was drinking it, spitting it out like mouthwash, using it for his repeated facial ice baths, or carrying it around like a prized possession, Saratoga became an inextricable part of the performance.
While Hall didn’t make the video an explicit ad for Saratoga, the water brand couldn’t have asked for better product placement. The company’s Chief Marketing Officer, Kheri Tillman, told Business Insider that the attention Saratoga received from the viral video was “amazing.” In fact, after Hall’s video went viral, Saratoga’s social media following surged by 10 percent, and at one point, the brand’s name was trending as the No. 7 term on X. They even uploaded a post on Instagram, with an image of Saratoga spring water being poured into a bowl of ice, captioned: “Take the plunge.”
People started noticing the bottles everywhere. It wasn’t just a drink anymore — it was part of his identity. Some users poked fun at how Hall treated the bottles as sacred objects, even humorously suggesting that he could have been bathing in Saratoga water for all we knew.
Ashton Hall’s eccentricity didn’t end with the sparkling water. One of the most surreal elements of his routine was his use of an ice water bowl for facial dunking. After spending hours in a gym, working out and drinking Saratoga water, Hall took a bottle of the same water, poured it over ice and dunked his face into it multiple times throughout his routine. While cold exposure is often touted in wellness circles for its potential health benefits, it seemed a bit over-the-top for many viewers.
And then, of course, there’s the banana peel facial, the kind of beauty hack that seems like it belongs in a magazine from 1995. After eating his post-workout snack, a banana, Hall proceeds to rub the banana peel all over his face. This aspect of his routine quickly became a favorite of parodists who mimicked the act in videos across social media.
There was, of course, an ironic twist. In the world of influencers, wellness and fitness content, Hall’s routine was becoming less about self-improvement and more about the spectacle of it all. In the process, it sparked a meme culture: people on TikTok began mimicking Hall’s routine with their own ridiculous spins. Some used the same sparkling water while others found their own alternatives to the ice dunk. One TikTok even featured a creator using a salad bowl for his ice dunk, while another replaced the banana peel with a slice of pizza.
After being inundated with memes, parodies and critiques, Ashton Hall posted a follow-up video that was a surprisingly self-aware response. In this reel, Hall repeats the same morning routine but with a twist. At one point, he scrolls through his phone, laughing at the memes and jokes people have made about him. Instead of taking offense, he embraces the ridiculousness of it all, still completing the same routine with a smile on his face. The video ends with Hall dunking his face into the ice water one last time, proving that he’s in on the joke. He even referred to himself as a “trend setter” a few days after his video went viral.
This response, far from distancing himself from the mockery, showed Hall’s understanding of his place in the world of viral content: He was both the creator and the subject of his own meme. Whether his routines were “real” or exaggerated didn’t matter, it was about the performance. In that sense, Hall had won the viral game.
Ashton Hall’s 3:00 AM routine perfectly encapsulates the toxicity of the modern “grindset” culture, where the notion of success is often tied to pushing yourself beyond normal human limits and flaunting it for all to see. It’s a lifestyle that rewards exhaustion, hustle and the constant portrayal of peak productivity, all while ignoring the mental and physical toll it takes on real people.
Sure, Hall’s physique is impressive, and his dedication to fitness is undeniable. But the idea that waking up at 3:00 AM and dunking your face in ice water is the key to success is as unrealistic as it is unsustainable for most people. In fact, it’s more likely to lead to burnout than enlightenment.
“People are tired of the facade. They are tired of influencers pushing unrealistic lifestyles in the name of hustle culture…”
The parody videos, however, reveal an important truth: People are tired of the facade. They are tired of influencers pushing unrealistic lifestyles in the name of hustle culture, showing off expensive water, fancy equipment and elaborate routines, all while selling an image of effortless success.
At the end of the day, Ashton Hall’s routine is less about self-improvement and more about brand-building. His life, much like many influencers, is curated for social media. What began as an attempt to inspire others has instead become a vehicle for critique, mockery and meme culture. The routine, once a symbol of discipline, has been reduced to a punchline.
In the ever-evolving world of fitness and influencer culture, the only certainty is that the next viral routine will probably be even more absurd than the last. But one thing is for sure: People are learning to laugh along the way.