Vladimir Putin's intense morning routine is enough to put anyone to shame

Vladimir Putin is a night owl.

The Russian president has been in the US news lately due to — among other things — an investigation into President Donald Trump's campaign, tensions around Syria, and the car bomb attack that killed a prominent Ukrainian officer.

While he's in the press 24/7, Putin gets most of his work done at night.

The former KGB agent doesn't roll out of bed until the mid-morning, according to a 2014 profile of Putin by Newsweek's Ben Judah. Judah spent three years researching the foreign leader for his book, "Fragile Empire: How Russia Fell in and Out of Love with Vladimir Putin."

After waking up late, Putin typically eats breakfast around noon. According to Newsweek, he usually tucks into a large omelet or a big bowl of porridge, with some quail eggs and cottage cheese the side.

In "The New Tsar: The Rise and Reign of Vladimir Putin," author Steven Lee Myers adds that the Russian president also drinks a juice made from beets and horseradish.

The breakfast is made with help from one of Putin's political allies. Newsweek reports that the ingredients are "dispatched regularly from the farmland estates of the Patriarch Kirill, Russia's religious leader."

After a post-meal coffee, Putin goes for a swim for about two hours, and rounds out his workout with some weight-lifting. The well-publicized bouts of exercise are likely intended to cultivate a masculine and tough public image, the Guardian reported.

Overall, Putin's morning is characterized by solitude. After reviewing film of Putin's routine, Myers writes that, "His closest companion seemed to be his black Labrador, Koni, who waited poolside as he completed his laps."

By the time his meal and daily exercise are done, it's early afternoon. That's when Putin sits down and begins reading his daily briefings.

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