Jim Cramer: My 'legendary' morning routine set me up for success—it gave me 'a real edge over everybody else'

Jim Cramer, host of CNBC’s “Mad Money” and co-anchor of “Squawk on the Street,” tailors his morning routine for optimal success. He starts by waking up at 3 a.m.

To the average person, “this is going to sound extreme,” he says. But waking up early allows him to get much of his work done before appearing on Squawk on the Street, which airs at 9 a.m. Monday through Friday.

“I have a kind of, at this point, legendary routine. I get up at 3:15 [a.m.], and I work out with a trainer. And I do a lot of writing for Mad Money between, say, five and 6:30,” Cramer says.

He uses the additional time before appearing on live television to do research for Squawk on the Street and prepare for CNBC Investing Club’s morning meeting, he says.

That’s why Cramer’s No. 1 tip to build a foundation for success is to “set your alarm for 15 minutes earlier every single week till you get to around 3:30, four [a.m.],” he says. “Then you’ll have a real edge over everybody else.”