Below, I’ve set out what my usual day is like as a personal training company owner is. I chose Monday as it’s the start of the week for me and a great day to train with clients.
5am – Early Start
I wake up to my motivational alarm, which sets me up for the day ahead.
I leave the house at 5.30am to get to the studio in time for the gym to open so there’s no messing around. I have a quick wash, put my uniform on and I’m out the door. That’s after my morning supplements of:
- 2 licorice supreme
- 2 holy basil
- A Protein shake
What a way to start the day!
6am – First Session
My first client of the day is at 6am. For him, we concentrate on strength and power for him.
Rest Bite
Then it’s time for a coffee: organic ground with a tea spoon of coconut oil and a slice of lime.
People always ask why I put lime in my coffee. I could write (and also talk) about the benefits of limes and how they assist detoxification, and are an alkaline in our over acidic world, but the truth is that I just like the taste.
Also, I’ll make up a large shaker with 12 heaped spoons of glutamine. I’m following a gut health protocol at the moment so I have to take a few extra supplements to help heal my stomach.
7am – Second Session
It’s 7am and time for my next client. This guy is on a weight loss and rehab programme, and he has lots of mechanical issues. So, I have to be careful about how much weight I give him and how much I push his limits, as he’s got no cartilage in his knees so any form of leg impact is a big no no.
At least he’s a beast though and he’ll do any exercise to the fullest of his ability.
8am – Refuel
It’s time for a shot of glutamine and a bounce ball – no it’s not time for me to bounce on a ball, but have a high protein, natural snack bar. It contains good fats and low carbs (the coconut ones are my favourite). I also have a piece of fruit, another shake and some green tea, as well as my second lot of Licorice supreme and holy basil.
These are great supplements for modulating cortisol and increasing morning energy.
Normally, I would prefer a real meal for breakfast but since life on a Monday doesn’t allow for that I ensure I have plenty of snacks and other foods to keep my energy and metabolism high.
I’m doing a lot of my own training at the moment so I have to keep eating or I’ll burn off the muscle and store fat.
9am – Glutamine Time
Just a shot and then time for my tennis lady. I’ve trained this lady for years. Her programme is more bound to specific tennis based movements at the moment, which includes lots of multi-directional lunges and a lot of core work.
10am – Snack Time
It’s time for another shot of glutamine and another snack. This time it’s some nuts: I tend to eat any type of nut as long as they are not roasted or salted: the cooking process can damage the protein and rancidize the fat, so they’re not a good thing to eat really.
I also get to see my next client. This lady is on a strength training programme – yes, women should strength train. Currently, she’s working on getting her first full body weight pull-up completed. Previously, she was going to a cross-fit class but her back didn’t agree with it so we had to fix that first.
11am – Pre-Lunch Meal
Today I’m eating steak and spinach with humous and cashew nuts. I also take 2 ultra HCL 4.0: it’s a digestive enzyme from the Poliquin line of supplements. I found out a few years ago that I was deficient in HCL, so I take a supplement to help restore my digestive acid. This was probably caused by all the anti-heartburn drinks I used to drink when I was younger. If only I had drank more water!
12pm – Afternoon Sessions
Time for another client. This lady has a particularly nasty form of inflammatory arthritis, so I have to be very careful about how I load her with the exercises. So, I make sure she is well warmed up before we start.
Oh and I also have my glutamine again 😉
1pm – My Training Session
It’s 1pm and time for ‘me time’.
Today is known as Universal Chest Day in the industry, so how do I start ?
I have a black coffee 30 minutes before my workout. It is a great pre-workout drink if you can handle it.
I’m on a strength routine at the moment so I’m doing a target of 150kg at 1rm on my bench press. So, I just keep loading up the weights until I need someone to spot me (that’s generally where Sam, the gym instructor, comes in). Having someone else there is important for me as I have a weak left shoulder that I am also repairing at the moment.
I also take a lot of BCAA whilst training. They improve my training drive and reduce muscle wastage and soreness (DOMS: Delayed Onset of Muscle Soreness).
Post Workout
After training I have my post workout shake. As I don’t react well to whey protein, I elect to use a pea protein supplement that I mix with a carb-based power (I’m training to gain weight at the moment), and I’ll also mix in some glutamine too.
2pm – Lunch Time
It’s 2pm, so time for shower and lunch. Time for another great meal and I really do love to eat, especially meat!
This meal is much the same as the last. I vary what I eat on a daily basis rather than a meal basis, which means I eat the same mostly on one day for each meal, then the next day I change all the meals so I get a variety of vitamins and minerals.
3pm – Writing Training Programmes
It’s time to writeup some training programmes. Depending on the level of trainer you’re working with they may writeup your programme on the spot, but I prefer to take the time to write mine. This means I have the time required to really think about your individual needs and what’s going to be best for you, and if I want to clarify something I can search for it online.
4pm – Study Time
I’m currently enrolled on the CHEK Academy year 3 programme, so I have a lot of coursework to complete and a lot of materials I need to learn. The Academy is a great tool for trainers both new and experienced, as the courses cover a wide variety of knowledge, including functional bio mechanics, nutrition, holistic health, and Chinese medicine.
5pm – Food Time
Meatballs and rice for this meal. I wouldn’t really call this dinner but more of a snack (I eat a lot) – I’ll have dinner when I get home after I finish work. As always I have this with digestive enzymes to help break down the nutrients and to help my body absorb all of the goodness.
5.30pm – Glutamine and Another Client
This client wants weight loss. He’s a racer, so keeping his weight down is important as the heavier he is the slower the car is. On the flip side, we need to keep his strength high so that his body can handle the stress of the car.
6.30pm – The Trio
This is a family personal training session: mother, father and their daughter. It’s hard sometimes to balance out a training programme based on three different people’s bio mechanics, but we seem to do a pretty good job.
7.30pm – Circuit Training Class
This is our group exercise class. It’s been running for quite a few years now (10 in fact), it’s very popular (every week there is a minimum of 20 people). This might seem like a lot of people, but because of the space available to us, and the unique way the class is set out, everybody gets a great workout and gets well looked after.
8.30pm – Box n’ Burn Class
Over the last few years this class has been modified in so many ways, but with changes in the industry and the way people like classes to run, it’s now become a very different class. The old method was based on Billy Blanks Tae Bo whereas now it’s more a combination of Grit, Body Combat and Body Pump.
9.30pm – Drive Home
After a long, but great day I drive home and drop off some of the team on the way. We listen to some great tunes before I load up on a good meal just before bed (yes, food before bed is not always a bad thing).
10pm – Bed Time & Supplements
I always finish the day with a few delicious goodies: magnesium for sleep, zinc for detox, and testosterone and omega 3 for recovery and inflammation.
As soon as my head hits that pillow, I’m away.
There you have it, a day in the life for me as a personal trainer and owner of a fitness company. I love what I do and I wouldn’t want to do anything else. I challenge and push myself every day, just like I love to push people who choose to train with me.