By Judy Kuan

Are you (or are you training) a seasoned executive, aspiring entrepreneur, or a jet-setting road-warrior? If so, then you know well that for people in high-powered and pressure-cooker positions, finding the time and motivation to workout can be a huge, overwhelming challenge.  And once the training begins, it can be hard to wait to start seeing results.

Speaking from experience – in my prior life as a healthcare investor, the amount of time I spent working out was precisely inversely-related to the hours of shut-eye I would get that night.  That’s why I ended up hiring a personal trainer at an elite fitness chain in NYC, with our weekly sessions set to start at 5:30am.  Having committed (in word and in $$) to meet with my trainer every week, it didn’t matter if I had only received 2 hours of sleep – or been on a red-eye international flight – the night before (not recommended, by the way), I would still show up and put in my best effort for the workout.  And I saw great results in terms of improved body composition and energy levels.  I still credit my former trainer for instilling the belief in me that personal training is an extremely effective way to achieve substantial and sustained physical and mental improvements through positive behavioral modification.

The point of sharing this anecdote is that I’ve found that same level of commitment in the vast majority of my trainees – many of whom hold those same titles (e.g., CEO, division head, portfolio manager, etc.) that I had aspired to achieve before choosing to pursue a career as a personal trainer.  People who have become successful in their careers typically have done so by honoring commitments – to themselves and to others.  Many times, they have also achieved success by pushing ahead harder and faster than their competitors and colleagues – but at the expense of their own well-being.

From a trainer’s perspective, one of the highlights of training these go-getters is that they just don’t quit – they know how to push past discomfort and enjoy a good challenge.  The flipside is that it can be challenging to convince my newer trainees to build a solid foundation before pushing hard and upping the intensity levels.  At times, new clients have come to me in highly deconditioned states, but want to go from zero to 60 from Day 1.  And they can be hard on themselves when met with perceived failure.

So, if you’re a trainee, how do you ask your trainer to help you achieve a solid sense of improvement without ending up with an injury that takes you out from training for weeks, or even months? And if you’re a trainer – how do you keep these high-powered executive clients happy while being mindful of their safety as well?  Here are a few quick tips that I’ve found to be helpful:

• Tracking Progress: In addition to physiological metrics to track over time (e.g., heart rate recovery, body composition, BMI, etc.), also choose some “functional” metrics that provide interim feedback and motivation. Things like max # of push-ups or burpees, or wall-sit time challenge. While the scale may take time to budge – especially if the first step is building muscle mass and revving up metabolism – these functional metrics can see improvement quickly.
• Mix Mental and Physical Challenges: Many of my workouts integrate elements of boxing circuits and kickboxing combos, which provide an added mental challenge to remember each series of moves – and consequently a sense of achievement when the trainee perfects the set. Use the more intricate moves as “active recovery” times between higher intensity intervals.
• Instill a Healthy Sense of Competition: Whether it’s completing a marathon or mud run, or an office fitness challenge with colleagues, make sure there is always at least one training goal that has a competitive element. It is human nature to compare ourselves with others, so go ahead – harness this instinct to achieve positive fitness results.
• Don’t Give Up: Life’s not an all-or-nothing endeavor, and neither should be your training program. We are all human, and there are times when we may slip up or fall short of our objectives. Don’t let that deter you. At times, I see my clients being hard on themselves, and I simply say, “It’s okay – I’m not judging you, and I hope you aren’t judging yourself either. I’m confident you will do better next time.”

Judy Kuan,
Personal fitness trainer