Issue 129
June 2015
Use a quick-fire training plan to stay ready when you work like an executive
Kevin Kearns
S&C coach to elite athletes, each issue he presents his best training tips.
It’s a challenge for anyone to stay in great shape. Staying at the top of your game when you’re an elite CEO who works long hours can be harder still. It’s even more difficult if you’re a self-employed CEO, but it’s not impossible.
One of my clients is Paul Lyons, the CEO and owner of Northeastern Mechanical Inc. in Massachusetts. Many of the area’s top companies, including the New England Patriots, use his company. The challenge for this 47-year-old father of four hockey boys was finding time to work out. After spending so much time and energy on his business and family, his own fitness regimen was hit or miss.
We started with warm-up routines consisting of moving stretches, agility ladder drills and fitness trampoline work. For four days a week we alternated between weight training, kickboxing, BOSU work, bands, suspension training and plyometrics. The key is speed.
Paul is six-foot-one and when we started was 237lb with a 42-inch waist. Eight months later, he’s 189lb with a 34-inch waist.
White collar workout
One-arm dumbbell snatch 10 reps
1. Place a weight on the floor in front of you.
2. Squat down with your head up and grab it.
3. Pull the weight up overhead with one quick motion as you come out of the squat to a standing position.
One-arm stability-ball chest press
10 reps
1. Roll your back down a stability ball with a dumbbell in one hand.
2. Press your hips up so they’re parallel with your shoulders.
3. Press the dumbbell from the side of your shoulder.
Suspension trainer row
10 reps
1. Grab the handles with both hands and lean back on your heels until your arms are fully extended.
2. Pull your whole body towards the anchor so your hands meet your rib cage.
3. Lower and repeat.
Shoulder raise with lunge
10 reps
1. Stand upright with dumbbells at your sides.
2. As you lunge forward, raise the dumbbells to shoulder level. 3. Step back and repeat, lunging on the other leg.
Dumbbell squat curl and press
10 reps
1. Stand upright with dumbbells at your sides.
2. Bend your legs to squat as low as you can comfortably.
3. Curl the dumbbells as you come out of the squat and press them overhead.
BOSU super plank
10 reps
1. Lie with your elbows on a BOSU in a prone plank position.
2. Press off one hand, then the other as you come up to a push-up position.
When he's on his own with limited time to work out, Paul also has a 10-minute Burn With Kearns blast circuit:
Jump rope: 1 minute
Stability push-up: 40 seconds
Med-ball twist: 40 seconds
Stair master: 1 minute
Dumbbell row: 40 seconds
Med-ball wood chop: 40 seconds
Jump rope: 1 minute
Dumbbell uppercut: 40 seconds
Bosu sprawl: 1 minute
Paul’s other days include hitting Thai pads for three minutes with one-minute rest periods. He uses a fitness trampoline for active recovery. On his cardio days he uses intervals: he runs for two minutes and walks for one minute, repeating for 40 minutes in total.
DIET MATTERS
You also have to eat correctly and effectively. You want to feed your body the right food all the time, so remember: food is food no matter what time of day it is. Your body doesn’t know the difference between eggs for breakfast or eggs for dinner. It can be challenging to find the right food at the right times, especially when you’re on the road a lot, so follow these steps:
Keep food in your vehicle like fruit, nuts and seeds. When you feel your energy drop, eat one serving to keep your blood sugar on an even level so you don’t get hungry and eat whatever’s available.
Have an even portion of protein and carbs with veggies at each meal to keep your sugars stable and cravings away.
Cook extra at dinner so you can eat it the next day and have less hassle trying to find what to eat.
Keep a small fridge at the office as back up for meals. You’ll be less stressed when you know you have good food waiting for you. Stress causes hormones to be produced that slow down weight loss and lead to cravings for non-healthy food.
Avoid refined sugars and processed food. You are what you eat.
Eat a variety of food. Man was not meant to eat chicken every day. Mix it up because your body needs the different nutrients.
If you must have something sweet, try frozen fruit. It’s a good source of vitamins, tastes great and is low in fat.
When in doubt, text your trainer. I have had clients around the world text me or send me a menu at an eatery. Your coach has your back and will help you make the right choices.
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