So, what happens when a journalist tries to fit as many elements of CEO Personal Training as possible into a 2 week programme?
We were recently given the opportunity to train Samuel Fishwick, a journalist from the Evening Standard, putting him through the paces of a high-intensity, 2-week taster of the CEO Personal Training experience. We had an excellent time training Sam, getting to discuss his fitness history and aspirations while tailoring a custom programme of nutrition and exercise to help improve his energy levels, health and strength, all within a very short space of time. You can read his take on the CEO Personal Training experience here:
Not only was this an excellent chance to demonstrate our unique, holistic approach to personal training, but it also allowed us to really be tested in how quickly we could help the client see tangible results.
Before we discuss the results of Sam’s programme however, we’d like to outline the process we took when assessing and planning the 2 weeks of training, as well as what happened along the way.
Our Approach
Since Sam only had 2 weeks to achieve results, we had to miss out a lot of the usual “settling-in period”, instead planning out a limited, condensed version of a typical CEO Personal Training programme. This included:
- Initial consultation and baseline measurement
- 5 coached personal training sessions (2 midweek days, 1 Saturday per week)
- Nutrition plan (with high level of accountability)
- 1 osteopath session
- 1 psychology session
- 1 yoga session
While Sam is a bit younger and has a different physique to our typical clients, we were still able to tailor a programme that would put him through similar paces to any CEO that trains with us. This began with a baseline measurement for body fat percentage and total body weight (16% and 83.6kg in Sam’s case). Once this was established, we then decided on a session intensity that would allow him to experience the quickest changes possible in the shortest time.
Putting into Practice
Our elite trainers Peter, Phil and Joe began to meet Sam for his personal training sessions (Sam chose 5:25am midweek and 8am on Saturdays) at his home in South London, taking the workouts either in his home or in a local park. These often involved a mix of strength and high-intensity interval training, incorporating warm-up and warm-down stretching and time for meditation.
While it would take our North London-based trainers over an hour to get there, the big advantage of CEO Personal Training is that our service is designed to be mobile and suited to the client’s availability. We operate all over the city and will bring the sessions to our clients at times that suit them.
Sam worked hard in every session, taking on-board the advice of Peter, Phil and Joe and discussing how he felt each session was going, as well as any concerns he might have had. In addition to nutrition planning and exercise sessions, Sam also had access to our osteopath (who worked on his back), psychologist (to discuss stress and time management) and a yoga session (to improve his flexibility).
This was of course just a sample of what our typical clients experience with CEO Personal Training, but still went a long way towards improving Sam’s mind-set, alertness and overall health and physical wellbeing over the 2 weeks. Read more about what our programme entails.
The Results
At the end of the 2 weeks, Sam had dropped from 16% to 14% body fat, which equated to 1.8kg of fat lost, as well as gaining 0.4kg of muscle. He felt more energised, stronger and had a better understanding of his body’s response to different types of exercise and the feeling of enjoyment that comes with a good workout.
What helped him achieve this was definitely his commitment to the nutrition plan we had set out for him. While Sam didn’t always have the time to prepare meals in advance, he certainly bought into the CEO Personal Training approach of being accountable as well as practical, discovering new staple meals that provided an excellent balance of macro-nutrients to compliment his exercise and encourage fat loss and muscle gains.
It also helped that Sam’s daily routine was very representative of the “busy Londoner” lifestyle; early commutes to work and late arrivals back home. This meant that the CEO Personal Training programme perfectly suited his limited availability and allowed us to make the most of every session.
The Next Step
Given more time on the same programme, we have no doubt that Sam could have expected to achieve even greater results. We would have taken the time to set more specific goals, such as managing his chronic lower-back pain, building significant lean muscle and increasing his aerobic fitness to make his hobbies of football and cycling even more enjoyable. This would have also allowed him to develop more knowledge of nutrition and making good decisions when it comes to food, so that he wouldn’t feel so “de-railed” by having small treats and adapting his diet plan. After all, no-one is perfect, but striving for perfection in something makes it easier to be great at it.
If you are an Executive or business owner based in London, and are looking to improve your health and well-being, we’d love to hear from you. We specialise in helping those who feel that they have no time in their busy schedules for exercise, or lack the knowledge or patience to plan a healthy diet and look after their mental wellness. Our holistic approach to personal training is not just about pursuing aesthetic changes, but about improving all aspects of a person’s physical and mental health, helping to enhance the quality of both their personal and professional lives.