Staying fit Forum

[Anonymous User]

Work at a lit firm, generally work 8:30/9:30-8:00, commute about an hour to work and 30 home.

How do you manage to stay fit - what time do you have? Thx.

[Anonymous User]

Before work, during lunch, or for a break. If you can't make it to the gym, just constrict your eating.

[tbird]

How flexible is your firm with face time? I usually wake up around 7 and work about an hour. Then I work out for a little 30 minutes and leave for the office around 9. I usually get there around 10 at the latest having already billed an hour and missing rush hour. Cuts down my drive by 30 minutes, and instead I spent that 30 minutes working out. I usually go home around 5-6 and then work from about 8-whenever is necessary (usually11-12) from home. My firm is pretty flexible about when you work so long as your work gets done. I decided I have to find time to work out. Not worth giving up your health for these jobs.

[jkpolk]

Sleep less and finish exercise before work. If you legitimately enjoy your workout just fit it in whenever you can (i.e. it needs to be top 3-4 things in your priority power rankings).

The real answer is that it's very difficult. Unless you legitimately enjoy your workout routine (and fit it in whenever you can) you'll likely prioritize other things more (such as sleep, time with family, hobbies, alcoholism, shit tv, etc.) and will rarely workout. I think this is the most common situation.

[homestyle28]

Pro-tip: stop spending so much time in the office. Unless you're leading into trial, "generally" spending 12 hours/day in the office is too much.

FWIW, I spend 9 hrs/day in the office, on pace to bill ~2200.

[gaddockteeg]

Work at a lit firm, generally work 8:30/9:30-8:00, commute about an hour to work and 30 home.

How do you manage to stay fit - what time do you have? Thx.

Same schedule as you. I work out Tues+thurs from 8pm to 9:30pm before going home. then Sat+Sun.

[gaddockteeg]

Pro-tip: stop spending so much time in the office. Unless you're leading into trial, "generally" spending 12 hours/day in the office is too much.

FWIW, I spend 9 hrs/day in the office, on pace to bill ~2200.

Can you expand on this? I want to learn from you. What's your day/week look like?

I'm here from 9:45 to 8pm every day and only on track for 2050ish. That's with working another 6 hours every weekend on average. Granted, I did take a big vacation (2weeks) in April but still.

[JusticeJackson]

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[jd20132013]

Pro-tip: stop spending so much time in the office. Unless you're leading into trial, "generally" spending 12 hours/day in the office is too much.

FWIW, I spend 9 hrs/day in the office, on pace to bill ~2200.

what city do you work in

[toast and bananas]

Both days of the weekend + 2 days during the week is how I do it

[lolwat]

Pro-tip: stop spending so much time in the office. Unless you're leading into trial, "generally" spending 12 hours/day in the office is too much.

FWIW, I spend 9 hrs/day in the office, on pace to bill ~2200.

Can you expand on this? I want to learn from you. What's your day/week look like?

I'm here from 9:45 to 8pm every day and only on track for 2050ish. That's with working another 6 hours every weekend on average. Granted, I did take a big vacation (2weeks) in April but still.

What kind of breaks are you taking during the day? I try to always be doing some form of billable work unless I really cannot or need a break. Biggest thing for me is, I see lots of people go out for starbucks and lunch while I just make keurig coffee & eat lunch at my desk.

[toast and bananas]

Pro-tip: stop spending so much time in the office. Unless you're leading into trial, "generally" spending 12 hours/day in the office is too much.

FWIW, I spend 9 hrs/day in the office, on pace to bill ~2200.

Can you expand on this? I want to learn from you. What's your day/week look like?

I'm here from 9:45 to 8pm every day and only on track for 2050ish. That's with working another 6 hours every weekend on average. Granted, I did take a big vacation (2weeks) in April but still.

What kind of breaks are you taking during the day? I try to always be doing some form of billable work unless I really cannot or need a break. Biggest thing for me is, I see lots of people go out for starbucks and lunch while I just make keurig coffee & eat lunch at my desk.

Not sure what area of practice this poster is in (sort of suggests lit), but some specialist groups have a much more steady stream of work and therefore can be much more efficient. My friends in tax, for example, can easily bill 8 hours in 9 hours and do it whenever they choose, and that's year-round.

[lolwat]

Pro-tip: stop spending so much time in the office. Unless you're leading into trial, "generally" spending 12 hours/day in the office is too much.

FWIW, I spend 9 hrs/day in the office, on pace to bill ~2200.

Can you expand on this? I want to learn from you. What's your day/week look like?

I'm here from 9:45 to 8pm every day and only on track for 2050ish. That's with working another 6 hours every weekend on average. Granted, I did take a big vacation (2weeks) in April but still.

What kind of breaks are you taking during the day? I try to always be doing some form of billable work unless I really cannot or need a break. Biggest thing for me is, I see lots of people go out for starbucks and lunch while I just make keurig coffee & eat lunch at my desk.

Not sure what area of practice this poster is in, but I know that some specialist groups have a much more steady stream of work and therefore can be much more efficient. My friends in tax, for example, can easily bill 8 hours in 9 hours and do it whenever they choose, and that's year-round. That sort of efficiency/consistency is nearly impossible in corporate. Can't speak to lit.

Yeah, I'm in lit. We basically get a steady stream of work throughout the year; some months are busier (250-300 hours) than others (150-160 hours), but it's almost always a steady stream. The busy months just include 16+ hour days preparing for trials and staying up all night writing emergency ex parte applications and other shit, while the slow months are like 8 hours a day plugging away at discovery or whatever. We might sometimes get a REALLY slow patch if suddenly half of our cases settle or something stupid, but that's rare.

If you ARE in a position where you have a relatively steady stream of work, it's easier to be efficient (generally by cutting down on breaks, including this TLS break which I can't bill for), and it's also easier to block off some time to work out in the morning or evening.

[gaddockteeg]

Pro-tip: stop spending so much time in the office. Unless you're leading into trial, "generally" spending 12 hours/day in the office is too much.

FWIW, I spend 9 hrs/day in the office, on pace to bill ~2200.

Can you expand on this? I want to learn from you. What's your day/week look like?

I'm here from 9:45 to 8pm every day and only on track for 2050ish. That's with working another 6 hours every weekend on average. Granted, I did take a big vacation (2weeks) in April but still.

What kind of breaks are you taking during the day? I try to always be doing some form of billable work unless I really cannot or need a break. Biggest thing for me is, I see lots of people go out for starbucks and lunch while I just make keurig coffee & eat lunch at my desk.

I don't leave my office often but I probably do end up underbilling because I'm constantly switching matters due to random emails or senior associates interrupting me to send me on a treasure hunt for a particular doc.

[Anonymous User]

How do you guys eat to stay fit while living the sedentary lawyer lifestyle (even if you lift, let's be real)...

[rpupkin]

Pro-tip: stop spending so much time in the office. Unless you're leading into trial, "generally" spending 12 hours/day in the office is too much.

FWIW, I spend 9 hrs/day in the office, on pace to bill ~2200.

Can you expand on this? I want to learn from you.

It's called "padding hours." Anyone who spends 9 hours a day in the office and manages to bill 8.5 of those hours day in, day out is engaged in at least mild fraud. It's not unusual. I'm often surprised to learn the identity of the high billers in the office. Some are especially hard workers; others are just creative with their billing practices.

[lolwat]

It's called "padding hours." Anyone who spends 9 hours a day in the office and manages to bill 8.5 of those hours day in, day out is engaged in at least mild fraud. It's not unusual. I'm often surprised to learn the identity of the high billers in the office. Some are especially hard workers; others are just creative with their billing practices.

Yeah, I see certain peoples' times and just shake my head. Sadly others' "creativity" hurts me at a small firm. I can rarely pull off 8.5 hours in a 9-hour day... maybe if I'm under the gun on some next-day deadline and am literally just sitting here working on it with barely a bathroom break. But 8.5 hours in a 10-hour day is pretty doable.

I wonder if homestyle's post wasn't meant to say that he billed 8.5 hours in 9, though, but rather that he only spends 9 hours in the office but spends some more time working remotely. Since his tip was to "stop spending so much time in the office."

How do you guys eat to stay fit while living the sedentary lawyer lifestyle (even if you lift, let's be real)...

Make a big batch of good stuff over the weekend and portion out that for meals for yourself for the weekdays.
I wouldn't avoid grabbing lunch with colleagues or others though, and it can be difficult when you're slammed since you probably end up getting take-out or delivery way more often. And often get unhealthy stuff.

[Anonymous User]

Google 5/3/1 BBB, and just do 80% of this workout 4 times per week. It's not that difficult and you can eat most things after and will gain strength and muscle size. Do it first thing in the AM (unless you have an assignment to knock out quickly). Eat lots of grains and protein throughout the day.

Look cut + make a lot of $ = profit

[L_William_W]

How do you guys eat to stay fit while living the sedentary lawyer lifestyle (even if you lift, let's be real)...

I'm 6'1", 225 which is borderline obese and I have a gut. However, I bench 205 and can run 1.5 miles in 13 minutes.

Alternate between lifting days and cardio days

Lifting days- bench press, curls, squats. This should take at most 30 minutes.

Cardio days- jog or run on treadmill for 15 minutes then do push-ups, pull-ups, and sit-ups for another 15 minutes.

Other tips:

Avoid pizza, burgers, fries, soda, candy, cookies, cake, brownies, donuts

If possible, walk instead of using the elevator or escalator

[Vursz]

Work 9:30-8. Wake up every morning at 7:30 and spend an hour running and doing calisthenics. Combine with pretty disciplined caloric restriction (2000/day except for special occasions) and I've stayed slim indefinitely (I'm 6'2" and 155).

Haven't missed a day of working out since college (going on 5 years this November). It's a point of pride.

[hlss09]

Work 9:30-8. Wake up every morning at 7:30 and spend an hour running and doing calisthenics. Combine with pretty disciplined caloric restriction (2000/day except for special occasions) and I've stayed slim indefinitely (I'm 6'2" and 155).

Haven't missed a day of working out since college (going on 5 years this November). It's a point of pride.

How do you manage only 2k calories a day?!?

[Mr. Peanutbutter]

Work 9:30-8. Wake up every morning at 7:30 and spend an hour running and doing calisthenics. Combine with pretty disciplined caloric restriction (2000/day except for special occasions) and I've stayed slim indefinitely (I'm 6'2" and 155).

Haven't missed a day of working out since college (going on 5 years this November). It's a point of pride.

How do you manage only 2k calories a day?!?

By not eating more than 2,000 calories a day?


No joke the premade soylent bottles are good as a meal replacement for breakfast and/or dinner if you’re too busy and/or bad at counting calories

[emkay625]

This is not a total replacement but it helps: keep a set of dumbbells in your office. On a conference call where you're not super active/just taking notes, shut your door, pull them out and do a couple of reps. Or do a wall sit during a conference call. Or 20 squats. Or get a headpiece for your phone and walk laps around the building during a conference call. You get the idea. It won't be a full workout, but even a little bit of movement whenever you can fit it in counts.

[emkay625]

Also no idea what city you live in, but if you're commuting on a bus/train/subway, change into running clothes before you leave the office each day. Get off a few stops early and jog the rest of the way home.

[mvp99]

Pro-tip: stop spending so much time in the office. Unless you're leading into trial, "generally" spending 12 hours/day in the office is too much.

FWIW, I spend 9 hrs/day in the office, on pace to bill ~2200.

Can you expand on this? I want to learn from you. What's your day/week look like?

I'm here from 9:45 to 8pm every day and only on track for 2050ish. That's with working another 6 hours every weekend on average. Granted, I did take a big vacation (2weeks) in April but still.

You don't.