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In law school, I used to go during the day or in the evening, but heard that this was not feasible in biglaw. I've tried being a morning person and waking up at 6 AM (or thereabouts) to go the gym for the past couple of months, but just end up feeling tired the rest of the day.

Anyone have advice on best times to go to the gym in this job?

Anonymous User wrote: ↑

Wed Jul 26, 2023 7:50 am

In law school, I used to go during the day or in the evening, but heard that this was not feasible in biglaw. I've tried being a morning person and waking up at 6 AM (or thereabouts) to go the gym for the past couple of months, but just end up feeling tired the rest of the day.

Anyone have advice on best times to go to the gym in this job?

I think it’s probably easiest to be a weekend warrior. Maybe once during the week and the days on the weekend starting with Friday evening.

I'm a dad and big law partner. The gym is still a regular part of my life and has been since I was 16.

I go 3x a week M-F during lunch between 11:30 to 12:30, give or take an hour depending on what meetings are going on. Pre-covid, there was a gym in the building and I could take the elevator, gym, shower, and be back at my desk within an hour.

The key is to reduce the friction time of traveling to the gym. Even 10 minutes of traveling to the gym is too much because that adds 20 minutes to your workout time and there's a pretty big difference from being gone for an hour vs being gone for almost 90 minutes.

Post/during COVID, I bought a Tonal home gym system and now I gym at home. The home gym is awesome because I can even break up the work-out into 2 30 minutes sessions if something comes up at work.

I used to go at lunch time when I was in biglaw. There was a gym literally across the street, so I could be in/out and stuff in a quick meal in an hour lunch break. Other people just woke up early (NYC corporate associates rarely show up before 9 anyways).

Anyways, you should be able to find time to work out except for a few of your absolute busiest days. I can't imagine just working out two days a week on the weekends. Wouldn't be good for my mental or physical health.

Get up early. Have Death Wish coffee, it has very high caffeine. You won't feel tired the rest of the day. If you don't go to the gym early, you won't go. That's what 40 years taught me.

Evening is tough, especially as junior or midlevel in biglaw. I used to go at 830am and then be at desk by 10am — really isn't that late by NYC corporate law standards. As I got more senior I shifted to a 5 or 6pm workout schedule; you can generally fire off a few delegation notes in the late afternoon and others are doing a commute to get back to kids, so doesn't look as suspect.

Agree with the advice of finding the most convenient/closest option regardless of price.

I’m a junior and on pace for 2100 hours this year. My firm’s number for a bonus is 1900. I do an hour of exercise every single evening. Almost always as soon as I get off the train. I refuse to let my health go to hell for this job.

Anonymous User wrote: ↑

Wed Jul 26, 2023 7:53 pm

I’m a junior and on pace for 2100 hours this year. My firm’s number for a bonus is 1900. I do an hour of exercise every single evening. Almost always as soon as I get off the train. I refuse to let my health go to hell for this job.

Yeah this. I do mornings because I’m a morning person but it’s very rare that something can’t wait an hour.

Anonymous User wrote: ↑

Wed Jul 26, 2023 7:53 pm

I’m a junior and on pace for 2100 hours this year. My firm’s number for a bonus is 1900. I do an hour of exercise every single evening. Almost always as soon as I get off the train. I refuse to let my health go to hell for this job.

Ya this isn't that big of a deal. I go to the gym almost every day.

I'm a rising fourth year and only recently got back into a regular gym schedule post-pandemic and post boom market. Agree with all the comments in here, what it took for me was (1) a place within 5 minutes of my apartment that (2) had both morning and evening classes that are sort of modifiable to how tired I am.

I haven't had issues with going 7-8am or 6-7pm (ish--sometimes it's like 7:30am or 5:45pm). For the couple of years leading up to this, I did regular Peloton (app, don't have the bike) workouts at home, but at least for me, it's not the same as taking a real workout class in a gym.

I’m a senior associate in a v20 corporate practice

I usually go a few days during the week between 830-10pm. I’d go even later if my gym was open later.

Late evenings are better b/c clients usually have stopped emailing you. I can answer any urgent emails on my phone

I set up my home office in my gym room so literally go to the gym everyday. But work out MWF in the morning. It's awesome because I can work in between sets.

Lacepiece23 wrote: ↑

Wed Jul 26, 2023 8:23 am

Anonymous User wrote: ↑

Wed Jul 26, 2023 7:50 am

In law school, I used to go during the day or in the evening, but heard that this was not feasible in biglaw. I've tried being a morning person and waking up at 6 AM (or thereabouts) to go the gym for the past couple of months, but just end up feeling tired the rest of the day.

Anyone have advice on best times to go to the gym in this job?

I think it’s probably easiest to be a weekend warrior. Maybe once during the week and the days on the weekend starting with Friday evening.

Totally the wrong take. Do not compromise your health or go to the gym only on weekends or once a week just because greedy/narrow-minded partners are pushing too hard. Nope. Not acceptable.

Anonymous User wrote: ↑

Tue Aug 01, 2023 7:19 pm

Lacepiece23 wrote: ↑

Wed Jul 26, 2023 8:23 am

Anonymous User wrote: ↑

Wed Jul 26, 2023 7:50 am

In law school, I used to go during the day or in the evening, but heard that this was not feasible in biglaw. I've tried being a morning person and waking up at 6 AM (or thereabouts) to go the gym for the past couple of months, but just end up feeling tired the rest of the day.

Anyone have advice on best times to go to the gym in this job?

I think it’s probably easiest to be a weekend warrior. Maybe once during the week and the days on the weekend starting with Friday evening.

Totally the wrong take. Do not compromise your health or go to the gym only on weekends or once a week just because greedy/narrow-minded partners are pushing too hard. Nope. Not acceptable.

To each their own. I do admire people who can make it during the week. It’s just not me. I work for myself and have my own firm. Just not a lot of time left over.

Lacepiece23 wrote: ↑

Wed Aug 02, 2023 12:27 am

To each their own. I do admire people who can make it during the week. It’s just not me. I work for myself and have my own firm. Just not a lot of time left over.

How many hours are you awake but not working during the weekdays, and what things take up most of that time?

Lacepiece23 wrote: ↑

Wed Aug 02, 2023 12:27 am

Anonymous User wrote: ↑

Tue Aug 01, 2023 7:19 pm

Lacepiece23 wrote: ↑

Wed Jul 26, 2023 8:23 am

Anonymous User wrote: ↑

Wed Jul 26, 2023 7:50 am

In law school, I used to go during the day or in the evening, but heard that this was not feasible in biglaw. I've tried being a morning person and waking up at 6 AM (or thereabouts) to go the gym for the past couple of months, but just end up feeling tired the rest of the day.

Anyone have advice on best times to go to the gym in this job?

I think it’s probably easiest to be a weekend warrior. Maybe once during the week and the days on the weekend starting with Friday evening.

Totally the wrong take. Do not compromise your health or go to the gym only on weekends or once a week just because greedy/narrow-minded partners are pushing too hard. Nope. Not acceptable.

To each their own. I do admire people who can make it during the week. It’s just not me. I work for myself and have my own firm. Just not a lot of time left over.

It's not "to each their own". Actual scientific studies for years now have been discussing and documenting the importance of consistent and regular physical exercise. When and how you do it might be a "to each their own" type of thing, but how often you do it is more objective.

Anonymous User wrote: ↑

Wed Aug 02, 2023 11:13 am

Lacepiece23 wrote: ↑

Wed Aug 02, 2023 12:27 am

Anonymous User wrote: ↑

Tue Aug 01, 2023 7:19 pm

Lacepiece23 wrote: ↑

Wed Jul 26, 2023 8:23 am

Anonymous User wrote: ↑

Wed Jul 26, 2023 7:50 am

In law school, I used to go during the day or in the evening, but heard that this was not feasible in biglaw. I've tried being a morning person and waking up at 6 AM (or thereabouts) to go the gym for the past couple of months, but just end up feeling tired the rest of the day.

Anyone have advice on best times to go to the gym in this job?

I think it’s probably easiest to be a weekend warrior. Maybe once during the week and the days on the weekend starting with Friday evening.

Totally the wrong take. Do not compromise your health or go to the gym only on weekends or once a week just because greedy/narrow-minded partners are pushing too hard. Nope. Not acceptable.

To each their own. I do admire people who can make it during the week. It’s just not me. I work for myself and have my own firm. Just not a lot of time left over.

It's not "to each their own". Actual scientific studies for years now have been discussing and documenting the importance of consistent and regular physical exercise. When and how you do it might be a "to each their own" type of thing, but how often you do it is more objective.

I agree that being a weekend warrior isn’t ideal, from the point of view of optimizing your fitness. I also agree that no one should have to compromise their health for their job. But it is still “to each their own” with regard to what someone has going on in their life and how much they they want to prioritize optimal fitness over all their other obligations and interests.

Agree that our jobs are not worth compromising our health. FWIW, I second the comments about finding a way to make exercise a frictionless part of your day. That means:

• Finding a gym close to work to minimize commute (and reduce incentive not to go)

• Probably having a quick breakfast option after the workout

• Setting a schedule and blocking off the time on your calendar so that people don't put calls/conflicting meeting

• Being disciplined about going--none of the other stuff matters if you make it negotiable with yourself

I got back into exercising last year and I've found going at 6-7AM to be the best thing for my schedule and habits. I wake up early, have a snack, and go to the gym immediately. I grab a smoothie or make a quick omelet after coming back and before going to the office. Importantly, i force myself not to look at my email before heading out. I found that if i started reading/responding to emails, i'd get sucked into work and not actually go to the gym. Or, I'd be distracted at the gym and not actually get a good workout in. And i definitely try to do something on weekends no matter what.

A couple things that I've struggled with but really try to do:

• Don't skip workouts. Of course if you need a rest day, take it, but don't skip because of work. Try to do something. On days where i'm not feeling motivated, i still try to go and knock it out. Consistency is key, not just for progress in fitness, but for my mental health in ensuring that i prioritize myself over work. If things are crazy at work, i still try to get in 30 minutes if I can't swing a full hour. Something is better than nothing.

• Don't compromise sleep. I cut out other stuff first--tv, social engagements, etc.--if i can't balance work and sleep.

• I try to be as efficient as possible when it comes to chores. I really need to use Fridays and whatever weekend time I have to set myself up for success for the week. That means grocery shopping and laundry on Friday nights/Saturday mornings. Meal prep on the weekends. As someone who hates doing that stuff, it takes a lot of focus for me to stick to a routine, but i now have a pretty regular to-do list that i stick to every week.

• if your firm/employer offers this as part of your health benefits, meet with a nutritionist. I was skeptical till i finally did it last year and i made some sustainable changes to my diet that have helped me a ton.

Does anyone struggle balancing a consistent workout schedule with family time? (Not in BL yet, just trying to figure out how difficult it will be to keep up my routine when I start. I have a spouse and a kid.)

OP here. Thanks everyone for the advice! I guess I was having a rough month of late nights which made me prioritize sleep over waking up early enough to hit the gym. Have been making it a priority again and feel great!!

Back when I was in biglaw, my first firm had a gym in the building so I'd typically go around 5pm once things were quieting down. During that time, I stayed late pretty much every night so it was good to have a break between the hectic day's work, and the quieter nighttime work.

At my second firm, there was no gym on site. But the hours weren't quite as bad. So I'd be home for late dinner most nights, and would then go to gym around 9 or 10pm. I sometimes did mornings, but I'm really not a morning workout person so that never lasted.

Chokenhauer wrote: ↑

Sun Aug 06, 2023 10:35 am

Does anyone struggle balancing a consistent workout schedule with family time? (Not in BL yet, just trying to figure out how difficult it will be to keep up my routine when I start. I have a spouse and a kid.)

I'd say everyone does. Balancing family time is hard even with a regular 9-5 type job. All I can say is find time whenever you can. If you can do activities with your kid that are active, that may be a good way to get exercise and family time.

At my firm, my associates will be a wonder to the world.

A summer associate's experience will not be about "obtaining legal skills" or a lifestyle of "models and bottles." It will be about pounding the pavement on a putrid hot summer day when your body wants to fail on you, but in the pursuit of God, Gold, and Glory, you will have forged an uncompromising fanatical psychotic mindset to never ever quit. EVER. Even when your piss is brown and you're coughing up blood from getting slugged in the stomach over and over by the firm chairman.
No fancy lunches here - we're talking sprints, suicides, and Indian runs up and down avenue of the Americas (or a God damn bridge like Golden Gate or La Salle Street or what have you, if you couldn't get a bite at the Big Apple like my man Tyrone here), with a gallon of milk or three for desert (no puking either if you want to be let back inside these hallowed halls). Summers hitting the weight room every DAMN AM. No excuses here; our summers may not go home with offers or marketable experiences, but they will have the necks of Cobra Kingz and 50+ pounds packed onto their frame. They will, they absolutely will, I would not have given them an offer if I didn't know they could. I would not have put steroids in the proverbial firm kool-aid if I didn't know what was best for 'em. I would not have forsaken my wife, my children, for this passion some call "criminal obsession" if I didn't know they had what it takes to be one of us.