Incoming analyst at a top BB in NYC - what advice would you give to me for staying healthy and fit?
Is there time to workout and cook? Or should I look for meal prep alternatives?
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can't cook during the week. I am a pretty serious lifter and I have to be honest, you can't really get a full workout in most week days. You can maybe go for a jog. If you really want to work out, the best times are friday night, Saturday, Sunday, monday morning (finish before 8:30am). To be healthy in IB, avoid staffings as much as possible, always ask for deadlines and never kill yourself to turn something in early, always go to bed as soon as work allows, order healthy food, try to get cardio in three times a week (sweat for 20 minutes). If you can do all of that, you'll be ok.
Thanks for the clarification that you’re working at a “top BB,” that changes the answer completely
As someone who also cares a lot about fitness, here is what I recommend. For workouts, Option 1 is to go before work starts. Analysts at most banks will roll in between 9:30am - 10am. If you have the mental strength to wake up at ~7am in the morning, this could be your best bet (assuming you got off work at a reasonable hour the night before). If you're not a morning person, Option 2 is going around dinner time (6pm - 7pm). Most associates/VPs are quite understanding about taking 1 - 1.5hrs off for gym, as long as you're not in the middle of a fire drill. If you choose this route, make sure you join a gym that's near your office (~5min walking distance) and work through your dinner as needed. Whichever option you choose, make sure you have a positive mindset/mental attitude. For anyone who takes working out somewhat seriously, not being able to hit the gym and having interruptions in your weekly routine can be annoying. Just know that work and sleep will unfortunately take priority. At the minimum, you should be able to lift at least 3x a week (Friday - Sunday) during most weeks.
For meal prep, you could cook something on Sunday night for the upcoming week. If you're lazy and don't wanna cook, there are pre-made meal delivery options out there (i.e. Freshly). You can also utilize your dinner reimbursement to buy 2 meals (i.e. buy 2 Dig-Inn bowls) and save a bowl for lunch the next day.
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