Maintaining physique in IB
hi everyone. i recently signed with an MM bank to do IB. i loved the job while interning and the people are super cool. i have a good understanding of the hours but i wanted to hear people’s experience with working out and eating healthy while working in IB (i.e. do you meal prep, how many times a week you work out, if you work out at all, etc). Please share your stories of how you maintained physical shape through your analyst years (if it’s possible at all). It’s not a deal-breaker for me but I’d hate seeing myself letting go of healthy habits that I established in the last YEARS bc of the job + healthy lifestyle and good physical health contribute to better performance on the job (you feel like garbage only mentally, not mentally AND physically). Thanks, all.
Really depends on if you want to be big or fit. I've had no trouble staying lean - 4 year athlete in college and still maintaining 7-8% body fat on the job. 20 minutes of high-intensity jump roping in the morning + 1-3 lifts a week have been more than enough to maintain physique. Obviously diet plays a massive role as well. If you want to be big on the other hand, that's much harder.
I'm sorry but you're probably underestimating your body fat. 7-8% is pretty fucking shredded and most people don't maintain that year round. Granted I haven't seen you, so you could be telling the truth. If you've ever seen Greg Doucette's bodyfat percentage video and are truly the 7-8% you claim to be, that's pretty fucking impressive. Online I see people saying they are 8-9% bf when they are closer to 14-15 lol.
Give up the booze or at least restrict to 1-2 drinks per week. Shakes in the morning, salads for lunch (purchase), healthy dinner delivered to office/apartment. It isn’t easy, but it’s certainly feasible. I see plenty of people going for afternoon lifts/cardio as well.
honestly good genes and good looks help in a lot of things, not just fitness
For me it's just about being very disciplined and following a strict schedule. I work out in the morning because no one is usually up yet to fuck up my day, out of bed at 5:30am and in the gym at 6am and workout for an hour. High intensity training works best for me, allows me to give my body good thrashing within an hour and I follow a 3-day on 1-day off schedule (probably not for everyone, really depends on your own ability to recover). One of the main reasons people fall off their workout schedule and can't stick with it is because they allow themselves to view it as optional and don't have a strict schedule so setting a specific time and adhering to a disciplined schedule goes a long way in maintaining that consistency. Working out and being fit definitely has a positive effect on my mood and ability to function throughout the day which is one of the reasons why I have such a no excuses strict schedule. Diet is probably the hardest thing to maintain in IB just because we're always busy and just looking to grab something quick and quick generally isn't the healthiest. Working from home has made eating healthy a lot easier but when I was still going into the office it was meal prep and bringing lunch from home.
Currently Analyst at BB into body building training.
Understand this formula (not just in banking for life) - Sleep > Diet > Exercise > Work. Obviously vague but you get the idea
With that, do not lose sleep over exercise (minimum # of hours of sleep to target is 7 per day...anybody who says they can work off less than that is lying to you and themselves).
Times to workout: In the morning / lunch time / dinner time. Will have days where you will be forced to miss but generally you can duck out for 1 hour during dinner and then just eat at your desk later. Or go in the morning which is the only time that is actually "yours"
My workout routine - Friday / Saturday / Sunday + 1-2 days during the week. I usually follow a dedicated workout split but tailor it to your goals. Some people would prefer to drink Friday afternoons, I'd prefer to workout. Something to consider is that this career is based on networking so Friday happy hours are important. Figure out your priorities
Diet: Meal prep if you're really serious about health stuff. Otherwise, learn basic macro and diet tips (i.e., for muscle building 1g of protein per body weight per day; bulking / cutting; good amount of fruits + veggies) and learn to eye stuff. Breakfast = smoothie / oats / whatever you can quickly make. Lunch = meal prepped or healthy lunch. Dinner = I take advantage of free dinners so figure out a consistent place to order from that fits your diet plan and health goals. Healthy snacks throughout and avoid obsessive amounts of coffee. I've seen people drink multiple cokes / coffee a day which is poison. Save the coffee for post-lunch when you get tired (FYI humans were meant to sleep twice a day hence the post lunch crash)
Take walks through out the day when you can. Remember, always prioritize sleep.
I think that getting a standing desk was a great way to keep me from being sedentary while at work and it keeps you in the "active" mentality. Other then that getting a pull up bar in your apartment or setting around an hour after work to get some physical fitness ended up working for me.