Renewed passion for fitness by the time you hit 30's in IB
I am in my mid-to-late 20's and haven't really been able to focus on myself in terms of physical fitness. I am certainly not out of shape but not near the level of strength and cardiovascular stamina that I want to operate at. I find myself nowadays more inclined to say fuck it to IB, because I value my physical well-being highly, and it is deeply intertwined with my own mental health, not for vanity's sake but because it simply provides me with peace of mind.
People have said that by the time you hit your 30s in IB, you become hyper-focused on working out which I hope is true but at the moment I really just don't have time to dedicate to it like I previously have. Any VPs out there that can opine? Sacrificing your workout regimen in early IB days to later rekindle it as you move up in ranks?
I was a competitive powerlifter in high school / university, and lost all of my size and strength during IB (currently 4 years out of school; been in IB since graduating). I have to admit, in retrospect giving up lifting to focus almost exclusively on my career was one of the biggest mistakes I've made in my life. I've started picking it back up again in recent months, and feel better than I ever have since starting IB. I've always had confidence in the workplace, but starting to fill in your dress shirts and suits plus the mental clarity / energy takes it to another level.
Regarding your question, if you're waiting for a window where free time will just land on your lap, you'll be waiting for a long time. IB is a fee driven business - you can always execute more, pitch more, meet more prospective clients, etc. There will always be that next bonus or next promotion to keep your foot on the gas. Even if hours scale back, presumably other life responsibilities will take priority (wife, kids, etc.).
I'll never be close to where I was in my earlier years, but that's okay. You are the only person who can carve out time to incorporate exercise into your schedule, and that can happen at any point in your career (including now). I'm not suggesting you need to have a David Goggins mentality doing 4AM workouts, but it's really not that hard to find 4x1 hour windows during a 7 day week to get a quick session in. It took me 3.5 years to stop finding excuses and to get back into the rhythm, but better late than never.
As you mentioned, physical fitness goes hand in hand with mental health. I've found that when I'm in a rut at work or have a stressful day, hitting new PRs in the gym really uplifts me to push harder at work. Today, I'd gladly take a mid - / upper - mid bucket ranking anyday if I can have my physique / strength back.
Appreciate the response and glad to hear you are getting after it again in the gym. This pumps me up and makes me want to throw some fucking weight around.
And agree, I am going to plant a flag in the ground and carve out 1hr - 1.15hrs a day to hit the gym and be unwilling to compromise. I don't give a shit if they have to wait a little longer for me to turn comments.
Stop making excuses is the main thing. I am 3 years out of school and haven lifted since. I can’t motivate myself, and for a long time I blamed it on IB / not having time. But as you said, it was honestly just excuses and I could definitely get in 3 workouts a week at minimum. I have yet to start, but one day I’ll get there haha
Do you think you could be as successful in your career if you did not spend the time for 4 years grinding? vs taking time to workout?
Do you think it is possible to fit it into your schedule after starting in IB or should I focus on the job for the first couple years? Right now lifting is probably my first or second favorite thing to do and couldn’t imagine giving it up.
I have found that you have to prioritize what you actually like doing. Like the guy above, I completely stopped working out for my first 2 years of IB and felt like shit. I have made it a priority over the past year or so and have come to realize that if I’m gonna work out, sometimes work is either a) not getting done b) getting done later or the next day and I am okay with that. Banking is not my life. I care more about myself and well-being than my employer, and let’s be honest, even though we get paid decent, the comp is still not outstanding enough to justify ruining your health. Just my thought.
I'm not a VP, but I know what it's like to have no time, and I love training. I agree with what everyone is saying, and you have to make time. You'll never be Ronnie Coleman, but you can be in shape. Nothing is stopping you from not hitting the snooze button and knocking out some burpees before you hit the shower in the morning. Get a pull-up bar in your doorway and knock out a few before and after your shower. Push-ups are easy to do, and you can even get a weighted vest to make all the body weight exercises harder.
You can also fit time in the gym if you want to be more ambitious. Eventually you will learn which emails you can ignore for 45min to an hour and which emails needs to be answered right away. You can knock out a simple workout in 45min. I personally don't like going to a commercial gym, and I believe every man should own a bench and a power rack if he has the space for it. They're not that expensive, and if you're in banking then you can afford a good one. It will save you on the commute. You're going to be tired, but you just have to desire it bad enough.
If you have to go to a commercial gym then maybe try to find a partner or two that can help with accountability. You can feed off each other's energy even if you're all tired.
Ignore title. VP here...
I've been an avid lifter for close to 15 years now. During my analyst years I've stopped lifting and just fit in 20-30 minutes of cardio every morning. I lost a ton of muscle but my cardio was good. When I became a senior associate I went back to lifting and cardio 3x a week in the mornings. I was kind of shocked at how fast I've regained my strength back after a long hiatus but muscle memory is real.
Now that I'm 32, you're totally right that I value my physical health much more. I can always do more at work or at home, but I make time for myself now and prioritize that. Realizing that I'm a career banker now, it's about longevity and becoming as efficient as possible so I don't burn out like I used to.
One thing to note is that I truly didn't realize the damage alcohol has done to my body till I hit my 30s. I try to not drink more than 3x a week, but work and social events make it hard in the city. But what I realized is that it aged me tremendously and although I hate to admit it, it's never only 1 or 2 drinks for me. I'm still working on that...
Good luck brother.
Hey you hit on a lot of interesting points in your story. Can I ask some questions?
1. Do you think it was necessary to fully dedicate yourself to a being an analyst(a.k.a. going to limited cardio) to be in the position you are today?
2. You said "so I don't burn out like I used to", Does this mean you have burned out before and what did you do to recover?
Not in IB anymore but a MF VP and echo what everyone has said. Make time for it, your physical health is important and can't overstate how working out will help with your mental health as well. Make goals, hit those goals, and don't be shy about sharing with people. You can find 1-1.5 hrs a day to go to the gym and the reality is when (not if) you pull it off, you'll seem like even more of an animal to everyone around (I'm sure I'll get MS for this but it's the truth). How does this guy/girl crush work and still always find time to go to the gym... You'll look and feel better, and frankly your juniors will look to it as proof someone can have some sort of balance and you'll be a better leader for it. Godspeed!
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