3 Common Mistakes Executives Make in Their Fitness Routines—and a Roadmap to Fix Them

It’s Wednesday morning. The Olympic race is at 1pm on Friday and Saturday. Everything for the past four years has been building towards these days, and all actions over the past six weeks have been tweaked and focused on peak performance at that time on those days. Training days have been engineered and timed towards it; nutrition has been shaped for it; sleep has been adjusted to optimize for it; stress has been managed and mitigated for it; and the goal for it is clear—absolutely destroy the competition in all four heats across those two days. Nothing else is acceptable.

In my experience, that’s what training for peak performance looks like. 

And yet, I constantly see people approach the meeting of their life, the meeting of the week, or the meeting of the day with the belief that they can simply show up when they walk in the door (or hit that Zoom calendar link) and be as ready, or ready enough, to execute.

Do you see the disconnect there? I certainly do. And it’s just about everywhere!

And even if people do prepare, they likely prepare their thoughts. They might put together notes, finetune their presentation, or memorize what they’re going to say. But what they don’t consider is how to prepare their body. When we ignore our physical wellbeing, we’re not going to be in an optimal state — for anything.

As a coach and leader, when someone I’m working with has hit a plateau in their work results, leadership development, or personal growth, I often find that the timing and type of their fitness routine is one of the most overlooked, and easily controlled, variables they’re missing.

That might sound strange (what does fitness have to do with it?). But fitness isn’t just about physical health—it’s about optimizing your energy, focus, and resilience for the demands of work and life. Our ability to reason, to manage our emotions, to articulate our thoughts clearly are all deeply affected by the physical state of our body, and thus our brain. (much more on that below)

Here’s the kicker: most executives approach their fitness training in a way that works against them, not for them. I call it training rather than a routine because it’s about more than just going through the motions—it’s about improving for a purpose.

Here are three of the most common mistakes I see, and how to fix them. Addressing these can give you a significant advantage, whether you’re in the boardroom, the classroom, or just about anywhere else in life. 

Mistake 1: Overdoing Endurance or Strength Training

When I was training for the Olympics, balance was everything. We needed explosive strength to push a bobsled and a certain kind of muscular and speed endurance to recover and repeat it over and over. But in the corporate world, I often see people over-rotating toward either endurance (think: long runs, cycling) or strength (heavy lifting, bodybuilding workouts).

Both are important, but too much of one at the expense of the other can hold you back.

The Science Behind It

Research from Frontiers in Physiology highlights that endurance training improves cardiovascular health and increases the brain’s production of BDNF, a protein that supports learning and memory. On the other hand, strength training is tied to better metabolic health and increased production of growth factors like IGF-1, which are critical for cellular repair and resilience.

But here’s the trade-off: too much endurance can lead to muscle loss and overtraining, while too much strength training without recovery can result in stiffness, slower adaptation, and injury. 

And research says that 25-30% of adults do not return to exercise after injuring themselves. So we should all tread carefully with our recovery

The Fix

I’ve developed a weekly split that balances endurance and strength, and it’s been a game-changer for both my physical and mental performance, as well as for others. This has been informed by a number of factors based on my own education, experience, and experimenting along with influences from people like Peter Attia, Andrew Huberman, and Stu McMillan:

• Endurance: Three sessions a week, alternating between Zone 2 training (low intensity for long-term recovery, HR= 60-70% of max) and VO2 max (short bursts of high intensity, HR>85%). This can be done running, biking, and even swimming. 

• Strength: Three sessions a week focusing on specific areas—for me it’s core and lower body one day, core and upper body another, and lastly an upper-body-focused day. They don’t necessarily need to be in that order.

• Rest: Rotate your rest day based on your life—late meetings, early mornings, or, in my case, being up with a young son.

This structure mimics the adaptability I learned in sport: control what you can, adjust to what you can’t.

Mistake 2: Less-Than-Ideal Training Timing

Another common mistake is working out during your lunch break or in the evening. While this might be convenient, it’s often counterproductive for most people both physically and for their work productivity and success.

Why Timing Matters

Morning workouts are backed by science. A study published to NIH.gov found that exercising in the morning increases dopamine levels, which improves attention and decision-making throughout the day. Morning exercise also reduces “limbic friction,” the brain’s resistance to getting started on tasks or having difficult conversations, by creating momentum for the day.

On the flip side, lunchtime workouts can eat (pun intended!) into your opportunity to network or socialize—a missed chance to build relationships that are crucial for leadership and life. Evening workouts? They can disrupt your sleep cycle, as exercise raises cortisol and body temperature, which take hours to normalize.

On top of all of that, for many busy people, early mornings are the only time they truly control their schedule. Lunchtime is vulnerable to being overtaken by sales meetings or other pressing priorities, and evening plans can shift for a boss’s, or spouse’s, demands. 

Good news? I rarely hear people say their 5:30 AM workout was derailed by an unpredicted 5:15 AM crisis. It happens, but it’s much more rare than a lunchtime or evening issue.

The Fix

Here’s how I recommend structuring the day:

• Morning Training: Aim to exercise first thing in the morning to fire up focus and energy. Even a 20-minute workout can provide the physiological boost needed for peak performance, but I usually dedicate an hour and a half to getting some fuel in me, a good warm-up and a good 45-75 minute workout.

• Not a morning person? Struggle to perform early in the day? You can train your body and brain to adapt faster than you think. Our bodies have an Anticipatory Circuit, which releases cortisol and neurochemicals before your alarm goes off, aligning your physiology with new routines. This boosts energy and focus for early workouts. Here's a brilliant five-minute breakdown from Dr. Andrew Huberman on how to harness this for yourself.

• Lunch Strategy: Instead of working out, use lunch to connect or read to get your mind off of work. Meet a colleague or a friend, then take a walk afterward. Walking after a meal has been shown to improve digestion and stabilize blood sugar levels, which means better energy for the rest of the day.

This small adjustment—shifting training to the morning—can dramatically improve productivity and relationships, lower anxiety, and give you a feeling of accomplishment that you can take into the rest of your day. 

The Alternative

For some people, working out super early isn’t something they can wrap their minds around. And for others, moving the most amount of weight is more of a priority than anything else, and that typically doesn’t happen at 5 in the morning. I know very successful people who wake up, crank through their emails before the sun is up, and schedule their day around mid-morning training with success. 

So, you don’t have to follow this formula exactly. The goal here is to find something that you can get your body and mind accustomed to, that works for your schedule, and that you can ensure you have as much control as possible over your time to mitigate the risks of missing too many training days.

Mistake 3: Not Matching Your Work Schedule with Your Training Schedule—Science meets Olympic Performance

What if I told you that you could give yourself an increase in focus, improvement in emotional regulation (so you can better handle any good or bad that comes your way), and confidence to walk taller into the biggest meetings of your week, without fail? 

And, what if I told you that you could time this, so those results happen just when you need them?

This is absolutely possible, yet most people don’t take advantage of it because they don’t match their work schedule with their training schedule. Correct this common problem and you’ll have the ultimate performance hack. 

When I was competing, every workout was tailored to align with our race schedule. In the corporate world, however, I often see people sticking to rigid routines—Monday is leg day, Wednesday is cardio, Thursday is Cross-Fit—without considering how it fits with their work demands. While some aspects of our days are unpredictable, most of our schedules follow predictable patterns in the short term—i.e.: weekly. 

So why not design your workouts to complement what you know is coming?

The Problem

Big meetings, high-stakes conversations, or emotionally demanding days require different kinds of physical and mental preparation. If your training doesn’t support your work calendar, you’re missing out on a chance to amplify your work performance while not taking anything away from your fitness. (see missed benefits in “Mistake 1” above)

The Fix

Learn to map your workouts to your work calendar, like planning Olympics race-day training! I typically suggest looking to do this at some point on Sunday heading into the week. Here’s how:

• Strength Training: Do this on days with tough conversations or presentations. Strength training builds emotional control by activating the prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain responsible for decision-making and impulse control.

• Endurance Training: Schedule Zone 2 or VO2 max (really tough intervals) workouts on days with long meetings or intense problem-solving sessions. Endurance training supports sustained focus and mental clarity. Be sure to re-arrange your training to not have a big lower body strength training day the day before, as that will greatly increase chance of injury and decrease the quality of your workout. (scheduling a Zone 2/easy run or bike after a tough lower body day is fine)

• Stretching or Yoga: Use these on creative or recovery days when you need mental flexibility or downtime. A study in The Journal of Behavioral Medicine found that even short sessions of yoga reduce stress and improve mood.

One example from my own life: I used to dread board meetings— which require me to sit in one spot for sometimes up to 10 hours in a day. But when I started setting up my week to do 45- to 60-minute VO2 max sessions beforehand, I noticed I was sharper, more focused, and better at reading the room, and those abilities lasted longer in the meetings. This isn’t just theory—it’s practical, repeatable success built into our biology.

Bonus Tip: Don’t Forget Recovery

Recovery isn’t just for athletes. Whether it’s yoga, meditation, taking a training day off, or simply getting enough sleep, recovery practices are essential for maintaining long-term performance. 

Conclusion: Small Adjustments, Big Gains

Your fitness routine shouldn’t just keep you healthy—it should work for you. By balancing endurance and strength, optimizing your workout timing, and aligning your training with your work schedule, you can create a system that enhances your leadership, productivity, and mental clarity.

This isn’t necessarily about doing more; it’s about doing smarter. Small changes lead to big gains. If you’re ready to shift your trajectory, start tinkering with your fitness routine—and watch what happens.

-Steve