A demanding, sedentary job
As a partner in a law firm, Damian’s work is both mentally and physically demanding. Long days and late nights are the norm, most of them spent sitting at a desk, concentrating intensely and managing difficult situations on limited sleep. That physical toll of long hours without breaks was something he needed to address.
The circumstances are different, but being a corporate lawyer can be like being a Tour de France rider: mentally and physically draining day-in-day-out for extended periods of time testing my endurance. I find I handle the demands of work much better now that I’m actively taking steps to prepare my body to manage them.Damian
Fitting fitness around an unpredictable schedule
Damian’s unpredictable schedule, combined with the social side of the job, made maintaining a stable diet difficult, and the same demands ate into the time he had for exercise. The two problems tended to strike together: it was hardest to eat well precisely when he was busiest and had the least time to train. Working with his coach, they identified those stretches in advance and built strategies to manage them before they hit.
For me, it’s also about recognising that there will be disruption to the routine. I plan ahead for interference and try not to get frustrated when I get off schedule and need to adjust. What’s done is done. I can only manage what I’m going to do next.Damian
Stronger body, sharper mind
Although he mostly sits at a desk, the long hours make the job physically demanding in their own way. Improved strength and stamina help Damian manage that side of things, and for him, a better capacity to handle physical strain makes the mental challenges easier too. He makes the same case for lawyers generally: since the work itself cannot be automated, he reckons a fitter lawyer can be up to 20% more productive, simply by being better able to handle the job. The extra energy carries outside work as well, even if he can still fall asleep anywhere without warning, a habit that predates his training.
A programme built around him
Damian rates the programme’s client-driven approach highly: the emphasis is on helping him reach his own goals, not an outcome set by someone else. He also values the conservative approach to loading and technique, having been injured by overly enthusiastic trainers in the past.
The programme is client-driven. The emphasis is on helping me to achieve my goals, not trying to make me achieve an outcome set by someone else.Damian
Along the way, Damian also learned to do a low back extension properly, something he says he had done wrong since he was a teenager. He now moves better generally, which has paid off in other things he enjoys too, like skiing.
I’m fitter, stronger and lighter than I have been for years, and I feel this outcome is sustainable.Damian
Coached at ATP Personal Training Singapore
