The Aaptiv Trainer Diary series takes you into the daily lives of all your favorite trainers. Learn how they balance their personal and professional lives, while they make time for fitness and fun. Up today: Candice Cunningham!
Based out of the Buckhead neighborhood in Atlanta, Ga., Candice Cunningham runs a thriving fitness coaching business going on nine years in business. In addition to her work as a trainer, Cunningham focuses a ton of her time on her own physical and mental well being.
“I prioritize sleep and exercise so heavily because I know that it helps tremendously in being at my peak level of focus, performance and emotional capacity,” she says. “Without it, I wouldn’t be at my best”
But she also knows that taking care of yourself involves breaking from routine for some good old fashioned fun each week. “My weekends are my time to spend time with my boyfriend, go mountain biking, hiking or anything outdoors”, she explains. “And yes, I will go out with friends for dinner and drinks on a Friday or Saturday night after my hard work during the week. I coach all of my clients on how to build in rewards that work for them after a good productive week.”
So, what’s a regular workday look like for one of our star Aaptiv trainers? Read on for a day in the life of Cunningham.
5:15 a.m.: Wake up and get ready. Then I’ll make a meal or snack. It’s typically eggs or an apple and peanut butter.
6:15 a.m. – 8:15 a.m.: I hold client appointments.
8:30 a.m.: Now, I eat breakfast. That usually includes egg muffins. I pre-make my favorite recipe so they’re ready to go for the week. I’ll top them with different things, such as salsa and guacamole.
9:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.: Time for me to fit in a workout. Right now I’m doing heavy strength training three to four days a week, two longer cardio days, and two HIIT cardio days per week.
11:00 a.m.- 1:00 p.m.: More client appointments.
1:00 p.m.: Time for lunch. I’ll typically eat a poke bowl, chicken, or fish, with sweet potatoes and veggies.
1:30 p.m. – 4 p.m.: Office Hours and Planning. It depends on the day, but I work on client progressions and training plans for the current week or following week. I research, work on pre- and post-natal programming, and write my workouts for Aaptiv.
3:30 p.m. – 4 p.m.: I’ll usually eat a snack around this time.
4:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.: Another round of client appointments.
7:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.: Now, I cook dinner. We eat a lot of zucchini noodle or spaghetti squash pastas with lean meats like chicken, fish, or shrimp.
8:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.: Finally time to relax with a good book.
10:00 p.m.: Last, I’ll shower and hit the hay.