2024 has been a year of three seasons. It started with a 3 month “bucket list” adventure with my wife and at the time, my 8 month old daughter.
The transition back to the UK summer produced a 4-6 month focused stint on improving specific aspects of the business.
By the end, my next physical challenge for 2025 gave birth: running a sub 3 hour marathon.
Going into 2024, I wanted the chapter to be called “The Year Of The Fun CEO”, so let’s see what I learnt along the way…
I’ve broken it down into 12 lessons, covering business, fitness and life.
1. Make the “easy runs” actually easy.
I started running in 2023 when I got into Muay Thai. There was a saying in Muay Thai circles; “no run, no Thai”. So I remember thinking well if I’m going to do Muay Thai properly, I better follow the rule. When I start something new, sometimes I find it better to just do whatever, even if it’s a bit broscience, or old school, or doesn’t really make logical sense.
It’s a good way to experience the experience, come to your own conclusions, and build your own strategy for later maximising the experience.
I did this with powerlifting and bodybuilding over 10 years ago, and it was no different with Muay Thai and later, running.
I ran for about 9 months in 2023 until I got injured in October. I didn’t have a plan; I just ran hard for about 30-60 minutes a few times a week. In the summer of 2024 I picked up running again, and despite hearing this whole thing about “easy runs”, “base building”, etc, I never really understood the execution of it.
I knew the science of it all, but the idea of going out for a run whilst chatting felt insane. Until I finally cracked it by:
Slowing my easy runs down by over a minute per km (5-5.30min/k → 6.10-6.40min/k).
Realising it’s the only way to safely build up volume without burning out.
Understanding the maxim of “appropriate stress, recovery and adaptation” (thanks to my running coach, John Starrett, for drilling this into me!).
Enjoying the easy runs as meditation in motion, not as a huge training stimulus.
The hardest thing for me was getting over running so slow.
What’s interesting is 6 weeks into finally slowing it down, my heart rate for the same pace dropped 4bpm. In my most recent easy runs, I’ve also found I’m a few seconds quicker without any additional effort. It works! 2. The “two hard workout” rule applies across all disciplines.
When I was bodybuilding, I learnt through trial and error I couldn’t handle more than 5 days a week of training, with only 2 hard days.
I needed two days of rest and if I pushed the intensity hard more than twice a week, my performance would drop off and I’d burn out in no time.
Over the years I dialled into a training split of:
Monday - Chest/Back/Delts Heavy
Wednesday - Legs/Arms Light
Friday - Chest/Back/Delts Light
Saturday - Legs/Arms Heavy
This was my favourite split to train with, and responsible for my biggest strength and muscle mass gains - after trying literally everything. It was the perfect blend of volume and intensity, and I knew on which days I needed to “get up for”, and which days I just needed to turn up to.
This also meant when I added in cardio for different phases in the year, it would all be low intensity work (kinda like my “easy runs” now), so my recovery would never be impacted. (I did try HIIT many times as additional work, but after 2-4 weeks, I’d start feeling run down).
Since balancing Muay Thai, running and bodybuilding, my training split has been a continuous work in progress. But what I’ve learnt this year is that the two hard workout day rule stands strong. This means one discipline must take priority to see any real progress, and also, my approach to the other two must be managed to avoid intensity overload.
I'm running 4 days a week right now, with running being my main focus, and the best split I’ve found on 4 is:
Monday - Upper + Muay Thai (capping the number of hard rounds)
Tuesday - Off
Wednesday - Easy Run
Thursday - Hard Run AM + Legs PM
Friday - Off
Saturday - Easy Run
Sunday - Hard Run
There’s work to be done but the key is two days off, and two days hard. At some point I will need to go up to 5 runs, and maybe 6 - goal dependent - the trick will be to make sure it’s very easy on those days.
You’ll notice how I double up Thursdays to concentrate leg volume. My leg workouts now are more about maintenance than seeing how hard I can go, so this allows for the appropriate recovery to take place.
I’m also in this process deciding on how much Muay Thai I want to do - the deeper I go into my running goals, the sheer intensity of it makes it a conflicting goal versus a value add.
I realise how much I love structured data-driven training where I can track my progress over time; Muay Thai is more of an art form where it’s often hard to tell if you’re improving. Running on the other hand is black and white. And the more I’ve taken a structured and progressive approach to my running training, the more I’ve fallen in love with it.
I’ll probably make a decision in early 2025.
3. Train not just for health, but for the forging of the soul.
I know I train way more than I need to. If I wanted to optimise health, I’d cap my training at about 2.5 hours a week. The reality is, especially since running 4 days, it’s become more like 7-8 hours a week.
The biggest “challenge” I’ve been trying to crack in the latter part of this year is being a part time athlete whilst being a full time CEO and parent. It’s something a few of us on my team joke about, as we know what we’re trying to do with our fitness is more of a personal development and curiosity tool, than a vehicle for general health and fitness.
In fact, I read a passage recently from a Japanese coach who said (hopefully I’ve not butchered his words), “train not for health, but for the forging of the soul”.
I couldn’t put the way I think about training any better. It’s why our workshops for RNTers is called “Enter The Void”, and it’s why I love the prospect of a physical challenge. Because nothing forges the soul better than hard physical training.There’s something very raw about it that’s difficult to describe. I think the deeper you go, the more you’re able to strip away the fat from life and get a tiny glimpse of who and what you are.
This doesn’t mean every workout needs to be an act of God. Rather, what I’ve come to know is that easier workouts are meditation in motion (especially when unplugged) and harder workouts are exploring the depths of your soul.
It's a voluntary acceptance of unnecessary obstacles, and as worldly comforts increase, the power of introducing orchestrated suffering into life only grows.
What’s interesting is I think running, or endurance sports, may be the best way I’ve experienced this entire spectrum because of two factors:
It’s continuous. In weight training you probably end up resting more than lifting.
It’s black and white. You either hit your numbers or you don’t, so it becomes a very sobering experience. The only equivalent to a half rep squat in running is taking a taxi.
I hope to get better at articulating this feeling over the years, because it’s a big part of why no matter how busy life gets, I’ll always train.
4. You can get lean with a plan; but you can only stay lean with automatic principles.
2024 has been the lightest and leanest I’ve ever maintained.
Equally, it’s been the year I’ve tracked my bodyweight the least (sometimes only once a month). I haven’t used calorie tracking apps and never sit down to work out plans; it’s all been done very much on feel.
I reflected on this a few months back and came to 7 key reasons as to how I’ve managed it:
1) I rarely think about what I’m going to eat. I eat the same thing most days for convenience. This sounds crazy if you’ve never tried it. But revolutionary once you do. Finding the few things you can repeat daily will take time. And when I’m eating something different, I don’t think much about portion control, it just kinda happens.
2) I’m vegan so it’s not always easy travelling or eating at restaurants. But I can always control how much I put in my mouth. I apply this mindset to any social/travel situations and it serves me well.
3) I preplan all my workouts. I have a 20 month old daughter and a business to run, so I can’t wing it else the day may have other plans for me. My workouts are non-negotiable appointments for all the reasons I’ve shared already.
4) I’ve always had a sweet tooth and love dark chocolate. So rather than restrict myself, I eat one dark chocolate dessert every night. It’s a mousse made of melted dark chocolate and blended silken tofu, and an absolute game changer.
5) The key word is “one”. I put one Oreo on top of this mousse. One, not the pack. One mousse, not four. There are no bad foods, only excessive amounts.
6) I do what I want and know what I enjoy, so I don’t feel pressure to eat, drink or indulge if I don’t want to. My whole life is built around 3 areas: my business, my training and my (immediate) family. I don’t do much else. I’ll come to this more later on.
7) I’ve found a bodyweight range that feels effortless to maintain. For me this is 76-78kg or 168-172lbs (I’m 5’10”). To find this requires trial and error; it must be a range you look, feel AND perform at your best with zero food focus or feelings of restriction.
As a reference, I’m photoshoot shredded at 69-70kg, so it’s about 10% above my leanest. This will be different for different people, based on what you want your lifestyle to look like in terms of activity and nutrition. I’m going to go deeper on this topic in a future YouTube video and podcast, as it’s what we call the “Reward Phase” at RNT, the fifth and final phase of our Transformation Methodology.
A caveat to this is you can only get here once you’ve drilled the basic principles of nutrition and activity for years and years. Which segues nicely into the next lesson…
5. It takes 3 years to build a sustainable lifestyle solution (and a new identity).
I’ve known this a while in theory and with a small sample size. This year we’ve validated it successfully with more and more members simply as a function of time.
I’ve also seen it the other way - when people haven’t realised how long it takes get unstuck by what I’m about to describe.
The reality is this - when you create massive physical change, it takes a long time for your psychology to catch up.
If you were 100kg and you go down to 70kg, your brain will still be thinking like a 100kg person. It’s a 100kg brain in a 70kg body. That 30kg identity gap takes time to close and when you don’t have the prize or the goal of a photoshoot or a deadline, it’s easy to let things slip off.
The only way to bridge the gap is to create a new identity, but this isn’t easy with decades of bad habits luring you in with a quick dopamine rush.
The problem is, one too many of these bad habits creeping back in and it’s a death by a thousand cuts back to the start line. Fighting the Devil, so to speak, and winning, time after time, is the only way to create a new identity that overpowers the old.
The only way to do this is to raise the standards of your lifestyle habits, and maintain consistent external accountability until you shed the skin.
Staying in shape means doing things at a higher level than you were doing before. You can’t go back to mindless snacking, 3000 steps a day and cheating on the weekends without imploding again.
And without the right accountability, you’ll justify poor decisions, start spinning in circles, and slowly succumb to your old ways.
I wish it could be done earlier, or in an easier fashion, but it’s rarely the case. And the more mental / emotional scars that led to the weight gain in the first place, the longer this takes.
Having members stay with us for 4, 5, 6 and even 7 years has helped us validate this in the real world.
6. You don’t appreciate date night until you have kids.
This year was our first full calendar year as parents. It’s been a blessing having Sia’s grandparents take such an active role in her life. Selfishly, one of the benefits has been rekindling (almost) weekly date night.
For both of us, 2024 has (intentionally) led to an identity change. Chandni has worked all her life; as an engineer for a decade before running operations at RNT until Sia was born.
She’s an incredibly talented woman, and the best process-driven operator type mind I’ve ever met. My mind is always racing at 100mph in different directions, so she’s always been my calming force since we met.
Before Sia was born, we discussed her goal to be full-time with Sia. Initially, her plan was to do it only for 6 months. But as we entered 2024, she decided she wanted to continue, with no immediate desire to return to any formal day-to-day work.
I saw this as an amazing opportunity for her, Sia, and our family. And ironically, her value in the business has only gone up, because now she watches over it with a birds-eye view, and offers the best strategic guidance I could ever ask for.
Because date nights are more rare, I find our conversations are deeper and it becomes a bit of a highlight in the week, which takes you back to the early dating days!
7. Repetition of affirmations focus the mind on the right action.
I never really got into affirmations, mantras and visualisation until this year. I was on a plane to Cabo reading and the author was describing a ritual of reciting mantras.
It was an interesting passage on identity formation, visualisation and growing into a new person and business. His practice was having 5-7 personal and professional mantras he recited every morning whilst he brushed his teeth.
It was a long flight and I was alone, so figured why not give it a go. I wrote a list of 5-7 things - all tangible and specific - I wanted to accomplish in 3 years. From the next day, during either a walk or one of my runs, I’d just repeat it like a meditation, going through it 2-3 times.
For example, one of them was “I run a sub 100 minute half marathon and a sub 20 minute 5K”. I’d picture it happening, visualise the finish line, imagine the feeling of the race, and so on.
After about 6-7 weeks of doing this, I realised a shift. I started acting more and more like it’d already happened, because I was always saying it in the present tense, and I was backing up the affirmation with action in the day.
A few days ago I stumbled upon a Mohammed Ali quote: It's the repetition of affirmations that leads to belief. And once that belief becomes a deep conviction, things begin to happen.
It all kinda clicked, and it’s stayed as a practice. Since achieving the running goals I had in mind, I’ve updated it to “I run a sub 3 hour marathon”, which I’m targeting in December 2025.
The reason I think it works is because it focuses the mind to what actually matters to you in life. Distractions only get bigger as you get older, and options are everywhere. When you knuckle down on what you want, the hardest thing is staying focused for long enough to see it through.
The magic doesn’t happen repeating affirmations. The magic is in using them to focus the mind to do the right work after.
8. Don’t use “being an ideas guy” as an excuse: double down and focus on what’s in front of you.
For years I’ve always used “I’m an ideas guy” as an excuse for trying something new. I’d spend hours in the journal coming up with ideas, new opportunities, and all the things we “should be doing”. In July I remember being in a room full of entrepreneurs running decent sized operations. Every person I spoke to was doing one thing really really well. Whenever I’d ask about this channel, or that strategy, or this opportunity, they’d just sort of shrug their shoulders. I paid good money to be in the room, and my biggest takeaway was observing what people were not doing.
Something clicked on the way home. I archived the “experiments” sheet I was constantly updating and realised: we just need to double down and get really really really good at this one thing we’ve already nailed (helping busy professionals get in shape, and stay in shape).The focus has been liberating as I used to drive myself crazy about all the things we could be doing, or what we’ll be doing in 2030, and forget that if we just nail 2024, everything will change anyway.
This prompted re-reading a book called “12 Week Year”, where it talks about throwing out “annualised thinking” and shifting more into what the focus is in the next 90 days.
9. You get what you incentivise.
When I started recruiting coaches for RNT back in 2017, I wanted to take away the part of the job they hated the most: marketing and sales.
No worry about marketing themselves on social media, or up at night worrying about sales, or if their business will survive.
I’ve met very few trainers who actually enjoy the boring bits of business they never signed up for. They just want to perfect their craft and do a great job. The problem is, most are more focused on the results on their reels, than the results of their clients.
One thing I’ve learnt this year is the more heavily you can tie the financial incentives of the team to the results of the members, the better the results. It becomes win-win-win for everyone involved: members, team and the business.
The biggest challenge running a business like RNT is the people factor, because so much of the product is driven by people. We’re not an AI algorithm app, so people always add complexity. Equally, it’s the people that drive the accountability and harsh truths required for a jaw-dropping transformation. We don’t work with robots, or self-motivated fitness freaks. We work with everyday people juggling all the challenges in life, so it requires more than what an app could ever provide.
I suspect this is why there are so few online coaching companies who 1) stay in the game and/or 2) grow past a 1 man band.
With few to really look towards in the industry, this year I started observing consultancy firms, where it’s a similar challenge. But they’ve cracked it consistently, and incentive structures are just one piece of the puzzle. The rest is in culture, recruitment, training and accountability systems, and then career progression, in whatever form that looks like for the individual.
We’ve put a lot of focus on this internally, and it’s exciting to see we’re going into 2025 with the best team I’ve yet to be a part of.On a side note - this is why the whole AI craze doesn’t concern me. I think there will be great products for the highly motivated fitness lover. In fact, for 3 months I used an AI running app with solid results.
It’s all about the value proposition. If you’re after “something to follow” and a general training plan, I think it works great. But if it’s accountability, support, community and a more personalised journey with outstanding results, you need world class people.
10. Don’t delay gratification and book the trip of a lifetime.
I was speaking with a successful friend of mine a few weeks ago and he said something interesting.
“Yeah so I’m pushing as hard as I can with this business till I hit 40, then I’m going to do what you’re doing; find a partner, travel the world, and kinda just live life.”
I was pretty blunt back and said “but why can’t you just do that now? You told me this 3 years ago, now you’re kicking it down the road another 3.”
He didn’t really have an answer outside of making enough money to provide for his kids’ kids, which I didn’t really buy into.
For years I had this idea of wanting to go abroad for a long period of time. I kinda missed this experience in my 20s, as I was just working all hours as in an-person trainer, so it was a bit of a bucket list item.
So in 2023 I floated the idea to Chandni for us to spend the first 3 months living abroad with Sia, who’d only be 8 months at the time.
She didn’t need much convincing as a seasoned traveller, so we packed our bags and went.
As I get older, the more I think about not wanting any regrets. No “what ifs”. No “I’ll wait for this to happen before I do it…” And certainly no “If only I could change this…”
A big skill I’ve worked on in the past few years is to eliminate rumination of the past. If I was 2/10 at this skill before, I’d say I’m definitely at 6/10 now, with progress to be made.
Part of what’s helped is developing the awareness muscle of catching it early on, so I’m not deep in rabbit holes before I snap out of it.
And part of it is thinking more and more, “what if this were the paradise we were promised?”
It’s thoughts like this that trigger me to jump at an experience if it’s something I’m interested in.
Like the 3 month trip away, where we lived in Dubai, Mumbai, Singapore and Thailand.Or more recently, when I booked flights to the “Home Of Running Champions” in Iten, Kenya. In January I’ll be attending a “Coaching The Coaches” course where I’ll be learning how to train beginners up to Elite athletes. I’ve got no goals to be a running coach, but I’m fascinated by the science, theory and application of all things programme design for the sport.
And I figured I may or may not be interested in it in 5 years time, so why not jump at the chance now and soak it up.
It feeds into my ethos of going all in on a new experience or skill to learn everything you can about it to then reach your own conclusions. I did this with Muay Thai in January 2023, where I spent two weeks training in Thailand before my first fight, and it was one of the best trips of my life.
With how I feel about running now, the idea of running with the Kenyans before I start prep for my first marathon is very exciting!
2024 continues to teach me how many games you can play in life; the key is to know which ones you want to play, what success looks like and to know when you’re out of alignment playing someone else’s.
11. You can have it all, but it’s going to be hard.
My 3 priorities in life are my business, my training, and my immediate family. Everything else ends up falling to the wayside.
However, where the challenge lies is in the battle of top spot. There can only ever be one, and I’ve found when one is dominating the top spot, the other two are either on maintenance, or accepting less of a gain.
For years I thought this was the only way, and for massive jumps in progress, it probably is.
In the final quarter of 2024, I asked myself what it’d be like to have it all. To try to live each of the 3 to the maximum within the same day, at equal importance.
With my training volume getting higher, Sia growing faster and faster, and our work at RNT growing in impact, I don’t want to miss any of it. Or put any on the backburner.So back to the headline question…
“Is it possible to be a part time athlete whilst being a full time CEO and parent?”
A few months in, and my conclusion so far is it’s possible, but hard. I’ll share why in the next lesson, but before I do, let me break down where my thought process is as of now.
A focusing question I’ve enjoyed using is: “If I could only work for 2 hours a week, what would I do?”
I then use variations of this for each of the 3 areas so I can organise better, cut waste and maximise time spent in each bucket:
Dad/Husband Time
CEO Time
Athlete Time
What comes out the other side is precise goals and activities to drive it forward, along with the “minimum” buckets of time for each. Having buckets like this also allows me to switch identities and “hats”, so I’m not blurring the lines and losing presence in any.
I’ve also found I have to strip each area down to the bare bones else it becomes too generic. Everyone will say family, health and work are most important to them, but I think it’s wishy washy. You gotta dial it in further as to what part within each area is actually important.
It can’t be “I want to be an active dad”. It needs to be “I want to do bathtime, breakfast, dinner every day and specific classes in the week.”
It can’t be “I want to grow my business”. It needs to be one focused, tangible goal to work on each week or month.
It can’t be “I want to improve my health”. It needs to be “I will lose 15kg in 2025 then figure out how to stay within 2-3kg of my leanest weight”
I like to think of this as the “goal within the goal”. This approach does mean I have to perfect my desires and goals before acting, else the lack of focus will mean nothing will happen.
It also comes with an acceptance that anything outside of the 3 precise areas will either need to be delegated or left to do its thing.
Above all, I know this isn’t really a challenge, it’s a choice based on how I want to live my life. There’s no need to train 7-8 hours a week outside of my curiosity to see what’s possible!
12. Unstructured “me time” with no goal is the only way to balance the books.
I used to think training was my “me time”. The reality is it’s too focused, intense and structured to be genuine down time. A few years ago when my bodybuilding ambitions were dwindling, it felt like an hour in the gym to chill out. Now, with a marathon on the cards, and my newfound obsession with the sport of running, it’s a calculated hour or two of trying to get better. Whenever I raise the stakes on my training - whether a photoshoot, fight or race from recent years, I always forget one thing: I need to balance the books somewhere in the day or week.
The only way I’ve found that works is unstructured time to just think and relax. No pre-planned agenda. This is usually sitting on my armchair in the early hours with a coffee to either read a book or sit in the journal reflecting or being creative.
The key is it’s got to be an unstructured block of time with no goals. Any time I let this practice slip, I start feeling like the walls are closing in, and I don’t have enough space in the day.
This realisation sprung on me when I went from running 3 days to 4 days. Time doesn’t come out of thin air, so adding another session means usually pulling from my own time. Balancing the books by being more efficient in my day and moving my sleeping hours forward to get up before Sia has been the only way to do it.
What’s next in 2025?
As the year draws to a close, I’ve been thinking more about what I’ll call the chapter of 2025 coming up.
What keeps ringing in my head is the Year Of The Athlete. Continuing on from the final few lessons, I’m intrigued to know what it feels like to live like a (part time) athlete for a prolonged period of time. And to see if I can crack the code for myself.
With a trip to Kenya on the cards, a coach in my corner, and an ambitious target to run a sub 3 hour marathon in December 2025, the stage is set.
At the same time, I’m excited to see where RNT Fitness is in a year’s time, and to find out what these Terrible Two’s are all about!
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