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Balancing the Grind With Eric Bach, Strength & Conditioning Coach & Fitness Blogger

Eric Bach is a strength & conditioning coach and fitness blogger, based in Denver, Colorado.

His work has been featured in publications like CNN, LifeHacker, T-Nation, AskMen, Bodybuilding.com, Roman Fitness Systems, Huffington Post.

Balance the Grind spoke to Eric about launching his fitness business, exercising and cooking as a way to recharge, working with clients and plenty more.

This conversation is brought to you by Teachable, a powerful yet simple all-in-one platform to create and sell beautiful online courses.

1) To kick things off, could you tell us a little about your background and career?

I dove into fitness to get bigger and stronger for football. As a youngin, I was 103 pounds soaking wet and the last kid to grow. Sick of being the little guy, I dedicated myself to the gym and fell in love with the process.

Once my body caught up, I had the work ethic, passion, and working knowledge base to jump into coaching.

I was fortunate to learn fitness improves much more than your body, it improves your mind, habits, and discipline, all of which spill into other areas of your life.

More specific to my journey, I’ve worked as a collegiate strength coach, in the private sports performance sector with top athletes.

I learned to apply the lessons and principles of high performers in sports to help busy professionals optimize performance and look great naked without living in the gym.

Today, Bach Performance is entirely online, allowing us to provide expert coaching to men and women from New York to Sydney on their schedule and at a fraction of the price of in-person training.

2) What is your current role, and what does it entail on a day to day basis?

I’m the founder of both Bach Performance, our fitness platform, and Bach Business coaching, our business development program for fitness professionals.

My role ranges from the head of sales and marketing to in the trenches coaching with some of our clients.

3) What does a typical day in the life look like for you? Can you take us through a recent workday?

My day starts with creative work and some self-care. As long as I create something each day, I know I’m moving the business forward.

5:30 AM: I fire up the coffee maker and take my Sunny, my two-year-old golden retriever out for a walk. I’ll read until 6 or 6:30 while drinking my coffee.

6:00 AM-7:30/8:00 AM: Writing and content creation. This could be anything from articles to sales materials or social media posts.

8:00 AM-8:45 AM: Film video content/ publish social media posts of the day.

9:00 AM-10:00 AM: Another longer walk or weight training.

10:00 AM: Shower, dress like an adult, check email, and jump headfirst into my day.

11:00 AM-5 PM: My tasks vary wildly, from sales and marketing meetings to coaching calls or working on more significant projects.

5:00 PM-6:00 PM: Check email, social media interactions to cap off the day. To finish off this period, I recap the day and spend 15-20 minutes planning for tomorrow.

Having a clear-cut plan when I rise allows me to attach each morning with a clear strategy and focus.

6-7:30 PM: Cook dinner, unwind with my wife or go out for dinner.

7:30 PM-8:30 PM: If I’m particularly slammed, I’ll throw in another 60 minutes of work. If not, I’ll do something around the house, unwind with a walk (weather permitting), or kick back and read or watch TV.

10:00am-10:30 PM: Lights out.

4) Do you have any tips, tricks, or shortcuts to help you prioritize your workload?

Two daily tasks:

1) Do the most important thing first. For many of my clients, this means snagging a workout before the chaos of the day takes control.

For me, it’s creative work. As long as I’m creating, I’m moving the needle forward by providing value to our audience.

2) Spend 15 minutes at the end of your workday planning tomorrow. By having a clear-cut plan for tomorrow, you can focus on what matters, eliminate the minutia, and save yourself from becoming scatterbrained and overwhelmed.

5) In between your job, life and all your other responsibilities, how do you ensure you find some balance in your life?

I struggled with this for years. The truth is, seeking a perfect balance often leads to frustrating and an endless search for happiness.

Accomplishing anything significant in life, whether it’s having an incredible body, marriage or business requires you to spend more time on it.

Understanding this has helped me take more moments throughout the day to enjoy the process, be present, and be thankful I have the mindset, motivation, and opportunity to push myself.

6) What are some of the things you do to take time out and recharge?

Exercise and cooking. Exercise gives you more than it takes away. The healthier your mind and body, the more productive your other hours become.

Beyond training, I enjoy cooking for my wife and I. I’m able to slow down, forced to be present in what I’m doing, and enjoy a good meal most days.

7) What do you think are some of the best habits you’ve developed over the years to help you strive for success and balance?

The best habit has been waking up early to do my most important task first in the day. As long as I nail my morning, the rest of my day falls into line. Without it, my days crumble into chaos.

8) Are there any books you’ve read that have helped you with work-life balance?

Here are my top recommendations:

9) What is the number one thing you do to make sure you get the most out of your day?

Planning for tomorrow the night before. Much of what I do stems from knowing exactly what I have to be doing during the first few hours of my day.

A few minutes of planning at the end of my day saves hours from switching tasks and twiddling my thumbs while wondering,  “what do I need to be doing?”

As the saying goes, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” Prevention stems from preparation and focus, particularly in the morning when willpower is highest and distractions are relatively minimal.

About Author

Hey there! I'm Hao, the Editor-in-Chief at Balance the Grind. We’re on a mission to showcase healthy work-life balance through interesting stories from people all over the world, in different careers and lifestyles.