When work gets demanding, training can become something that shifts down the priority order. You miss a session, shorten another and wonder whether you’re doing enough to make it worthwhile.
Someone who knows all about this is Hollywood director Will Gluck and his Coach, OneCoach’s head of Coaching, Matt Duncan, who has to plan Will’s training around international travel, night shoots and ever-changing work hours.
Matt’s approach with Will shows how staying consistent doesn’t have to mean following the same routine every week. It means having an approach that can adapt when your circumstances change.
We’ve broken down this approach into 5 ways to stay consistent with your training, even with a demanding schedule.
1. Know whether your schedule is busy or unpredictable
A packed calendar and an unpredictable calendar create different challenges.
Matt describes working with a businessman who had just 20 minutes available, three times a week. His time was limited, but those windows gave them something reliable to plan around.
Will’s schedule can change much more. Some weeks, he has access to his home gym and time to train. During filming or travel, his hours and equipment may look completely different.
Start by identifying your actual constraint. If you have predictable windows, build your training around them. If your availability keeps changing, plan for flexibility from the beginning.
2. Have alternatives ready before you need them
If your programme requires an hour and a fully equipped gym, what happens when you have neither?
Without an alternative, it’s easy to skip the session and wait for a better week.
In Matt’s coaching with Will, planning ahead includes discussing where he’ll be, how long he’ll stay and what equipment he’ll have available. That gives them options before the usual routine gets disrupted.
Your plan could include:
- Your usual programme when time and equipment are available.
- A shorter session for days with a smaller window.
- A travel option using available equipment, such as resistance bands.
These sessions won’t necessarily deliver the same training outcome. Their purpose is to give you a useful option when your normal programme isn’t practical.
3. Know when maintaining is a worthwhile goal
When you’re used to achieving, maintaining can feel like standing still.
But you don’t have to make progress in every area of your life at the same time.
Matt encourages clients to recognise periods when work will take more of their time and energy, then adjust their training expectations accordingly. During a major project, maintaining a manageable routine may be a more useful goal than chasing your next personal best.
Decide what success looks like for the period you’re entering. It might mean shorter sessions, fewer training days, or temporarily putting a specific goal on hold.
When your circumstances change, you can reassess what you’re ready to commit.
4. Train with the rest of your day in mind
Will dislikes working out, but he values how he feels afterwards, particularly when he trains before going to work.
During demanding periods, that response helps guide Matt’s approach. The aim is to get something useful from the session while leaving Will able to meet the demands of his day.
It’s worth asking what you want your training to do for you right now. Are you pursuing a particular performance goal? Maintaining your routine through a difficult month? Looking for movement that helps you feel ready for the day?
Your answer can help you and your coach decide what belongs in the programme. How exhausted you feel afterwards doesn’t tell the whole story.
5. Plan the week you actually have
Before the week begins, look at your calendar and identify realistic training windows. Account for travel, changing hours and the equipment you’ll have access to.
Book those sessions as you would another appointment, including shorter sessions where appropriate.
Then keep reviewing. If the plan repeatedly doesn’t fit, use that information to adjust it. A coach can help you work through what needs to change, provided you’re honest about your workload and what you can commit.
As Matt explains, a programme that someone cannot realistically follow isn’t the perfect programme for them.
Listen to the Full Episode
You can hear more about Will’s experience of training, coaching and work-life balance in his conversation with Matt and Ariel on Raise the Bar,
Find it on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube.
TL;DR
(Too long, didn’t read)
- Identify whether your main challenge is limited time or unpredictable availability.
- Prepare shorter sessions and travel options before your routine changes.
- Let maintaining be a deliberate goal during demanding periods.
- Consider what you need from training alongside the rest of your day.
- Plan around your actual calendar and adjust when the approach stops fitting.
Now, it's your turn.
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