What is executive health coaching, and how is it different from personal training?

I'm a coach, not a doctor. This article is general information, not medical advice. Talk to your doctor about your own health.

What is executive health coaching?

Executive health coaching makes more sense when you take the name apart.

"Executive" is about who it's for. My clients carry a lot of responsibility and have very little spare time. They're founders, partners, doctors, producers, and leaders. You don't need the title. You need a full calendar and a real desire to feel better.

"Health" is about what we work on, and that goes past the gym. Sleep, stress, energy, and your blood numbers all affect how you train and eat, so they're part of the plan too. When a plan falls apart, the cause is usually somewhere outside the workout.

"Coaching" is about how we work together. Motivational interviewing, one of the methods I use, calls it guiding. I don't pick where you're going, but I don't sit back either. You bring the reasons, and I keep us moving toward a decision.

How is executive health coaching different from personal training?

A trainer usually works with you during a session. That's an hour or so, a few times a week. The rest of your week is where progress is won or lost, and that part is yours to figure out alone.

Here's where the difference shows. Tell a trainer you keep skipping morning workouts, and he'll usually move your session or remind you why it matters. A coach gets curious instead:

"I keep skipping my morning workouts. Work's been crazy."

"And you still brought it up."

"Because I'm shorter with my team when I skip."

"So it changes how you lead that day. What would protect two mornings this week?"

"Blocking 6:30 like a meeting."

"Which two days?"

He gave the reason and chose the plan. I kept us moving toward a decision, and the next week I asked how those two mornings went.

Many of the people I coach had a trainer before and stalled. The workouts weren't the problem. Monday through Thursday was. If you want the longer version of that story, I wrote about why disciplined people still skip the gym.

How does executive health coaching work in a session?

Most sessions start with one question: "What went well since I last saw you?" It tells me what's already working, and it starts us from what you can do instead of what you missed.

Then you set the agenda. Some weeks it's your training plan. Some weeks it's that you haven't slept well since the board meeting moved. The plan still matters. It just isn't always the thing in the way.

Most people who hire me are of two minds about change. Part of you wants to drop the weight and feel sharp again. Part of you likes the drink at the end of a long day, and that part has its reasons. If I push hard on the first part, you'll start defending the second. Anyone would. So I ask instead. What would change if you got this right? What has worked for you before?

I still have plenty of opinions about training and food. I ask before I give them: "Want my take on that, or do you have it handled?" A lot of the time you come up with a better answer than I would have, because you know your week.

Why does a health coach ask so many questions?

Because the answer you find on your own is the one you keep. If I tell you what's going on, it's a smart comment you'll forget by Friday. If you say it, it sticks.

I'm also trained in Co-Active coaching, which looks at two layers. One is what you do, like the workouts and the protein. The other is who you are being while you do it. A lot of executives are great in a crisis and lost in the quiet middle. They can push hard for a 30-day sprint, then drift the moment nothing is on fire. Another workout plan won't fix that. The real work is becoming someone who keeps a promise to himself on a quiet Tuesday.

So each session ends with one commitment you choose. It's small on purpose. A 15-minute walk on a day with no deadline beats a big plan you drop by Thursday. We agree on what it is and when it happens. Then I ask how you want me to hold you to it.

The next week I ask two things. Did it happen? And what was that like? The first answer is logistics. The second is where the coaching lives. If it didn't happen, there's no lecture. We look at what you told yourself right before you skipped it. That story is usually worth more than the workout would have been.

What does an executive health coach do each week?

With my online clients, it starts with a weekly video call of 30 to 40 minutes. We look at how training, food, and sleep went, and we plan the week ahead, including the trip, the dinner, and the deadline you already know about.

Before a hard week I might ask, "On a scale of 0 to 10, how sure are you that you'll get both workouts in?" If you say 6, I'll ask why it's a 6 and not a 3. What you say next is usually the plan.

I write your training program for the gym you can really get to, even a hotel gym, and I update it every month. I also coach food and sleep around the way you live. Between calls you can text me or send a Voxer message, and I usually reply within a few hours on weekdays. My messages are short, usually one question and sometimes none. After a rough weekend you won't get a pep talk. You'll get something like, "What do you want the next few days to look like?"

Once a month we sit down for a progress review. We look at your weight trend, your waist, your lifts, and how you feel. If something isn't moving, we change the plan, not the goal.

Where does bloodwork fit in executive health coaching?

Bloodwork is where a lot of the value is. You can bring recent labs from your own doctor, or I can set up a panel for you. We go through the results together, and they shape how hard we push and what we work on first.

Your doctor stays in charge. I don't diagnose anything, and I don't change medication. If a result needs medical attention, I tell you and send you back to your physician. Lab fees are separate. For a plain-English look at the numbers, read what your bloodwork can tell you about your fitness.

For some people, steady training, better food, and better sleep can move these numbers. Not everyone responds the same way. One client, Aaron, saw his LDL cholesterol drop 26 points in four months while he lost 26 pounds. You can read his story and others on the client results page.

Who is executive health coaching for?

It fits you if your calendar is packed, you travel, and you've already tried trainers or apps. You probably don't need more information. You need someone who knows your life and keeps you honest when it gets busy.

It also works if you don't live in Los Angeles. Online executive health coaching runs the same way as my in-person work. The only difference is that I'm not in the room when you train. It costs $1,200 a month with a 3-month minimum.

It's not a fit if you want the lowest price per session, or if you want medical treatment. A coach can't give you that, and I'll tell you so on the first call.

What does working together look like?

In Los Angeles, we start with a session in person. If you're training online, we start with a free 30-minute call. We talk about your goals, your schedule, and your last set of labs if you have them. If it isn't a good fit, I'll say so.

Every program has a 3-month minimum. Real change doesn't happen in a few weeks, and the first month is mostly about learning how your life works. You can see the full process on the how it works page.

Where to go next

If this sounds like the help you've been missing, read more about how I work as an executive fitness coach in Los Angeles.