The Billionaire Workout: Pickens & Turner Get Moving
Self-made captains of industry are a lot like you and me. They lead incredibly busy lives, but still find time to get moving and squeeze in a workout.
Thursday night, I had the pleasure of attending a fundraiser for the Park Cities Quail organization, which honored Ted Turner with the 2012 T. Boone Pickens Lifetime Sportsman Award. During a conversation with the two avid sportsman, I got the biggest kick when they both answered the question: "What's a typical day like for you?"
Both men start their days with exercise.
Boone's personal trainer arrives at 6:30 a.m. most days. On Thursday, he did ball squats wearing a 75-pound weighted vest, doing a set of 20, 15 and then 25. Boone has told me in the past that he's never had a cup of coffee in his life.
Ted begins his day early as well. He starts with 30 minutes of yoga, 15 minutes of weightlifting, followed by 15 minutes on the treadmill. Ted is also a healthy, moderate eater. He donated the bison we had that evening, which was incredibly lean.
Both of these men have incredibly full days. Ted was off to Argentina after the event, which was still going strong when I left at 9:40 p.m. I was lucky enough to spend an evening with Boone attending an Oklahoma State/Texas A&M football game a few seasons, and was so impressed at how much he packed into a day.
The takeaway here is that there is usually an excuse to skip a workout or not eat well. We're always too busy to get to the gym or don't have enough time to prepare something healthy. The key is to make time for it. The busiest men in the world are just like the rest of us. Sure, they may have a few more individuals working with them to get things done, but they have to find time do the work. Just the like you and me.
