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Chris Giordano, DLA Piper, New York

Giordano is the chairman of the firm's New York corporate department and focuses his practice on mergers and acquisitions, securities law, and corporate governance.

How often during the week do you work out? I work out seven days a week.

At what time during the day or evening do you work out? In the mornings, typically no later than 6:30 regardless of the day. I usually have a busy schedule and getting my workout done early in the day is second-nature.

Chris Giordano

What's your go-to routine? On weekdays, I'll get in a five-mile run or a weight session at the gym. Running is super-efficient and provides the most bang for your buck. On weekends, I'm likely to do a two- to four-hour bike ride each day, either on my road or mountain bike.

How long does it take? My weekday workouts are about an hour.

Why do you like this routine? Running provides the best "value" for the time I have – I don't have three hours to ride my bike before work, so I want to make sure to get a very streamlined workout in. Weights are also an integral part of my fitness routine, especially as I age because maintaining muscle mass and tone is increasingly important.

What does regular exercise do for you? Exercise is crucial to my mental and physical well-being. It keeps my head clear and my thinking positive, which makes me a better lawyer. And, it allows me to maintain a very lean body while indulging in my favorite foods on cheat days.

How long have you been exercising regularly? At this point, it feels like forever, but it's actually been since I graduated law school—so 25 years.

In what ways have you changed your routine over the months or years? I used to be very competitive at Ironman triathlon which, at times, required 20 to 30 hours of training per week. In those days, I was getting up at 3:30 am to ride my bike for three hours before I came to the office. As both my kids and my practice grew, that time commitment became too much, so about six years ago I "retired" from racing and scaled it back to between 7 to 12 hours per week. Obviously, that's much more manageable!

How do you get to convince yourself to work out when you don't want to? Training and workouts have been part of my routine and lifestyle for so long that there's never been an "I don't feel like it" feeling. Unless I'm sick, I pretty much train every day.