A 48-Year-Old CEO Shares the Exact Morning Routine and Training Regimen He Swears by to Stay Shredded and Mentally Sharp
CEOs are famously busy—you know, running entire companies and all—so it might surprise you that many still make time for exercise. One study found that 76 percent of successful business leaders exercise daily, while another survey revealed that 485 of 500 Fortune 500 CEOs work out at least five times a week. Justin Nedelman, 48, CEO of Pressed Juicery and co-founder of Eureka! Restaurant Group is no exception to that rule.
Nedelman is a bit of an endurance junkie. He naturally wakes up at 4:15 a.m. to train, recently completed a 35K ultra with 4,000 feet of elevation, and has tackled everything from Alaska’s ice caves to Amazonian treks. For him, these challenges aren’t about medals, but rather about sharpening decision-making under pressure.
"I’m drawn to endurance because it’s one of the purest ways to test myself," he told Men's Journal. "I constantly evolve my training to avoid comfort and to keep exposing my mind and body to stress tests. I moved from road running and mountain biking to long-distance trail running because trail strips everything down. It’s efficient, raw, and honest. There’s nowhere to hide.
c/o Justin Nedelman
Ultra Trail Running
If a standard 26.2-mile marathon seems long, wait until you hear about ultras. Ultra running is labeled as any footrace beyond the traditional marathon distance, and it's quickly become Nedelman’s passion. But chasing podium placements and crazy fast times isn't what keeps him coming back to it.
"Ultra trail running is deeply personal," he explains. "Every trail, every climb, every mile is different. After a few miles, you’re often alone—with your thoughts, your doubts, and your resolve. That’s where the real work happens. Running in the mountains is euphoric because you earn every step."
Ultimately, he craves being in nature and embracing the inevitable suffering that comes with endurance sports. After all, on the other side of suffering lies clarity, which is where you find out who you really are.
Early Morning Training
A 4:15 a.m. wake-up call isn’t for the faint of heart, but for Nedelman, mornings are where he builds the foundation for everything else. It’s about ownership above all else. Before the world makes any demands of him—as a CEO, a dad, a husband—he’s already done something hard and fulfilled a promise to himself. Small wins add up, and this creates a positive domino effect that shapes how he carries himself through the rest of the day.
"Over time, you realize you don’t want the late nights, the empty distractions, or the habits that weaken you. You’d rather earn your mornings," Nedelman says. "There’s something powerful about sitting in silence before sunrise. Coffee in hand. No noise. No chaos. Just preparation. It reminds you that your life is your responsibility. The morning is mine. And how I win the morning determines how I live the day."
c/o Justin Nedelman
Endurance and Leadership
Endurance sports have taught Nedelman a lot about serving as a strong leader.
"Leadership starts with going first," he says. "You don’t wait for motivation. You become the example. You set the pace. You keep moving forward when it would be easier to stop."
Endurance also removes excuses. It teaches that pain is temporary, but quitting—if you let it—becomes part of your identity. You discover you’re always capable of achieving far more than you think, and that everyone else is fighting their own battles, too.
"When you’ve run 20 miles in the rain at 5 a.m., you stop seeing business challenges as exceptional. They’re just another form of resistance. The obstacle isn’t personal. It’s just part of the path," Nedelman adds.
Perhaps most importantly, endurance reinforces the value of consistency over intensity. Anyone can be intense for a day, but very few can stay consistent for years. Leadership is the same. It’s not about one heroic moment; it’s about disciplined execution, over and over, especially when nobody is watching.
How He Stays Consistent
The standard question for any busy CEO: How do you stay balanced? Bluntly, Nedelman calls out balance as a myth, commenting on how he only sees priorities and trade-offs. His priorities include family, leadership responsibilities at work, and his physical and mental fitness. Everything from his sleep schedule to his morning routine and training plan is designed around those priorities.
"Fitness isn’t separate from my life, it’s built into it, he says. "If I travel, I plan around it. Hotel selection, flight times, proximity to a gym, a trail, or a pool—it’s all intentional. When I take vacations, movement is part of the experience. Because fitness isn’t something I do, it’s part of who I am."
Some seasons of life are busier than others, and that's when he'll adapt accordingly. Rather than long endurance training sessions, he shifts to shorter spurts of work like sprints, rucking, and high-intensity, very efficient workouts. Give yourself grace, but never allow excuses.
"I’ve chosen sunrise runs over late-night drinks more times than I can count. Not because it’s easy, but because it aligns with the person I want to be. Every day, you’re either reinforcing that identity—or weakening it. I choose to reinforce it," he adds.
Related: Josh Peck Shares How He Kept Off Major Weight Loss for Years (Exclusive)