This Local CEO Rides His Peloton and Does 100 Push-Ups and Sit-Ups Every Day

Marc Brownstein of Philly-based marketing communications agency Brownstein group, exercises every day, meaning foam-rolling is a must! / Photograph courtesy of Marc Brownstein.

Welcome to Sweat Diaries, Be Well Philly’s look at the time, energy, and money people invest in pursuit of a healthy lifestyle in Philly. For each Sweat Diary, we ask one area resident to spend a week tracking everything they eat, all the exercise they get, and the money they spend on both. Want to submit a Sweat Diary? Email lbrzyski@phillymag.com.

Who I am: Marc Brownstein (@mab215), 59

Where I live: Gladwyne

What I do: I am the CEO and President of Brownstein Group, an independent marketing communications agency in the city. We have been rooted in Philadelphia since the creative revolution of the 1960s. Our clients range from local cultural icons like Yards and Wawa to international brands like Saint-Gobain North America and DuPont.

What role healthy living plays in my life: Healthy living is fundamental to me. With all the stress in my industry, exercise and good eating allow me to function at a high-level. This wipes away my stress and gives me energy each day.

Health memberships (and what they cost):

• Zarett Rehab and Fitness — $125 per hour
• X-Force Philadelphia — $80 per session

This week’s grocery haul: $75

Monday

For dinner Monday night, Brownstein enjoys barbeque chicken and creamed spinach from The Gladwyne Market. / Photograph by Marc Brownstein.

6 a.m. — Time to wake up!

6:30 a.m. — I do some stretches to warm up my muscles and jump on my Peloton bike for a 30-minute ride.

7 a.m. — For breakfast today, I’m eating some overnight oats. They’re an easy, quick meal, as long as you don’t forget to prep them the night before.

8 a.m. — About to head out to start my trek into the city. I-76 is always a crapshoot, so here we go.

10 a.m. — Client meeting in Center City, a mile from my office. I decided to walk so I could get my steps in!

12:30 p.m. — Meeting went well. Now it’s time for lunch at The Palm with another client. I get the grilled red snapper with grilled vegetables ($35).

1:30 p.m. through 5:30 p.m. — I attended a series of meetings in the office and returned to my desk to work after. Between standing at the meetings and my stand-up desk, I’ve had lots of vertical time this afternoon!

6:30 p.m. — Home for the evening. Not too bad for a Monday!

7 p.m. — Dinner at home with my wife. We’re eating tomato soup from Whole Foods, plus barbecue chicken and creamed spinach from The Gladwyne Market. We picked up everything yesterday in our grocery haul. Pretty darn good meal!

8 p.m. — Watching some TV for the evening, while working on some projects on my laptop.

10 p.m. — Time for my daily push-ups and sit-ups. I do 100 of each exercise every night before bed to strengthen my upper body and core. It’s something I’ve been doing since I was 13!

11:30 p.m. — Goodnight!

Daily total: $35

Tuesday

To avoid being sedentary while at the office, Brownstein works at his trusty standing desk. / Photograph by Marc Brownstein.

6 a.m. — Good morning!

6:30 a.m. — Time for my workout at Zarett Rehab and Fitness. Today is a 60-minute guided circuit, focusing on upper body. ($125)

8 a.m. — Breakfast at Parc with a client. I order the scrambled eggs, home fries, and a coffee ($21).

9:30 a.m. — Now to head to my office, which is located at Broad and Walnut. I walk since I am always thinking about how I can move my body in various ways throughout the day.

10 a.m. — Check some emails and get ready for another client meeting in my office.

11 a.m. — Client presentation in the office.

12:30 p.m. — We are working through lunch, but ordered delicious sandwiches from Middle Child. You can’t go wrong with the turkey Reuben! ($12.75)

1 p.m. — Time to continue my jam-packed afternoons of meetings and calls.

6 p.m. — Tonight, I’m grabbing cocktails and dinner at Vernick Fish with a large group of my business peers at various companies throughout the region. The selection is expansive and amazing, but I decide on oysters, seared swordfish and braised artichokes ($60).

9:30 p.m. — Home for the evening. Time to unwind and relax a bit before bed.

11 p.m. — Cue daily push-ups and sit-ups.

11:45 p.m. — Lights out.

Daily total: $218.75

Wednesday

For lunch on Wednesday, Brownstein warms up with gumbo from Oyster House. / Photograph by Marc Brownstein.

6 a.m. — Up and at ’em!

6:15 a.m. — Time to stretch with foam rollers. For some reason, I want to do my 100 push-ups and sit-ups this morning, so I’ll get them in now instead of before bed.

7:15 a.m. — Breakfast on the go today: Greek yogurt in the car, along with a Perfect protein bar. The 1-76 Breakfast Special!

8 a.m. — Two cups of coffee in my office while leading a strategic planning session with fellow CEOs.

11 a.m. — I head to a physical therapy session around the corner from my office. I need to get all body parts working at their top levels!

12:30 p.m. — Lunch at Oyster House with my father and coworker, Berny Brownstein. It was ‘Gumbo Wednesday’ and Oyster House never disappoints! ($21)

2 p.m. — Back at the office and standing at my desk while I work on the computer.

3:30 p.m. — Every week I like to walk around the halls of the agency to see what each department is working on and catch up on the lives of our employees.

5:45 p.m. — Time to head home for the evening.

6:30 p.m. — Dinner with my wife. We’ve got crab cakes, soup, and coleslaw from Di Bruno Bros. I also have some Oatly ice cream, which is a new brand of ice cream made with oatmilk.

8:30 p.m. — Ready to rock this 45-minute Peloton ride with one of the most awesome Peloton trainers, Ally Love.

9:45 p.m. — Read The Wall Street Journal.

11:30 p.m. — Bedtime!

Daily total: $21

Thursday

Brownstein still eats nutritious meals while dining out, like this packed veggie omelette with a side of fruit at Up-Ryes in Bryn Mawr. / Photograph by Marc Brownstein.

6 a.m. — And the alarm goes off.

6:15 a.m. — Stretch to start my day, plus do some foam roller exercises at home before starting my work day.

8 a.m. — Client breakfast at Up-Ryes in Bryn Mawr. I have a veggie omelet with fruit and coffee ($15).

10 a.m. — In the office for the day. I’ve got some meetings, including one with BG’s CFO and another with our accounting firm.

12:30 p.m. — Lunch at Estia, and am enjoying the sliced sashimi tuna salad and hummus with pita ($24).

2 p.m. — I’m participating in a board meeting for The Satell Institute, a Philly-based organization focused on getting more companies to invest in nonprofits.

4:30 p.m. — Done work for the day, and now it’s time to train at X-Force Philadelphia. It’s the hardest 30 minutes of my week! ($80)

5:15 p.m. — Heading home!

7 p.m. — My wife and I head to dinner at Enoteca Tredici in Bryn Mawr. I get the salad with sliced avocado, pasta Bolognese, and chicken meatballs ($55).

10 p.m. — Daily push-ups and sit-ups.

11:30 p.m. — Bedtime.

Daily total: $174

Friday

To commit to exercising at home, Brownstein often clips into his Peloton bike. / Photograph courtesy of Marc Brownstein.

6 a.m. — TGIF!

6:30 a.m. — 20 minutes of stretching before clipping into the Peloton bike.

8 a.m. — Eating breakfast at home today. I have a banana, an English muffin topped with almond butter, and a bottle of apple cider vinegar juice.

9:30 a.m. — In the office for a number of internal meetings, as well as calls with clients and boards I sit on.

12:30 p.m. — Lunchtime! I’m eating a Caesar salad with hard-boiled egg from Pizzeria Vetri ($10), plus a handful of mixed nuts at my desk.

3 p.m. — Travel to New York City with my wife for the annual Pennsylvania Society dinner at the Waldorf Astoria. The Pennsylvania Society is the oldest non-profit charitable organization in the country dedicated to celebrating achievement and service to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Every year since 1899, various business and political leaders meet in New York City to discuss the issues of the day.

6 p.m. — Attending an event at 21 Club. Drink some red wine, eat some appetizers, and catch up with fellow PA Society members.

8 p.m. — Dinner at Avra Estiatorio with friends. I have hummus, olives, and pita to start, then move on to a Greek salad and fresh grilled fish ($112).

11:30 p.m. — Back at the hotel room and do my daily push-ups and sit-ups.

12 a.m. — Time to get some sleep. Tomorrow will be a busy day of events for Pennsylvania Society!

Daily total: $122

Weekly totals

Money spent: $645.75
Workouts completed: 10
Philly-area restaurants enjoyed: 11

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