Q&A

A Week in the Life of Trainer Jordan Deane, Who Launched a Virtual Studio Amid the Pandemic

From teaching kids' fitness classes to training clients through CUTLOOSE, Deane is often on the move — but he also makes time for plenty of rest, reflection and hydration.


Photo courtesy of Jordan Deane

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 Philadelphian to spend a week tracking everything he or she eats, all the exercise he or she gets, and the money he or she spends on both. Want to submit a Sweat Diary? Email gtomaine@phillymag.com. 

Who I am: Jordan Deane, (@chefboyRdeane/@cutloosestudio), 29

Where I live: Norristown

What I do: I am the founder and co-owner of CUTLOOSE, a studio and lifestyle brand about having the “I can do anything” mentality. I want to show people that nothing can hold them back. I’m a certified personal trainer, spin instructor and sports nutrition consultant who left my job at the gym during the pandemic to open up a virtual training studio. I specialize in training clients virtually and in-person, while teaching virtual fitness classes throughout the week. I also teach an after-school program called CUTLOOSE KIDS for our youngsters Monday through Friday.

What role healthy living plays in my life: The body is meant to move. I’ve been a wrestler for over 15 years and have always been active. Our bodies and our minds begin to fail us when we become stagnant. I feel obligated to make people aware that fitness is welcoming to all body sizes and encouraging to all fitness levels. I’m at my best when I am doing what I love which is physical activity and helping others and making them feel great. This brings me so much joy. I’m grateful to have created a business that allows healthy living to be a part of my life.

Health memberships: The Gym in Audubon. I am a firm believer in having one gym membership. I have 24/7 Access for $24.99/month.

MONDAY

Jordan Deane is the founder and co-owner of CUTLOOSE. | Photo courtesy of Jordan Deane

7 a.m. – Second alarm goes off. Emily woke up an hour earlier than me to train her first client, allowing me to sleep in. She then hops back in bed for our morning prayers and daily affirmations. We are big on praying — asking and repeating for the things we want and need. We put it out to the universe.

7:30 a.m. – We gather ourselves, throwing on our CUTLOOSE apparel and make our way downstairs to the couch for our brain games. Every morning we train our brains using the Lumosity app which helps us stay sharp and make great decisions throughout the day. ($60 for the whole year — we highly recommend!)

8 a.m. – I get breakfast started; it consists of eggs, bacon and pasta. As trainers, we make sure that we are eating whole meals throughout the day consisting of a protein, fat and carb. We calculate and follow our macronutrients so we can efficiently make our food work for us. We fill up our 74 fluid ounce HydroJugs, take our vitamins in addition to elderberry, and enjoy breakfast together on the couch. We make sure that we at least drink a gallon of water a day, keeping our skin clear and our metabolism sped up. Hydrate!

8:30 a.m. – My first virtual client of the day absolutely cracks me up! I’ve been training her for about two and a half years, and she has continued to get stronger and quicker every month. She’s 40 years old, a wonderful mom with three kids. She trains three times a week and never misses a day! We do a full-body EMOM (“every minute on the minute”) workout with a focus on her legs.

9 a.m. – Second virtual client. She could literally be the walking billboard for Nike. She’s always decked out in it! She’s about the same age as me, 29. and her goal is to feel her best and look her best by making fitness a lifestyle. She despises redundant cardio such as the treadmill, so I keep her heart rate high with weights throughout the duration of the session. She crushes it.

9:30 a.m. – Virtual training for the morning is finished and it’s time to make our way to the gym. Our gym is literally called The Gym and it’s the best fitness center in our area! I personally get there five times a week to stay fit and relieve stress. Today Emily and I are training chest, shoulders, biceps and triceps areas. Our big lift is flat bench today, where she will be hitting three sets of 10 at 115 pounds, and I’ll be hitting five sets of five at 265 pounds. Pray for us.

11 a.m. – I make way back home to get cleaned up after our workout. Before our shower we replenish with a Vega Sport Chocolate Protein Shake. This is a delicious, plant-based protein that includes 30 grams of protein in each serving. I’ve been using it for about a year now and I absolutely swear by it.

11:30 a.m. – It’s back to the couch where we are following up on emails, while programming for my afternoon client. We have a large white board in our office that takes up half the wall where we dump all of our objectives for the week. This is a great way to stay organized, rather than trying to recall everything from memory or having a thousand different notebooks with objectives written everywhere. Less stress is best.

12:30 p.m. – I have a 45-minute session with my in-person client. This is a new client in his second week of training and he’s doing great so far. He is on target with his macros. He’s lifting weights three times a week and also  riding Peloton two days a week. After we finish up, it’s time to head back home for a very late lunch.

2:30 p.m. – I am absolutely ravenous at this point. Thankfully Emily has made a huge plate of rice, sweet potatoes and shrimp. I aim for either three normal-sized meals a day and two snacks, or three very large-sized meals and no snacks. Today is a very large meal thanks to Emily.

A meal of shrimp, sweet potatoes, and rice. | Photo courtesy of Jordan Deane

3:00 p.m. – It’s time to program for CUTLOOSE KIDS. I love planning these classes because it brings me joy to see that the kids are having fun during these unsure times. These are interactive 30-minute virtual wellness sessions for our youngsters allowing them to release all of their energy after school for just $25 per week.

4:00 p.m. – I use this time to prepare dinner, which will be teriyaki salmon, asparagus and cheesy rice. The salmon is marinated, the rice and asparagus are quick and easy to make. Cooking is super satisfying to me, I love it. After prep, I have to high-tail it back to my in-person client’s home by five o’clock to train his son, who’s a fantastic middle-school basketball player on the rise.

5:45 p.m. – Emily has planned our METCON Class for the evening. It’s a 30 minute virtual class that involves weights and compound movements. We have 26 people signed up who are ready to burn over 300 calories during tonight’s session. This is another opportunity for my endorphins to be released.

7:00 p.m. – Once class is finished, it’s time to quickly shower, cook dinner and get our badges out to our goal crushers for class attendance and posting their stats. I love making people feel great about themselves, so I created a loyalty rewards program where our members earn CUTLOOSE coins for interacting with the Studio. The coins are the equivalent to cash that can be earned when certain tiers are hit.

8:30 p.m. – Showers are complete, dinner is consumed, badges are sent, and follow-ups are finished. It’s time to breathe. I am not a huge television watcher but if enough people tell me to watch a show, I have to look into it. We watch an episode of Servant on Apple TV and head upstairs to take it down for the evening.

9:15 p.m. – Every evening we fill the diffuser with a “Peace and Harmony” essential oil and activate the red light which helps us get the best sleep that we can. Before we close our eyes, we complete a few seek-and-finds in one of our Highlights books, which are aimed for children. Don’t tell us that! We love competing and keeping our minds sharp. We say our prayers and by 10 o’clock it is time for bed.

TUESDAY

The CUTLOOSE KIDS program consists of 30-minute virtual wellness sessions for kids. | Photo courtesy of Jordan Deane

7 a.m. – Emily and I are creatures of habit so once again we wake up, say prayers and our daily affirmations before we start the day. We’re asking for a successful seminar this evening and the strength to crush our morning workout because we have a heavy leg day.

9 a.m. – I have a virtual group training with two of my favorite ladies in the world. They are my sixty and over ladies. Don’t underestimate them because they are doing the same squats, reverse lunges and presses as my thirty-year-old clients.

10 a.m. – After a bowl of Honey Nut Cheerios, granola, a banana, protein shake and bacon, it’s off to the gym for our workout. I don’t mind working out on a full stomach — Emily on the other hand, cannot. We will be training legs, back and traps. Our big lift will be the deadlift where she will be pulling 215 pounds and I will be pulling 365 pounds. Let the soreness begin!

12 p.m. – We return home to shower and eat where we will be enjoying steak salads and avocado toast prepared by yours truly. Once we are dressed it’s time to plan the kids’ programming, open up the laptops, tackle our follow-ups and prepare the email for our nutrition seminar.

3 p.m. – I have a virtual client who is twelve years old and one of the most brilliant kids that I know. He really makes my day. We’ve been training together for a little over two years and he continues to grow before my eyes. He’s an aspiring artist.

3:30 p.m. – Time for CUTLOOSE KIDS! They are begging for riddles and seek-and-find today, but exercising is essential too. To compromise, we have three rounds of a Tabata workout, and in between sets we do two riddles and find one object. The kids are pleased!

4 p.m. – No more clients for the day so it’s time to take advantage of the four hours until our seminar. For dinner I am cooking shrimp tacos, potatoes and sautéed green beans. This is the time to prepare social media posts for the next day. I take the time to program for my morning clients in addition for Emily and myself. The email for the seminar is complete and in the drafts. Is it time to relax yet?

7 p.m. – The draft is sent! After we eat dinner Emily and I decide to crush a quick episode of Servant. Does Rupert Grint (IYKYK!) bathe in this show? Before we know it, it’s time to shower, we debrief before the seminar and we’re ready for action.

9 p.m. – After the hour-long seminar, we are drained and for good reason. Emily is always thinking ahead so she lit our favorite “Goji Tarocco Orange” Voluspa candle and set the diffuser. Where would I be without her?

9:30 p.m. – We do five Highlights seek-and-finds before bed. She won three to two — we’re super competitive. By just a few minutes after ten we’re saying our prayers and our heads are hitting the pillow. Busy day tomorrow!

WEDNESDAY

Deane enjoys a steak salad. | Photo courtesy of Jordan Deane

7 a.m. – Second alarm goes off. Prayers and daily affirmations are said. One of things I pray for is for the soreness to leave my chest as soon as possible. Holy cow.

7:30 a.m. – Brain games, vitamins and matching CUTLOOSE Crewnecks because it is literally 60 degrees in our house when we wake up. Do not ask questions.

8:00 a.m. – Breakfast consists of shredded chicken, eggs and avocado toast. I scarf that down, fill up our water jugs and have some time to catch my breath before my 8:30 and 9 a.m. virtual clients.

9:30 a.m. – Morning clients are all trained. Before Emily and I hit the gym, we post out a good morning to our “Goal Crushers” on Instagram. We take a look at our emails to see if there is anything urgent and we notice we have our work cut out for us upon our return!

11:30 a.m. – After a heck of a workout it’s time to shower. Afterwards, Emily is going to take care of lunch as I get a head start on some of the emails to follow-up on. I reply to Fabletics of King of Prussia, where we’ll be teaching our second free workout on February 13th at 9 a.m. live through Facebook.

12:15 p.m. – By this time, my chicken cheesesteak and green beans are devoured, and emails have been responded to. I take the time to schedule a haircut on Friday with my barber to prepare for a Black History Month Career Panel event I have been asked to speak at. I always feel more confident when I have a fresh cut. It’s now time to plan for tonight’s “PULSE” class. This is a 30-minute bodyweight class that challenges you to reach a peak heart rate.

1:00 p.m. – I’m beginning to feel run down, so I decide to take a nap. I believe that listening to your body is one of the best things you can do for yourself rather than “pushing through.” To put it in perspective, Emily and I teach nine classes per week and work out together five days out of the week.

2:30 p.m. – It’s the best feeling in the world. I wake up and feel refreshed and I’m ready to continue the day. I create the Spotify playlist for tonight’s PULSE class that features one of my friend Gio’s song, “Up To Us.” Gio was just chosen as Hot 97’s “Who’s Next This Month.” As I wait for Emily to get home, I enjoy a serving of almonds and a protein shake as a snack.

3:30 p.m. – We teach CUTLOOSE KIDS and it’s a “Core Day Floor Day” where we train our abdominals for 30 minutes. By the end of the class, our abs are on fire. Afterwards, Emily and I get cleaned up so we can get ready to prep dinner before class. Steak, roasted Brussels sprouts and pasta with a garlic butter sauce.

4:30 p.m. – With time to kill, I plan our workout for tomorrow where we will be moving back to chest, biceps, triceps and delts. Our big lift will be incline bench. We also both take the time to plan the videos we have to record for our clients by Friday. We respond to emails that arrived in our inbox and before we know it’s time for PULSE.

7:00 p.m. – After PULSE we shower and put on our comfy clothes. Tonight, we take care of dinner together. Afterwards it’s time to send out Badges to our Goal Crushers and send the recording to those that could not attend.

8:30 p.m. – We decide to watch another episode of Servant. By 9 o’clock we are upstairs, we set the room for relaxation and sleep and of course our Highlights. We complete three this evening; we are exhausted.

9:45 p.m. – Face washed, teeth brushed, we hop in bed and we say our prayers, thankful for the day.

THURSDAY

Hydration is key! | Photo courtesy of Jordan Deane

7 a.m. – Alarm goes off. We say our prayers and affirmations. We take a look at the big white board to see how much we have accomplished this week. It’s a lot of work but we’re doing well. While Emily trains her clients, I decide to make breakfast early. Avocado toast, shrimp, eggs and green beans. My Dad says we are foodies — is he wrong?

8:00 a.m. – Emily is finished training and she’s able to enjoy breakfast. We check emails, post to Instagram, and create a grocery list for the weekend before I train my virtual clients at 9 and 9:30 a.m.

10:30 a.m. – Time for the gym. Another big leg and back day. We will be using the leg press machine, my favorite!

12 p.m. – Back home to shower. I grab a serving of almonds and a protein shake and bounce for my one o’clock client.

2:30 p.m. – I’m back in time for lunch. Emily has prepared chicken quesadillas and green beans before my virtual client.

3 p.m. – I train my little guy Sammy who is a delight. He’s had a great day in school which is a plus for both him and I.

3:30 p.m. – I teach a CUTLOOSE KIDS class. They remind us that because it’s Thursday it’s actually “Friday Junior,” and they can’t wait for Yoga Friday. It’s a whole vibe!

4 p.m. – While Emily trains her clients, I prep dinner before I take off. She agrees to a mixture of macaroni, sun dried tomatoes, green beans and sausage.

5 p.m. – I run out to train my client who has a love for basketball. When I get home Emily has cooked dinner. It smells great in the house!

7 p.m. – We are finished eating and we clean up the kitchen together. We then decide to shower, sit down and plan our day tomorrow where we are excited because it is relatively light. I have a haircut in the morning, we need to grocery shop and record our videos.

9 p.m. – We decide to watch an episode of Servant before we head upstairs for bed. This show is absolutely nuts and I have no idea as to why I find it so enticing. Your thoughts?

9:40 p.m. – We have our teeth brushed, faces washed and we hop in bed. It’s time for Highlights where we complete five. She wins, three to two. We say our prayers and lights are out.

FRIDAY

7:30 a.m. – Alarm goes off, but we are lying in bed for an extra 30 minutes because we have no morning clients! Prayers and affirmations are said. We also play “Who Wants to be a Millionaire” with Alexa because, why not?

8 a.m. – I brush my teeth, wash my face and comb my hair in preparation for my appointment with Mike Webb at Philly Fades in Phoenixville. No one touches my head besides Mike. He’s the owner at the shop.

Getting a haircut at Philly Fades in Phoenixville. | Photo courtesy of Jordan Deane

9:30 a.m. – By this time I am finished and on my way home where Emily and I will be enjoying eggs, potatoes and bacon. I treat her to Starbucks for being a rockstar throughout the week. Her go-to is a “grande white chocolate mocha half the pumps, extra hot, no whip, no foam.” If you can memorize her order, your next Starbucks is on me!

10:30 a.m. – We hit the gym first to get our videos out of the way for our clients. We will have to chop them and send them once we get home. We do not train on this day because recording 10 programs in the gym is basically a workout in itself.

12 p.m. – We return home to shower and get dressed in order to run errands. We throw on joggers and our matching CUTLOOSE jackets before we make our rounds.

2 p.m. – Grocery shopping is complete, and Emily wants to treat us to smoothie bowls while we are out. We stop at Sweet Aloha which has the best smoothie bowl hands down. I enjoy a colorful and delicious açaí bowl topped with granola, chocolate espresso beans and coconut chips. Sweet Aloha is home to the kindest people who put all their love into the bowls.

2:30 p.m. – We make our way home to unload the groceries and hit the couch to check emails and plan for Yoga Friday. Next I have my virtual training session with my brilliant client who compliments my haircut. He’s the absolute best!

3:30 p.m. – It’s time for CUTLOOSE KIDS and they are so stoked for Yoga Friday. It’s so nice to wind down with them at the end of the week. They really do transform into little yogi’s.

4 p.m. – Emily and I make way to the couch where we edit and chop our videos that we recorded. This takes about an hour.

5 p.m. – Our stomachs are rumbling so we decide to order steak salads (medium rare) from Firebirds in Collegeville. What’s with the phenomenon of ordering food when you just went grocery shopping?

Workout videos from Cutloose Studio. | Photo courtesy of Jordan Deane

6 p.m. – We return home to eat our food and  begin to plan for tomorrow’s “CUTLOOSE X” Class, a 45-minute, full-body class with weights involved. We have 28 members that are signed up, so we extend the room to 40. It takes place at 9 a.m. on Saturdays — reach out for a free class.

7 p.m. – We take one last look at our email before we shut it down for the night. We text my parents to see what they are up to for the evening, they are “just hanging” so Emily and I head over to surprise them. We love spending time with them and do our best to pop in on them once a week. They’re so much fun!

8:30 p.m. – Surprise! We arrive at their house where we kick our shoes off in the laundry room. We are eagerly greeted by the most handsome pups, Crosby and Miles — they’re a mix of Beagle and Setter. We greet my mom with hugs and kisses. She is a realtor of 9+ years for the Realty ONE Group and she absolutely crushes.

9 p.m. – We hit the couch and my dad queues up Servant through Apple TV. He is retired and worked over 25 years at Vanguard within the Technical Operations division. It’s been a long week for us all, so he has prepared old-fashioneds for us to enjoy. We watch a couple episodes and decide to call it a night around 11 p.m.

11 p.m. – We decide to stay over so we can get all the rest we can in order to wake up early and return home to teach class. We say thank you to my parents, give them hugs and kisses before we head upstairs to brush our teeth, wash our faces and say our prayers. It’s been a great week.

WEEKLY TOTALS

Clients trained and workouts completed: SO MANY.

Highlights seek-and-find puzzles completed: 16

Prayers of gratitude said: Every morning and every night.

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