My Morning Routine
⇾ Simon Newton,
A-List Bodyguard
Waking up and working out with this jet-set man of mystery.
Simon Newton is regularly hanging with supermodels—Naomi Campbell, Rita Or and Bella Hadid just to name a few. But I don't know if you'd want to trade places with him. You see, Newton is in charge of keeping these beautiful women safe and sound. After tours of duty with the British Army, he worked as a bodyguard for the British government before launching Askari Secure Ltd, London's leading private security firm. Of course, because the guy looks like Jason Statham, he's also done some acting and modeling as well. Basically, he's as close as you can come to a real-life secret agent—well dressed, charming and dashing around the world, ready to risk danger at any turn. We were curious how he starts his day, so we tracked him down.
The Series
Those moments between turning off the alarm and getting into our work routine can be the most defining 60 minutes of our day. Benjamin Franklin set a day's worth of plans by 5 am and Steve Jobs asked a simple question: "If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?" Our rituals are a reflection of us. So we've ventured out to discover how some of our most influential and fruitful peers get started.
My Routine
I’m up no later than 7 am.
Most weekdays I wake up around 6:30.
I know eight hours of sleep is ideal ...
But more often than not, I'm clocking around four hours. Sleep is a commodity when you have a business to run and prioritize fitness and filming over rest.
Despite what people think, my morning isn’t that exciting.
I roll out of bed and fall into my gym kit (always Nike). Then I go for a run—the length of which is determined by how much time I've got before I have to be out of the house.
I make my breakfast the night before.
It's not sexy, but it's great for day to day training. I have two scoops of protein and 100 grams of oats. I then stick all of that in a shaker bottle and leave it in the fridge overnight. That way, it's ready right when I need it. If I want to get a bit more adventurous, I'll have an omelette and brown toast on the weekend.
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Consistency is key to my mornings.
I always take care of training. Running first thing and then the gym after breakfast are always carried out before I start work.
I train twice a day.
In addition to my morning program, I'll train again in the evening—usually just cardio. This is normally done seven days a week, sometimes I may have a day off on the weekend if I've been out late the night before.
I have a love/hate relationship with my phone’s notes app.
This is where I keep my daily to-do list. I pretty much live by it and the list is normally horrendously long—and as quick as it goes down it goes back up again.
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My grooming routine is simple ...
But it's stocked with the best stuff I've found.
For a tough guy, I’ve got sensitive skin.
I never wet shave, but I do use electric trimmers and have them set at grade zero. I'll normally do this twice a week. I find that is enough for me when it comes to shaving.
Clockwise, from top left
Colonia deodorant spray,
$53 by Acqua Di Parma
Extreme Clean Whitening toothpaste,
$2.89 by AcquaFresh
ABC vitamins,
$7.44 by Holland Barrett
Classic shaker bottle,
$7.43 by Blender Bottle
Strawberry Diet Whey Protein,
$34.36 by PHD
X-Plode pre workout,
$21.45 by Sci MX
Facial Fuel lip balm,
$9 by Kiehl's
Super moisture balm,
$34 by Clarins Men
Colonia
deodorant spray,
$53 by
Acqua Di Parma
Extreme Clean
Whitening toothpaste,
$2.89 by AcquaFresh
Facial Fuel
lip balm,
$9 by Kiehl's
Classic
shaker bottle,
$7.43 by Blender Bottle
Strawberry Diet
Whey Protein,
$34.36 by PHD
X-Plode pre workout,
$21.45 by Sci MX
ABC vitamins,
$7.44 by
Holland Barrett
Super moisture
balm, $34
by Clarins Men
How I get dressed depends not on the day, but where in the world I find myself.
If I have meetings, I may be in a three-piece suit. Other days it's just jeans, a shirt and some nice shoes. Or maybe even smart trainers and a T-shirt. But I definitely have a taste for designer brands like Tom Ford, Balenciaga and Louis Vuitton.
I don’t really like things in my pockets.
Maybe it's my job, but I don't like the feeling of being weighed down. Other than my phone, I've got a money clip, which holds a few bank cards and my ID. I don't use a wallet or really carry cash very often.
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