D1 Founder's Morning Routine, Fave Gear Featured In 'Wellworthy'; Hardin Valley Tests 40 Times | D1 Daily

D1 Daily is a curated list of anecdotes and links with an eye towards training. The suggestion box is open.

It's been a big week for Will Bartholomew. First, the D1 founder and CEO was named an Entrepreneur Of The Year 2025 Southeast Award Finalist by EY. And then Will was the featured guest on Drew Shore's Betting The Limit podcast.

And now today, Will is the centerpiece of Wellworthy's popular weekly newsletter, which covers the world of health and wellness. Will is featured in Wellworthy's Health Stack series, where fitness leaders share their favorite products, gear, apps and routines. 

Below is part of Will's daily routine and the philosophy behind it. What are the staples of your daily routine? Drop us a note and we'll share your responses in a future D1 Daily. 

I design my schedule so that staying in shape is the only rational outcome. If somebody looked at my calendar and saw my health and wellness routine, I would want them to say, ‘It would be irrational for him not to be in shape.’ D1 Training embodies this same principle - I built it to be a place where people set, refine, and achieve their goals consistently.

A key part of my wellness philosophy is starting my day with structure.

Morning Routine

• Before coffee, I start with a glass of water with minerals and salt. That's kind of like my go-to morning cocktail.

• I’ll do about 20–30 minutes of fasted cardio (elliptical or walking) at a low intensity (~100 max heart rate).

• After that, I always do the same protein shake every morning, and I’ve actually got my kids on it now. When you start your day with great protein and superfoods, you're really setting yourself up for success.

• Then I do the same journaling exercise every day, logging my Whoop data, rating my daily performance on a 1-10 scale, tracking progress toward goals, reflecting on the previous day. I've been doing this for five years now, and I can look back and see what was making me happy, what was frustrating me, and what was giving me fulfillment.

Strength Training & Daily Schedule

• I prefer a mid-morning workout, around 8:15, either at a D1 Training location or a D1 workout from the TeamBuildr app.

• I always block off my morning for personal organization and planning to ensure uninterrupted time before meetings begin. It is really difficult to get on my calendar before 9:30.

• I train seven days a week, with four dedicated heavy lifting days and additional conditioning work.

For more on Will, check out the full feature in Wellworthy.

Franchise Focus

In the spirit of this week's NFL Draft, the crew at D1 Hardin Valley (TN) worked with the high school football team at Knoxville Catholic to test their 40-yard dash times.

Light Lifts

• Science just crowned the world's fastest running shoe, and you won't guess the brand (Gear Patrol)

• The best women's workout clothes that don't skimp on style, according to experts (CNN)

• This pork tenderloin 'steak' has 33 grams of protein per serving (Men's Health)

D1 Daily is written and produced by Dom Bonvissuto