Jan Hartwig and his passion for detail

In the kitchen he’s the boss, has everything under control and is responsible for making sure that everything goes to plan – but when it comes to working out, Jan Hartwig defers completely to personal trainer Ulrich Barth. Although the two men and their professions are very different, their passion for detail is very similar.

Everything under one roof: at the Bayerischer Hof, first-rate cuisine and professional training are not far apart. “It’s fantastic, I can do my workouts in the same building that I cook in,” says Hartwig. When asked if that’s far enough away from everyday life, the top chef suppresses a grin and remarks, “When I’m training, it takes me a minute at most to switch off completely – it’s impossible not to.” Uli pushes him hard, and although he’s no sports superstar, Hartwig says that training does him the world of good. It gives him new strength and the energy he needs for his creative and demanding job.

Although Uli pushes him to the brink every session, top chef Jan Hartwig has only good things to say about his trainer: “Uli is really dedicated. To put together my perfect workout he really scrutinized me and my everyday life.” While Hartwig creates culinary masterpieces by concentrating on every detail as he cooks, his personal trainer Barth has worked out in detail the different movement patterns top chefs perform in their daily work.

Uli Barth spent an entire day observing the top chef at work in the kitchen. How does he move? What are his most frequent movement patterns and postures? To Barth, who is also the hotel’s personal trainer, two things were clear: “When people are cooking they are often hunched over, and their movements shift between standing and walking.” So the expert quickly realized that strengthening the core and hip flexors was going to be a key component of the training.

Uli Barth believes in training the whole of the body to increase strength, endurance and coordination, and this approach is already paying off. Jan Hartwig proudly lists his successes: for a year now he’s been training twice a week with his personal trainer – he’s lost 10 kilos and has built up both muscle and endurance. “I recently realized how beneficial training is when the lift was out of order and I had to walk up 6 flights of stairs. I wouldn’t have managed that before without getting totally out of breath,” grins Hartwig.

Hard work pays off. Whether it’s in gourmet catering or personal training, if someone wants to achieve something then they need to put their heart into it and employ a certain amount of discipline. And when you feel like you need a break and you just can’t keep going any longer, pushing through and completing your training feels all the more rewarding. “To get results you have to stick at it,” says Hartwig.

He likes the fact that his training stops him from thinking of anything else – it gives his mind a chance to switch off. “Uli pushes me to my limits, but that’s good. He’s so passionate about what he does, analysing every aspect of my movements. Just like in cooking, a flawless execution is key. Uli really focuses on that, which is something I value a lot”, says the lively chef.

This is the kind of attitude that Barth likes. What both men have in common is a huge amount of energy. Although their everyday lives are completely different, their ambition and passion for their work is very similar. A passion for detail has helped both of them reach the top of their professions. You definitely want to be eating Hartwig’s food, and you definitely want to be trained by Barth. If you are a guest at the Bayerischer Hof, you can find both under the same roof. Hartwig feels at home at the hotel. He gets his energy there and transforms it into creativity in the kitchen: “Now that I’ve settled here I’m putting down really firm roots, and whether it’s in the kitchen or the gym, I’m always totally passionate about achieving perfect results.”

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