Fiscal fitness.

• Position: Finalentry - Interview

After earning an accounting degree and all-conference honors as a college football star, Luke Sniewski was a player then coach for the Falconara Dolphins in the Italian Football League. He then decided to tackle another career path that of a CPA and certified personal trainer to business professionals. A senior tax associate for Gedeon & Sniewski Certified Public Accountants, Sniewski also offers corporate consulting on the relationship between physical well-being and productivity. California CPA caught up with Sniewski in the gym for some insight from his playbook.

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What are the parallels between physical and fiscal fitness?

I majored in accounting in college, so I understood the amount of time that goes into studying and researching tax laws. Upon entering the fitness industry, however, I realized there was more to training than bench presses and biceps. Constant studies and findings bring new information into the fitness industry all the time. If you don't stay with the times through research, you will be left behind. Luckily, these skills were ingrained in me through my accounting experiences.

Who hits harder: Italian Football Leaguers, college d-men or the IRS?

That will have to be a toss-up between college d-men and the IRS. A college hit may leave a mark and some physical pain, but the other can leave a mark on your wallet for an even longer time. The Italian Football Leaguers have a bit to go before their hits become more memorable, but the European leagues are well on their way.

How much of your football experiences carries over into your career as a trainer?

Football coaches have a knack for getting the most out of their players, both physically and mentally. Often, I'm training clients that have not had this kind of experience. When clients are exposed to this stimulus, they reach new heights. The most important change in all of my clients is the mental shift and the feeling that they can accomplish anything, which far surpasses any superficial goal they may have had previously.

When is the pressure more intense: during the five seconds in the pocket or the five weeks before tax day?

Tough question. Being in the pocket is an environment...