We lift to get strong. Also, lifting looks bad-ass.
About:
Starting his professional fitness journey as a NASM Certified Personal Trainer, Shawn soon began to expand his knowledge and passion for fitness by attaining certifications in Zumba and CrossFit. He also did specialty certifications through NASM in weight loss and fitness nutrition. "Fitness should be functional, approachable, well-rounded, and fun" is the approach Shawn takes in his own training as well as with his clients.
Share a little about your fitness background. How did you become a trainer?
I played a wide variety of sports as a child and through high school, including football, baseball, tennis, and basketball. Unfortunately, as a young adult I got lazy and fairly out of shape and put on a lot of weight, ballooning from a steady 170 pounds most of my adult life to about 210 pounds in my early to mid thirties. Then I found CrossFit, lost almost 40 pounds, and my passion for fitness and a healthy lifestyle began to blossom immediately. Pretty quickly I realized what an amazing transformation being healthy had made to my life, and decided that I wanted to share this fantastic feeling with everyone around me. Thus, I became a personal trainer (and group exercise Instructor) and never looked back.
What makes your training style unique?
Compassion and great listening skills and of course, fun. Those are the things that make my training style unique. Anyone can gather the knowledge on what it takes to develop larger biceps, or lose weight, or run faster, and those things are super important, and the basis of what I do. However, to really make a difference in someone's life you have to be able to listen and REALLY HEAR what someone is trying to say to you, even when it isn't the words coming from their mouths. Understanding what someone is really saying and understanding the 'why' behind it is an integral part to being able to write and adapt effective programs, and to truly motivate people to give 100% every time. Also, I sometimes break out in random song and dance during sessions. That's pretty fun.
If you could change one behavior you see in your clients, what would it be?
I would definitely change how easily people give up. Whether it is because the weight seems too heavy, or the exercise seems too challenging, or the nutrition plan is too strict, or making time to work out is too inconvenient, the inclination is always to take the straighter path and either do something easier or just quit altogether. Change is difficult, but definitely worth the effort.
What is your favorite exercise? Why?
My absolute favorite exercise is the rowing erg. It is such an all-purpose exercise and super efficient. It is great for building strength, muscle endurance, cardio-respiratory endurance, and stamina, all in one compact little training tool. Also, since I am a major high-intensity junkie, I love to use it for some amazing sprint intervals.
Briefly describe your weekly workout schedule. Is it seasonal? How many rest days do you take each week?
Being an instructor, as well as a trainer, I get a lot of conditioning, as I participate in a large majority of my classes (Zumba, bootcamps, etc...). My personal workout schedule isn't exactly set in stone as I stay pretty busy, but I lift weights (Olympic lifts, deadlifts, squats) about 4 days a week, do some sort of CrossFit style WOD 3 or 4 days a week as well, and try to get in a little yoga once a week. I shoot for 1 full recovery day and 1 active recovery day a week.
What is your favorite outdoor Washington D.C. activity? Do you have a favorite hike or run?
Definitely biking. Biking is my preferred mode of transportation. Not only is it quick, convenient, and active, but it also keeps my reactions sharp from trying to avoid being run over by all the super polite DC motorists. ;)
Contemplating the next workout...
How do you recover from a tough workout?
FOOD! LOTS OF FOOD! Oh, and stretching and stuff too. Seriously, refueling after a tough one is super important. Along with proper body maintenance (stretching and proper cool down), and proper sleep, it's the only way to continue to improve.
What is your favorite place in DC to get a healthy meal?
CHIX! I LOVE this place. They are super friendly, the portions are generous, and the food is raised and prepared responsibly.
Do you have anything on the horizon you would like to share?
Catch me at Balance Georgetown at 1251 Wisconsin Ave. NW, or any of our other Balance Locations for some awesome and fun personal training. Also for the following amazing group exercise classes:
Zumba:
Balance Foggy Bottom - Tuesdays @ 7 pm
Balance Glover Park- Fridays @ noon
Balance Body:
Balance Foggy Bottom- Monday and Wednesday @ noon
Balance Glover Park- Tuesday @ noon
Balance Bootcamp Challenge:
Balance Glover Park- Saturday @ 10 am
Balance Core:
Balance Foggy Bottom- Tuesdays @ 5:30 pm
CrossFit:
CrossFit Glover Park Fridays @ 6 &7 pm
CrossFit Conditioning:
CrossFit Glover Park Sundays @ 10 am
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