Here are 13 lessons I’ve learned in 13 years of Coaching fitness:
- What crucial habits have you found to be essential for long-term fitness success?
Shawn:
Commitment, consistency, adaptability, prioritization.
Evolving and adapting with life, lifestyle changes, body changes and all the things you experience along the way.
Yet at the end of the day still keeping fitness as a part of your lifestyle, what you do, a part of what betters you and every single area of your life.
And it builds a wealth of health and strength and resilience and countless things that transfer over to everyday life as well as helping you navigate the journey.
Everything is bettered by being stronger, healthier and a fitter version of ourselves.
Or, can be worsened by being weaker, unhealthy and the less capable version of ourselves.
- How do you recommend clients balance exercise with their busy lifestyles?
Shawn:
Well I think this one really boils down prioritizing your self care through health and fitness.
It is a pillar of a healthy life’s foundation that will ripple into every area of your life in a positive way by being stronger, fitter, healthier and more consistent.
Then you can be more, do more, give more to others to whatever it is you desire to do within your relationships, work or life.
I think it boils down to prioritizing it. Making sacrifices.
Be kind and compassionate to yourself.
And not putting yourself last – through some narrative that it’s selfish.
When on the contrary – it allows you to be more, give more and do more.
- What dietary advice do you give that aligns with fitness goals?
Shawn:
Build the habit of drinking plenty of water every single day.
Build the habit of prioritizing and eating protein at every meal, ideally 40-50grams each meal.
Build the habit of prioritizing whole foods, incorporating a ton of fruits and veggies.
And limit things that will not serve you long term (ie: sugar, alcohol, processed foods) and regulate self control when you introduce them or do enjoy them by getting back on track to healthy habits immediately.
And always, always, always start your day with a strong protein focused meal (50g+)
So many benefits (including less bad decisions) come out of that alone.
- How can individuals stay motivated when they hit a plateau?
Shawn:
First thought is to get creative, possibly change something up, seek outside help or advice on how to make progress past the plateau from a trusted resource.
Another thought is to reorient to what is the most important thing to you right now.
If it’s a very specific focus, I believe we have to be honest about our commitment to that particular target.
And be honest with ourselves if we are really using all available resources and if we are covering our bases and doing all the things we can to overcome the plateau.
And if we aren’t begin doing more of those things and re evaluate.
Third – hire a coach 1:1 – they’ll be able to identify the gaps and help you breakthrough.
- What are your top tips for staying consistent with workouts?
Shawn:
Routinely zoom out and remind yourself that your workout routine positively affects every single area of your life.
Even when it doesn’t feel like it.
It’s the body and health that saves you in a car crash, or speed at which it helps you bounce back from injuries FASTER. The aid in you sleeping better, handling stress better, combating health issues you weren’t even thinking about.
It is FAR beyond the weight on the bar or the desire to go today.
It’s deposits for a better you of today and the future you – when you’ll want as much strength, function, independence and health as possible.
Zooming in…
Find and do things that you enjoy, with people you enjoy doing them with.
Get the support, accountability and guidance that you need to help you succeed and thrive.
Through coaching, through fitness buddies – build internal accountability.
It’s so easy to fall off, lose momentum and give up and quit on yourself.
Never allow yourself to become the one who quits on themselves.
Prioritize your workouts before you schedule anything else within the week if possible.
Consider it a booked appointment and don’t let anything get in the way of it.
And ultimately find and do the thing that you feel you can continue doing for a long time and enjoy doing.
- How do you approach mental health in relation to physical fitness?
Shawn: I know these two are deeply interconnected.
I know that physical fitness, working out, training all helps us feel better, burn off steam, remove/relieve stress, be proud of ourselves, experience accomplishment.
And maybe not quite as spoken about – helps us combat more of the aspects of loneliness, depression, isolation, our own personal challenges we experience.
It also just builds tremendous mental strength that I think is so critical to go through this life with.
The depths of my coaching are holistic in addressing and improving the mind-body-spirit.
- What advice would you give to someone new to fitness?
Shawn:
Start the right way.
Work individually with a Coach first.
Learn how to move safely, learn about your body, ask questions, begin to build personal accountability.
Going from not working out to regularly working out can be a really challenging hurdle for a lot of people.
It’s uncomfortable.
You experience soreness.
You’re building a new habit / pattern.
There’s the whole intimidation of walking into an environment where maybe I don’t feel in shape, or adequate, or I am not going to belong.
I think having a coach there to teach, support, invest in you, who cares, who makes the starting process a bit more comfortable.
Who meets you where you’re at.
Is incredibly valuable.
From there – I would begin to fall in love with the process of who I am becoming.
I would pay attention to all the positive impacts, nothing too big or small and i’d absolutely commit to 1 year.
Results take time and the best stuff comes out a bit more on the latter side than the sooner side.
- How can clients effectively track their progress beyond just weight?
Shawn:
There are ample ways.
Daily freedom and capability.
Things we take for granted every single day.
The ability to walk, get up and down off the floor, run, lift things, put our socks on, take our shirt off, wash our hair.
I think of this analogy a lot – when you’re sick, you realize how you take for granted just feeling “normal” everyday. How normal is actually amazing.
It’s not until you’re unwell that you appreciate what feeling “normal” is.
I think of those basic capabilities first – gratitude in putting a shirt on, picking up my dog or a small child, the basics.
I think what you’re able to do with your body, how you feel, the mental strength, if you’ve inspired someone else to take their health more serious, eating better, sleeping better, receiving feedback/compliments from people you know/like/trust.
If you’re healthy.
If you’re not on meds or have come off some. If you can regulate your mood.
If your pants fit better.
If your kids or grandkids want to be more active because you’re inspiring them.
If you’ve worked out consistently for an extended period of time.
If you’re like me and fell on the ice last week and have a durable body that can bounce right back.
If you’re alive.
- What do you believe is the biggest barrier to fitness, and how can it be overcome?
Shawn:
There’s a few barriers that stand out…
I think traditional gym models – like planet fitness – are good in theory yet set a lot of people up to fail in the “gym” setting.
Appealed to the masses by the low barrier to entry – $1 down or $10 month/ whatever it is.
People go in, don’t know what to do.
They don’t want to hurt themselves.
It’s uncomfortable.
It’s a sea of equipment.
So they hop on the thing they know they can absolutely do, the treadmill or elliptical.
Yet that won’t create the results and changes that they want to achieve, so they quit and the gym gets labeled as “doesn’t work.”
A bigger barrier -that’s more sensitive are excuses.
People tell themselves soft lies like “I don’t have time.”
Whatever we don’t have time for isn’t a big enough priority for us.
If the “I don’t have time person” held a 2 min plank 3x a week, went for a 20 min brisk walk 3x a week, woke up and did a max set of pushups – they’d be further along than the version of themselves doing nothing.
“No time” to me boils down to not being resourceful enough AND not viewing fitness as a priority, or seeing it as a part of a healthy sustainable active lifestyle.
Another barrier is the lens we look at the gym or working out is a big factor.
Perhaps there’s still the 70’s and 80’s view that the gym is about bodybuilding and jane fonda type exercise – or – it’s only for powerlifters.
Or this idea that we won’t belong.
Am I bias to hiring a coach and going that route? Of course – can’t beat accountability, guidance, instruction and care.
I’m not everyone should join a gym, but I am an advocate for finding the movement practice and activity you will do and commit to 2-5x a week, that you’ll enjoy, that betters you and is sustainable.
If on going cost were a barrier – I’d recommend that person put a certain amount of money aside, work with a coach one time to learn some basics and build a SHORT, effective and sustainable movement practice they could do at home.
Something > Nothing.
- How important is rest and recovery in a fitness regimen?
Shawn:
A lot more important than I think it gets credit for.
Being heavily involved in Coaching fitness for 13+ years – I too made this mistake – thinking all the magic occurs within the session only.
When in reality, it is the food we eat, the rest between training, the sleep we get, the stress management that helps us recover, come back fitter, stronger.
I overdid it plenty.
And your body pays.
Tweaks, twinges, setbacks, burn out.
Yes we need adequate training to create new adaptions, however rest and recovery are what are needed to come back stronger, fitter and more resilient.
At a MINIMUM I believe in 2 full rest / off days per week.
- What are your thoughts on fitness trends, and how should clients approach them?
Shawn:
I couldn’t tell ya what would be a trend right now.
Wearable tech?
Watches and gadgets your heart rate during working out and sleep and my recovery score?
While I think these things can be good, I also think the other side of it is it takes you a bit out of being present with yourself.
This is my body – I want to be the master of it, understand when it feels great and what things contribute to that, how much sleep, the food combinations etc.
Or paying attention more within my training to how much or how little rest I need between something and less worrying about data.
I’m not one who wants more tech or more gadgets though.
If it’s positive and serving you in healthy ways I support you.
- How can clients cultivate a positive body image through fitness?
Shawn:
I think this begins with your relationship with yourself.
Working to remove the comparisons – of others, or where we believe we should be or look like.
My journey actually began because of a negative body image myself.
I understand this.
I know it can be a constant battle.
I think it’s the duality between the inner dialogue – and the commitment to the process (training, eating, patience etc.)
I know it is helpful to do that inner work.
To commit to self love. To improve our relationships and how we talk to and view ourselves.
Loving all parts of you, even the parts that aren’t where you want them to be right now.
That doesn’t mean you have to give up or settle, it can mean I love the version of me who is here now.
And if you’re actively working to improve your body, adding to that, while I actively work towards the version I aspire to be.
AND continually doing the work – in the gym, in the kitchen, in your recovery, the lifestyle habits that are going to support the best body image for you.
- What lifelong fitness philosophy do you believe in and practice?
Shawn
Do strength work 2-3x a week.
When it comes to training and the big movers – for best results:
Bend,
Squat,
Push,
Pull,
Core work
- Occasionally get out of breath.
Treat your preparation and recovery (warm ups and cool downs) as serious as your actual training.
Care more about HOW you move something (technique, movement quality) more so than how much you moved.
Being fit, well rounded and athletic makes you the most versatile and adaptable ready for anything version of yourself.
As i’ve gotten older, these have become more apparent:
Walking 20-30 min, 2-3x a week – for recovery, mental health, stress relief, decompression is a game changer.
How important breath work is. Simple attunement to breathing cycles. Regulate the nervous system and calm the mind.
And overall – the commitment to the process, and not necessarily the outcome.
Because it’s in the process, you become better, healthier, stronger etc.
Example:
Currently I want to regain as much function, mobility, range of motion, strength in my right shoulder post surgery in 2024.
Whatever the end result is, will be the end result.
However, committing to the process, enjoying the process, becoming better within the process.
Whether its my shoulder, adding 10lb to a lift, or being the healthiest version of myself – it’s the commitment to the process.