Here's the third interview in the series and I'm pleased to say it's my personal trainer Tony McClellan.
Profile
Name: Anthony McClellan
Age:26
Height:6’
Weight:192
Occupation:Letter Carrier, Fitness Professional
Marital status:Married
Years training: 3 seriously
Favorite TV show & film: Heroes & Dazed and Confused
Fitness qualifications: NASM-CPT
Questions
What made you first think about fitness as a career?
Ive always been into exercise and sports, but it wasn’t until about two years ago I realized how much. I had a goal of staying in the USAF for a career, but once I got out I started looking at what I enjoy and would like to pursue as a career.
What is the most rewarding part of your job?
The joy a client gets when they reach or achieve their goals. Theres nothing better then that.
What is the most frustrating thing about your job?
Some people expect things to be easy because they are working with someone as opposed to themselves. As if muscle will grow faster or fat will disappear because they have someone helping them.
How would you sum up your training style in 3 words?
Work the Basics
Does your wife ask you about your clients to see if you have any young female ones?
Absolutely!
Do you have any personal fitness goals you’re working towards?
Just getting to the gym consistently is my main priority. I have a very busy schedule M-Sat between work and school. For instance Mondays are my longest day which starts at 6am getting ready for work and lasts until 11pm when I get home from school. I have classes four days a week and sometimes work six. Most of my free time is spent hanging out with my son. Usually when he takes his naps I head to the gym
Which achievements in life and in the gym are you most proud of? Life – my son is my greatest joy. In addition I am proud to say that I served in the military for six years and am a much better man today then I was each previous day. Fitness – I guess for my own goals in the gym, my best lift in the deadlift at 340 would be up there.
If there was a nuclear missile headed your way and you and your family were offered a place in bunker but could only bring three personal items each; what would they be?
Well I cant say for my wife or son but I guess three things I would want are photo albums for remembrance. This one has taken me awhile but there is nothing I really need besides my family.
What’s the most common mistake you see made in the gym?
Ill give you one for each sex, but I could give you many many more. For guys it’s the lackluster idea that working the bench press and bicep curls is the only exercise you should do. All the guys in my gym are basically on the same routine really. I have seen an increase in the number of people doing squats and deadlifts, but the squats don’t really count. A basic routine for guys in my gym consists of bench press 3 ways, bicep curls for 3 different exercises, and military pressing. Most guys don’t work their legs and it is sad. For the ladies it’s the lack of resistance or weight training. Whoever thought up the idea that women had to use three different pieces of cardio training equipment every workout session should be put to do cardio nonstop for the rest of their lives. Seriously what is the difference between the treadmill, elliptical, and bike? What is the reasoning between bouncing from one to another? Why not just do the 90 minutes on one, its all the same essentially. Ladies need to lift more then men, the benefits are so much greater for women.
What would be your number 1 tip for a young guy/girl aiming to build strength?
Train for strength! Freaking lift heavy weight for low reps. Work triples, doubles, or singles, don’t be scared. I have seen many a young trainee work in the “strength” rep range and have their confidence sky rocket because week after week their PR’s are increasing. They freaking love it. I think it was Jim Wendler who said, “The only way I know how to get stronger is to put more weight on the bar.” How freaking true is that?
I know you have a very busy schedule, how do you find the time to train and have you had to make any sacrifices to pursue your training?
Any time away from family is sacrificial, whether it be at the gym, school, or work. Staying in good overall health doesn’t have to be difficult. You don’t HAVE to workout 5 days a week to maintain good physical condition. I train when I can and if something comes up, well then I decide which thing is more important.
Be honest – have you ever told a female client to perform a particular exercise to get a better look at her butt? 
Nope. I have however adjusted one of my own exercises to take a peek at a girls butt. Looking but not touching is the rules.
If you weren’t a PT, what would be your ideal job?
Stay at home dad. I love being home with my son, but I guess once he goes to school I would be pretty bored during the day. So maybe I would need to do something else. Maybe a PE teacher.
If you weren’t with your wife, who would be your ideal date and why?
Well since I don’t have anyone I want to date in my personal string of friends Ill have to go with a celebrity (and that way so everyone knows what I am talking about). My ideal date would be, geesh I actually sat here and thought about this for 10 minutes unable to actually decide. Maybe Jamie Eason, no explanation needed
Finally, apart from your own (and mine, obviously), which forum members posts do you look out for due to their consistently good quality?
Please note that I don’t usually seek out the good posters, but rather the bad to uphold the level of information on the forum. If someones post are good then I wont always look for them. However I do like to read bipennate, evolution, Georgen, and mreik. 2 of 4 mods huh, that’s weird. Ill give you the reasoning. Bipennate (or my friend Jonathan rather) is without a doubt the smartest man I know. I think he will someday be recognized as the smartest man in fitness as well. My pal Evo thinks along the same lines as I. Just freaking train and eat, simple. Anytime Georgen actually takes the time to post, its usually gonna be something good. Same with Mreik. When he does make a post about training, its usually first hand experience or study referenced. I like that. Not saying there aren’t many other contributing members on the board, but these are ones that I usually look out for.
