Meet Dan McCarthy, PerformancePro strength and conditioning coach. With a lifelong interest in sport and impressive credentials as a professional trainer, we’re delighted to welcome him to the team.,
Dan’s life before PerformancePro
Essex born Dan has always been doing some form of sport. Throughout his childhood, it was football, rugby, cricket and boxing etc, but weighing in at 17st by the age of 16 years old he gravitated more towards rugby where being big had its advantages.
Dan went on to play rugby at County and Academy level for 3 years as a Prop, but eventually decided to drop some weight, not just for the rugby but also for his health.
As Dan began to drop weight over the years, picking up a few injuries and changing positions along the way, his training needed revamping. So he looked to improve his knowledge in training for certain sports and focus more closely on strength and conditioning.
“Rugby was just one of many sports I had a passion for. I have also competed in Boxing, Football, Powerlifting and now Crossfit. The process and methods for training people to reach their goals or sporting demands is a massive interest of mine.”
So, after 5 years working in the construction industry as a trainee supervisor, Dan decided to pursue his passion for sport and fitness. He became a qualified personal trainer and strength and conditioning coach.
Whilst studying for his BSc in strength and conditioning, Dan created relationships and opportunities with football clubs such as Charlton AFC Academy and QPR WFC. He now works with QPR women’s side as a lead S&C coach. This involves working with both youth, female and male player and has been a huge learning curve and invaluable coaching experience.
Dan and PerformancePro
We asked Dan what attracted him to PerformancePro,
“What attracted me most was the standard and professionalism PerformancePro has as soon as you walk through the door. Every coach is well equipped and qualified to do their job. You are guaranteed to learn a lot with the brain power here at PerformancePro.
“Working with clients to achieve their goals has to be up there. Seeing the commitment each client has to push themselves to become a better person overall and reach their maximum potential. This is something you just don’t see in any other job.”
And away from the gym?
Away from the gym, Dan tries not to take life too seriously.
“I love a bit of food. Travelling and learning about other cultures is another interest of mine. Sport is a great love of mine, rugby, football, boxing, F1, Crossfit, and occasionally cricket.”
Dan’s own fitness
Dan trains 6 days a week. Currently, his training is targeted towards Crossfit as a sport/training style, with a blend of strength, conditioning and skill required (gymnastics). He tends to split his training schedule so that he can maximise the adaptation from each session and avoid any interference effect.
“Crossfit is something I would like to see how far I could get in competitively, as I compete in competitions as often as possible. “
As much as he gets the physical benefits of training, Dan also trains as a form of physical therapy,
“It’s a massive stress relief for me and plays a crucial part in order for me to get through my day.”
Top 3 fitness Do’s and Don’ts?
Do
- Stretch, stretch, stretch: ‘We are the only animals that wake up and don’t stretch straight after’. Committing 10-15mins of your day stretching out your body has shown increases in quality of life.
- Stay Active: This follows the first point. Stay active even just by getting your steps in, going for walks, stretching, small 30 minute sessions, anything! Just keep moving, that’s what our bodies are made to do. If you find yourself sitting in a chair for 2-3hrs, set an alarm/reminder to stretch, walk about, and move! That way it avoids any future issues of joint stiffness and muscle tightness.
- Sustainability leads to consistency: Find something you can stick to that isn’t going to make you feel broken for the rest of the week, or something that is just too easy and not enjoyable. Long lasting results come from a sustainable and consistent routine in and out the gym.
Don’t
- Compare: Avoid comparing your journey to others, we all have different start points and experiences.
- Overthink: A lot of people can get caught up worrying about what others think of them when in the gym or training. The truth is, no one cares, no one is judging you and no one is questioning you. Focus on your reasons for being there and keep doing what you’re doing.
- Be afraid to ask for help: If you don’t know what to do, find yourself hitting a brick wall with your progress, or may have an injury, ask a professional for help, that’s why we are here!
Inspiration
For inspiration Dan looks at the human body as this amazing thing that everybody gets
“We all come in different shapes and sizes, all capable of many different things. And with this body you are given one chance to maximise its full potential and see how far you can take it both physically and mentally. I want to see how far I can take and keep challenging my body to do many things I never thought I could. This mindset can sit with anybody, at any age, sex, weight, height etc. You have to stay focused and hit each goal at a time.“