Shawn Adair

Name: Shawn Adair
Specialty: Powerlifting/calisthenics/ joint mobility
Certifications: BCRPA/ISSA/Agatsu Joint Mobility
Home Gym, City and Province: The Bar, Vancouver, British Columbia
Training style: Mobility, strength and conditioning

Why did you become a personal trainer? 

I learned firsthand just how much a good coach can make or break your progress in all aspects of training, so after having my own trainer for a few months, I decided I wanted to become one.
I have a strong passion for helping others and really enjoy watching people progress to do things they never thought possible. Whether it be to hit a heavy lift, perform a calisthenics skill like the muscle-up, cut down body fat, or even improve/restore joint mobility to help improve performance, they all bring me satisfaction. Having my clients reach their goals is the best part about being a personal trainer and one of the main reasons I love my job.

What do you think is the reason your clients gravitated to you? 

I think my clients gravitate towards me after seeing the results from my other clients either on social media or through word of mouth. I have a very individualized approach to training and make sure to work with everyone on a personal level. I mainly focus on powerlifting/calisthenics and fixing joint mobility while improving form/technique and posture on every exercise. I go by quality over quantity, and all my clients know the importance of proper form and progressions with every exercise. I truly love my job as a trainer/strength coach, and this is my life; I’m at my gym training clients seven days a week because this isn’t work to me—this is my passion!

Greatest client success story.

I have a ton of client testimonials on my Facebook page, but this one is my favourite. I cut it down by half to fit the word limit on here, but you can read his full story on my website.

“My name is Wayne Quong. I’m 61 years old and have been training with Shawn for over three years. I met Shawn at my gym and was simply amazed at his jumping ability; to this day, I have never seen anyone like him. I remember asking him for training tips to increase my box jump, and he told me with the right training, I could get on the 42-inch box. At that time, I told him it would be impossible for me, but after a year of hard training, I did it! In the time I have been with Shawn, I can honestly say that I have achieved all my goals. The great news is that I have replaced those goals with even more challenging ones. It’s so rewarding to be able to do something you never thought possible (compete in powerlifting, 42-inch box jump, 325-pound squat, 340-pound deadlift, 225 bench). It feels great to have conquered all these goals. I can’t wait to see what I can achieve as an athlete. I still have many goals in mind, and I know Shawn will help me get there!”

Why do you think you can rep BSN like a boss? What do you love about the brand? 

I feel that I would rep BSN very well. My passion and drive for this industry are on another level. From owning and running a gym to training clients every day, I am always around great people who are just trying to better themselves with hard work. BSN is here to help you do the same—become a better version of yourself and use your body to its full potential. We all know the importance of nutrition and supplementation when trying to make progress in the gym or just to maintain optimal health. BSN has all the major supplements to get you there, and the quality of them is above them all!

Why should YOU be Canada’s Top trainer? 

I am honoured to be picked for Canada’s top trainer and would like to thank everyone that has helped me get to this point in my life. I have trained all types of people over the last five years, from a IFBB pro figure champion to competitive powerlifters, personal trainers, police, firefighters, doctors, national level sprinter, gymnasts, stunt performers, high-level basketball and soccer athletes, all the way down to your average person who has never set foot in a gym before. To me, a great trainer isn’t just someone who can put you through a workout and make you sore, sweaty, tired or out of breath, because anyone can do that. With my clients, I focus on making them perform better, move better, and live better to reach any goal they want to achieve. I’m not into “functional training”; “functional” means you can sit down, stand up, walk the dog—aka basic skills that the average person should be able to do on a daily basis. I teach/coach “optimal training.” Can you use your body to its full potential? Could you be stronger? Faster? Move/train without pain? Be leaner? Have full range of motion in all your joints? The list goes on but it all comes back to these five main things: movement, programming, nutrition, recovery, and mobility. As a coach, it’s my job to improve all of those so your strength goes up and risk of injury goes down; then, gains will be made.

What is your favourite BSN product and why? 

My favorite BSN product would be their N.O.-Xplode pre-workout, I’ve been using it for over a year now, and I can say my workouts have never been better. Especially if I’ve had a long day or am feeling tired, all I have to do is take one scoop and I’m ready to go. It helps me push harder and last longer during all my workouts in both calisthenics and powerlifting. The focus I get from this pre-workout is one of the main factors why I use it. I’m completely zoned in on what I’m doing, clearing my mind of everything else and just lift. Last but not least is the taste; this pre-workout tastes great. I mix it in with a cup of water right before my workout and sip on it on my way to the gym. I recommend this pre-workout to everyone around me. The quality and results it brings me personally are enough to say this stuff is one of the best. If you haven’t tried it for yourself, I suggest you order some and see what it’s all about.

Follow Shawn's journey to becoming Trainer of the Year on his social media pages! He's active on Twitter, Instagram, Youtube, Facebook, and of course his website!