Hello, who are you and what sports/fitness routine do you play?

Hi! My name is Shannon Mackey and I am a personal trainer at Northern Illinois Combat Club and I also Personal Train online! I absolutely love helping my clients and I wouldn't trade this job for anything in the world. Being a fitness enthusiast not only helped change my life but others as well!

As a teenager, I made sure I stayed very active. I was in track, cheerleading, and I took multiple dance classes from hip hop, Latin, ballroom, you name it, I did it. I didn't get into bodybuilding until I was in my early 20s. I met a great coach that saw potential in me right from the start. I'll never forget the very first day he saw me. He said “you know you're a bodybuilder right?” I always had a very high metabolism so it was easy to maintain my weight. I started doing bodybuilding competitions and I raised a ton of eyebrows instantly. With my very first competition, I placed 2nd taking home 2 trophies. This was such a huge highlight of my life. I was hooked on competing and I wanted to win so after that I kept moving until my next show came. Next competition, I won! I placed first in Greenbay Wisconsin in 2020. I can't explain how happy I was to have this achievement. Working every area of your body to be proportioned right and in perfect symmetry is not easy but the fact that I did it alone during the Covid shutdown, I felt like I was capable of doing anything and everything.

The next thing I wanted to accomplish was passing a course for fitness instructing. I wanted to teach group classes aerobic dances. I went from various schools and gyms  to teach. Elementary students and adults. They had so much fun! Every time they came in I just wanted them to enjoy themselves. Being Fit is supposed to be enjoyable! You're doing what's best for you and your body, so smile while doing it!

How do you get ready to train for your sport/how do you train?

I love doing HIIT workouts!! High-Intensity Interval Training! It incorporates full-body, compound exercises, typically bodyweight-only, which are done in short, intense bursts, at nearly one hundred percent of your max effort, followed by short, sometimes active rest.

For example, 20 seconds at max effort doing a full-body exercise like burpees, followed by of rest, HIIT workouts can use various work to rest structures, but the work time will rarely go over 30-40 seconds per set, as it is extremely difficult to go all out for more than that, not to mention, maintain that same effort over the length of the workout.

After a workout/game, how do you recover your body? What do you do to get your body in shape? What type of diet do you eat? 

I usually end my classes with a cool down workout or end with basic yoga stretches. I want you to feel that stretching routine makes SUCH a big difference in how your body feels. As for my diet, I just try to eat high protein, and as clean as possible. 

I try to eat steak, chicken, fish and veggies on a regular basis. I stay away from soda, candy, and sometimes bread If I'm dieting. I love keeping my body in great shape at all times! I love to cook and am constantly looking for new healthy recipes and while I am not huge on taking supplements, I love their products., and I drink BCAAs during my workouts to help my muscles recover quickly. I also like to end my day with a protein shake after weight lifting!

How do you prevent injuries when you’re training? What type of stretches do you normally do? What’s your routine looking like?

In order to prevent injuries proper form is #1 !!! It's so easy to just pull a muscle not using proper form. Also lifting more weight than you can handle. You have to start lightweight before you go bigger. I've met people with severe rotator cuff injuries from lifting to heavy. That's something that may never move the same after messing it up. Lastly, NEVER over exert yourself. Know your limit. When your body says its time to stop it's time to stop!

If there is someone wanting to get to your level, what type of advice would you give them?

If someone is wanting to get to this level, It’s all about mindset and consistency. There is no I CAN'T. Throw that word can't in the trash everything is a decision say you can think you can it's the only way you will! Another thing is to unlearn the bad behaviors you saw or the negative habits you might have. You're trying to become the best version of yourself. That means you need to disconnect with the old you to embrace the new. YOU ARE CAPABLE! SAY IT WITH ME YOU ARE CAPABLE!

How do you structure your day now? What projects are you busy with?

I have so many projects happening! I have just finished 2 lifestyle magazine articles. Along with completing 24 different tv shows. So by next year expect to see me much more often! My goal is to promote health and fitness all around the world and reach as many as possible to hop on board. I want to impact the lives of others and that is what I'm here to do!

How has your journey on social media been? Future plans?

My goals on social media is to give others a sense of empowerment, and to motivate others to reach their full potential. I try to find creative ways incorporating artistic pictures. I've been loving lifestyle photography so I'm starting to use that more rather than only fitness photography. There's a thousand ways to inspire someone to live a healthy lifestyle so I work very hard to show exactly that.

Knowing what you know now, what do you wish you could tell yourself 10 years ago?

If I could go back and tell myself anything it would be.. sometimes, people see and know your potential before you do and if they try to stop you don't be offended they see something special in you that they can't recognize in themselves, so stay focused because you have lives to change and that's all that matters.

How can our audience find you online?

You can find me on Instagram at @shannon_mackey. 

Shannon  Mackey's Instagram link: https://www.instagram.com/shannon__mackey/

Shannon Mackey is a personal trainer at Northern Illinois Combat Club and she also trains online.

Common question for beginners:

"How long does post workout recovery last?"