About Brian: "Brian McGee has been honing his skills as an expert in the fitness field for over a decade. His unwavering commitment to his craft has led him around the world searching for the newest and most effective ways for his clients to train. Brian’s holistic approach to fitness training led him to create Higher Ground Fitness (HGF), which treats the entire 360 degrees of the body. In 2013 Brian found a permanent home for HGF at his own boutique studio Fit 360 DC located in the heart of Mount Pleasant. Here Brian’s vision of a place where members can come in on their own schedule for a workout, where other trainers and instructors can work with individual clients, and class attendees can get the best of HGF. With a continuous eye on what works best Brian works daily to introduce the newest products and challenges to Fit 360 and the HGF workout."
Brian was kind enough to answer questions for the latest installment of our Featured Trainer series.
1. Share a little about your fitness background. How did you become a personal trainer? How long have you been a trainer?
My actual start as a training coach came from a personal decision to change the direction of my own health and fitness. Many people have assume that my interest in training may have come from years as a high school or collegiate athlete, based on my build and professional demeanor. It in fact came well after those years, when I was about 28. I wasn't grossly over or under weight. Ultimately, from spending my 20's eating a steady diet of fast and processed food, I physically didn't feel like much of anything.
I also looked around in my own family that had a history of assorted health problems, with the one healthy example being my grandfather. My Grandfather was always active with something, whether it was riding his bike, playing tennis or going on long walks. At 91 years and counting, he continues to be my greatest example of how to walk actively through life.
I decided that I didn't want to go through life walking in small footsteps. I wanted to walk taller, stronger and healthier in the proud steps of my grandfather. My 14 year professional journey of discovering my inner athlete led me to wanting to help others find their own athletes within, growing from an interest to a passion, and from a passion to a career.
2. What makes your training style unique?
I feel the what makes me unique is my drive to help people discover their greatest physical potential through a 360 degree approach to the human machine, but with great attention to detail. I call it an open-architecture approach that doesn't tie me down to one philosophy fitting all, instead allowing me to create different pathways to help people reach individual, specific goals. I continue to stay progressive in educating myself on only the best, most efficient and effective ways to challenge both mind and body in movement, strength and power.
3. If you could change one behavior you see in your clients, what would it be?
For all my clients, all I ever want to is add to their list of "Can's" and subtract from their list of "Can't's". We grow and progress through challenges to the body as well as the mind. If someone has it in their mind that a challenge can't be done, they likely won't be able to do it with their body. In wanting my clients to succeed, I never put anything in front of them that I don't think they can do. Through Higher Ground Fitness coaching, my challenge is always to erase self-doubt and let people know that they're stronger than they think they are.
4. Share a 20 minute workout one can complete at home with minimal or no equipment.
I have a killer workout out that I give my clients who travel, or simply have several days in between class visits that requires no more than the space of a living room carpet. I call it the Countdown Series, where you start with 6 exercises covering upper body, lower body, core and especially endurance.
30 Jump Squats (Start out with your feet square, just outside your shoulders. Load into a squat, with your hips drawn back, knees bent and hands reaching outward. Spring up tall into a jump as high as you can get, then landing on the balls, then heel of the feet, ready to load up for the next one)
30 Core Toe Touches (Lay on the floor on your back, with your arms and legs extended. Bring both of your arms up & over as you bring your knees in folded in the middle, reaching fingertips to toes. Open the arms & legs back up & continue)
30 Pushups (Face the ground with both hands and feet just beyond shoulder width. Keep a straight plank position with ankles, hips & shoulders aligned. Bend at the elbows, bringing your body as low to the ground as possible, then push back up, keeping your abs tight)
30 Jump Split Lunges (Stagger your feet parallel, bending both the front and back knees, keeping your back straight. Spring up, switching your legs in mid-air from front to back, landing softly with you back remaining upright. Continue to jump and switch)
30 Mountain Climbers (Face down in a pushup position. Alternate bringing one knee in towards your chest, with the opposite leg still extended. Switch continuously for as fast as you can)
30 Second Plank (Hold a plank position, with your elbows under your shoulders, toes under your heels, & hips/core lifted from the floor. Hold tight but still breath)
Try to do 30 reps of all exercises, one set after another, with little to no rest. Then you can repeat the same 6 exercises 25 times each, then 20, then 15, then 10, then 5. The first 30 may be enough for most, and the countdown can be broken down into whatever increments you can handle, such as 30, 20, 10, or 30, 15, or start at 20 working your way down.
5. Briefly describe your weekly workout schedule. Is it seasonal? How many rest days do you take each week?
I personally am often the guinea pig for my own classes, so my workouts can vary greatly. As I program exercises for classes, I take progressive challenges using many different functional fitness media, from kettlebells, TRX, resistance bands, BOSU boards, barbells and more, taking them to their athletic heights and working back down to what will work for all levels. I usually stick to 4-5 days a week, maintaining a high intensity level, alternating days between more upper body/core and lower body/core.
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6. What is your favorite outdoor Washington D.C. activity? Do you have a favorite hike or run?
I live on my bike. It's my car. It's of course there to take me from point A to point B, but at least twice a week I like to go for longer rides, usually midday, along the Capital Crescent trail, leading into the Mt. Vernon trail. On those rides, I like to go for around 30 mile or more. Riding around the monuments, over the Memorial Bridge, by the Arlington Cemetery really connects me to what a great architectural city my home town is.
7. What is your favorite place in the DC area to get a healthy meal?
One of my favorite places to go is Founding Farmers. When I want simple, I go for their Mushroom Reuben or Veggie Meatloaf. For pure reward-for-hard-work-indulgence, I go for the Crab Cakes or the Slow-Braised Short Ribs.
8. What do you like most about being a personal trainer?
What I like about being a training coach is simple…people train better with me in here, they perform better out there. Performance can be your personal best in a marathon, or playing with your children, nieces, and nephews, or carrying a bag of mulch to garden with no pain. A big part of what makes them perform better is the fire they have inside that makes them jump, squat, push, pull, lift, twist and stand tall…& I help light the fuse. People discover something within themselves that they never thought they could do, but could actually do all along, breaking down the barriers of what's achievable in other areas of their life. This kind of work helps people see what's possible.
Train with Brian in Mt. Pleasant at Fit 360 DC. You can also follow Fit 360 DC on Facebook.
