1) Who is Tim Stevenson? (where are you from, what do you do, a bit about yourself (hobbies, etc)
Born in Nottingham, studied an undergraduate in Business and Management then decided that the real world looked horrendous so went to Australia to train and work as a scuba diving instructor. Had a great time so then went to Zanzibar for a year to do some more. In 2007 I thought I should probably get a proper job or risk becoming labelled as a beach bum so I moved home and started working in Sports Development. I began an internship as a Strength and Conditioning coach in 2008 and since then I’ve trained athletes at all levels of the performance pathway, initially spending a lot of time in a university set up whilst building my specialism in Paralympic sport. I supported 4 athletes who competed and medalled at London 2012, finished my Masters in Exercise Physiology in 2015, was part of the Great Britain team for the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio and co-founded the School of Calisthenics the same year.
I’m a husband and father. I enjoy embracing complexity through the physical training and movement contexts I work in. Running a business and fulfilling consultancy contracts doesn’t leave much time for hobbies but I enjoy cooking, reading, being outdoors and my most favourite thing is snowboarding. I’m currently learning to ride a horse which is harder than you think (it’s more than just sitting down!).
2) How many years have you been training? (Including how you got started, etc)
I started playing rugby when I was about 10 years old but I was always an active kid from a really young age. Playing sport, training or living an active life has never really stopped but I only really started weight training seriously when I was in Australia in 2004.
3) Whats been the most challenging/hardest part of your journey so far? and how have you overcome them (set backs, rejections, injuries, basically anything difficult that you have had to overcome)
Big question and this answer could go on for a long time so I’ll summarise a few standouts.
Age 12 I dislocated my hip on the training pitch at rugby. That resulted in 2 week tied to a hospital bed in traction and 13 weeks in a wheelchair and on crutches after. When they told me I might never play rugby again I cried.
Rugby also resulted in me dislocating my left shoulder more times than I know and I’ve had 2 reconstructive surgeries. I didn’t come in to strength and conditioning through the traditional route and I’ve never been employed by an organisation. I was self employed from day 1 of my career. In a notoriously low paying industry, building a business and career in the private sector is not easy.
Achieving audacious goals is possible but it takes a lot longer than you think it will and it’s a lot harder than you think it is. I’ve sacrificed quite a lot in the pursuit of my career.
In terms of overcoming these things. When I get knocked back it’s about reflecting, processing and then taking action. Fuelling that is huge ambition and a passion for what I do, I’m, also pretty stubborn, don’t really like conforming and I’m always optimistic about the future. My reality has been that you just have to keep trying to move forwards even if you don’t know what is coming.
4) What does your typical workout/diet routine look like? (With any particular protocols you rate).
Training has evolved a lot over the years and I’ve tried pretty much most forms of strength training but nowadays it is about moving better, getting strong and having fun. My sessions are mostly calisthenics based, especially for the upper body, and I include some weighted work for the lower body which is about getting strength through range in patterns that support me to enjoy my life more now and in the future. That means it’s a lot of single leg and lunge based exercises.
I like having fun and we play a lot with movements in calisthenics. There is always something to explore and learn, it’s one of the reasons it is such a great way to train.
In terms of particular protocols, it depends on what you’re trying to achieve. Never forget specific adaptation to imposed demand. You get what you train for so work out what you want and then decide on the best ways to get it.
5) What new knowledge have you learned over this past year regarding training, lifestyle and nutrition? (And How has it changed your focus for the future).
We’re always learning but over the last year or so I’ve had a lot of fun exploring the research and applied training science of how closed kinetic chain training can improve shoulder performance and robustness. At the School of Calisthenics we call this ‘Bombproof Shoulders’ and we have presented our approach at the UK Strength and Conditioning Association annual conference and with Scottish Rugby Union. I’m also enjoying learning more about running and scaling a business.
6) Whats your favourite cheat/Treat meal?
I don’t do cheat meals because I don’t actually enjoy eating rubbish, low quality and unhealthy food. Things I do really like though is dark chocolate. Anything between 80 - 100% is right up my street. I always like craft cider. Chocolate coated coffee beans are also good but I don’t eat them often at all.
7) Whats one supplement that you could not live without?
None. If my mindset around training was heavily dependant on consuming a certain supplement I would think I had an extremely unhealthy relationship with training and wellness. That statement however comes from years of trying many different things and realising that it’s actually all about the basics. Get those things right and you’ll do way more for your performance than any supplement will ever do.
8) If you had to start your Journey from scratch with both your health & physique what would you do differently and why?
Nothing. I am where I am, knowing what I know and having fun doing what I am doing because of everything I did before and all the mistakes I made. Context is everything and as soon as we realise that what we learn along the way is actually the most valuable part of any difficult and arduous challenge then we give ourselves the freedom to enjoy ourselves. The journey never ends, there are more challenges ahead, more mistakes to make and more surprises in store. That excites me.
9) Who do you look upto in the fitness industry and why?
I have spent a lot of my career working in the complex field of Paralympic strength and conditioning. When I started there were no research papers or books that told you how to train a double leg amputee to run a marathon, or a swimmer with no hands and one foot or someone with cerebral palsy. I’ve had to work a lot of it out for myself which has been an incredible journey but one where I haven’t been able to stand on the shoulders of many giants. In calisthenics we intentionally don’t look at what other people are doing because we don’t want to be influenced. We want to learn it ourselves, make the mistakes, find out what works and shape our own methodology that is tried and tested. We believe the result is a lot more valuable in helping us to coach and support other people.
In terms of people who have influenced me and who I respect. I think the systematic approach developed by Dr Mike Clark and the National Academy of Sports Medicine provides the basis for highly effective training programmes. Mike Boyle speaks a whole lot of sense and I love his philosophy and approach. I think Nick Winkleman is doing some incredibly powerful work around the language of coaching. The list of people doing things that can have a positive effect on your strength and conditioning coaching and training is endless. We can learn something from everyone, good or bad it should shape how we go about our own practice.
10) If you had to give one bit of advice to people starting out what would that be?
This is probably coming more from a lifestyle, career and business perspective than a training one so I hope it helps.
Consistently do the best quality work you can. Become an expert of your craft. Find your niche but develop a wider skill set, for example I’m a strength and conditioning coach in calisthenics but I also like branding and design which is a really useful asset when building a business. Have the audacity to do what others are too afraid to do. Network even if when you find it hard. Nail the basics over and over again. Avoid burnout. When the landscape changes, adapt.
11) What new goals do you have on the horizon?
Move better, get strong and have fun. Find more peace and have more freedom. I might also try to learn to do a single arm handstand.
12) Where can people find you? (website, social media accounts)
@SchoolofCalisthenics on Instragram is the best place to see what we’re up to on social media. Otherwise SchoolofCalisthenics.com. My personal twitter is @timVsgravity
