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A Few Words with Daine McDonald

How one PICP coach has found a unique niche in Australia’s personal training market

Daine McDonald’s family reads like a Who’s Who of athletic fitness, at least in his home city of Sydney, Australia. His grandfather competed in the 1952 Olympics in weightlifting and also in the Mr. Universe. Daine’s uncle was a national-level bodybuilder, and his father was a bodybuilder and martial artist. Daine has continued the family tradition, starting with martial arts and then weight training. He now has a successful career as a personal trainer, PICP Level 2 coach and BioSig Level 2 practitioner.

The first book on weight training Daine ever read was Weight Lifting, published in 1939 and written by Bob Hoffman, who was a friend of his grandfather. Reading that book and seeing his grandfather in the muscle magazines were two experiences that set the stage for Daine’s love of weights and athletic training.

Through his father, Daine became involved in the martial arts, which he kept up into his late teens, at which time he changed his focus to hitting the iron. He still trains hard because he loves it and believes that strength coaches and personal trainers should practice what they preach.

Daine is in high demand in Sydney, and he works with clients in two training centers located in the city center. Daine works in a corporate environment, so most of his clients are business executives. However, about a quarter of Daine’s clients are also personal trainers. Which speaks volumes about his capabilities as a trainer.

If you’re a personal trainer and want to emulate Daine McDonald’s success, pay close attention to this interview with one of Australia’s best.

KG: Tell us about your work with other personal trainers.
DM: Many of the male or female physique competitors I train or have trained also work as trainers themselves. This niche has increased more over the past year, which correlates with the number of Poliquin Performance courses I take because these courses improve my ability to get results.

KG: Do you have the opportunity to work with athletes?
DM: In my present corporate gym environment, it’s uncommon to have athletes among our clientele, but in the past I have trained rugby players, pro football players and Olympic-level skiers. But bodybuilders, figure and fitness competitors are also athletes in my book, because the training they go through can be just as intense.

KG: What other Poliquin seminars or workshops have you attended?
DM: I have also done two semi-private internships with Charles, along with a few Special Considerations Training Series courses. Just this week I booked my third BioSig – it’ll be in Phoenix in March 2011 – along with the program design course. These courses will be my 10th and 11th courses, respectively, with Charles in a two-year period, and it’s the fifth time I have traveled overseas to do them. So for people who are always complaining that courses are not coming to them, I can only shake my head. If you want to do well in this business, you need to invest the time and money to get ahead. The knowledge I have gained in Charles’s courses far outweighs anything I ever learned through university and accounts for a big part of the increase in my income, which has doubled in the last 18 months.

KG: What other classes are you interested in attending?
DM: I am doing BioSig Continuing Education again in Perth in December, which I am really looking forward to because I am especially keen to learn more about Chinese medicine.

KG: What is your formal academic education, and how much has it helped you in your career?
DM: I spent four years doing tertiary education through the college and university system here in Australia. Although I wouldn’t say I wasted my time completely, a lot of the stuff I learned formally simply was not applicable to achieving real-world results as a personal trainer.

KG: What are the factors that make Charles’s training methods so appealing to you?
DM: What sets Charles’s methods apart from others is that they are simple, practical and effective. Last year one young personal trainer I work with was trying to decide between going to university or doing Charles’s courses. I encouraged him to do Charles’s courses, and now his physique, business and knowledge base has expanded far beyond that of any of his young contemporaries and even seasoned local trainers in my book. So although formal education does have its place, I believe it’s not essential to rise to the top of this field.

KG: Were you skeptical at first about the methods?
DM: Not at all. One good skill I did pick up from my time doing tertiary education is separating the good from the bad and knowing how to research. Even without taking Charles’s reputation into consideration, his methods made a lot of sense to me. All of that, plus the literature I had read about the relationship of hormones to body fat distribution, came together into a system I could use to bring about changes with myself and my clients.

KG: Do you use structural balance assessments in your training?
DM: Yes, it’s the second step I use with prospective clients. Step one is a BioSignature consultation.

KG: How long did it take you to get proficient in applying BioSignature methods with your clients?
DM: I remember doing my first BioSignature course in February of 2009, and Charles talked about there being a BioSig black belt and a BioSig white belt. So, not all practitioners are created equal. This is so true but not something I fully grasped at the time.

I think BioSig can be the most effective method of helping clients achieve their body composition goals, which is extremely important in the personal training field. But BioSig requires a great deal of work and significant study time to get the full benefits. My advice is to use the system on yourself first and get yourself into shape. With the knowledge I have gained from Charles’s courses, I am able to remain comfortably at 94-97 kilos and 6-9 percent body fat, year-round.

KG: What trends are you finding as a personal trainer? For example, what are the most common BioSignature problems among your clients?
DM: I find the number-one issue with most people in Australia who want to attain their goals – which in the personal training market comes down to fat loss – is poor detoxification ability. Liver, kidney and gut function need to be addressed. I generally always fix the body’s ability to detoxify – or optimize it – before I move into treating specific hormonal problems.

KG: What are some common dietary problems associated with your clients when they first consult with you?
DM: Lack of protein intake is typically the number-one issue, especially at breakfast and especially with women clients. Other simple things, such as not drinking enough water and having too many soft drinks per day – and thinking that it’s OK – are other dietary issues that always pop up.

KG: Are your clients reluctant to try supplements?
DM: No, not really. I get a lot of buy-in due to the fact that I look the part – clients and gym members always come up and ask me what supplements I take and so on.

KG: What supplements do you use personally?
DM: Due to my current workload and yang nature I am using Yin R-ALA, Übermag Plus, and Über Inositol T, and this combination is helping me get the sleep I need! Since doing the Hypertrophy Internship with Charles in Sweden this past June, I have been focusing a lot more on peri-workout nutrition by taking Yang R-ALA pre-workout, BCAA’s during the workout, and Whey Stronger, Quadricarb and glutamine post-workout.

KG: What advice would you give those who want to copy your success?
DM: “Learn more to earn more!” This is what Charles teaches in his seminars, and it doesn’t get any simpler than that. Book consulting time with people in the industry from whom you can learn, and do PICP and BioSig. My final thought would be to never let up – don’t think because you have done a few courses and been in the industry for a few years that you know it all. You need to continue studying permanently if you want to separate yourself from the pack.

KG: What are your future goals?
DM: I am currently putting the plans in motion to open up my facility here in Sydney in 2011. This is my number-one business goal for the next year, and I know I will achieve it.