Today we’d like to introduce you to Nikki McCareins.
Nikki, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
My passion for training began in high school while running track. An ACL injury ending my gymnastics career and the only way to continue competing in something was to run track full time. The patience and long-term planning that was required to not only recover, but to be stronger was my first taste of programming. As I progressed through college, programming my off-season training was something I enjoyed as much as the meets. Post graduation, I continued programming for myself to compete in both bodybuilding and fitness competitions. During that phase, I learned how damaging binge training and eating can be to the body.
Usually, more harm than good was done attempting to accomplish something in 4-6 weeks. I won a handful of National Level competitions as an amateur, but I chose to not get my Pro Card because I also had a career to focus on. I started personal training and also writing programming for other athletes looking to compete. All of those learnings plus the trials and tribulations of gaining and losing 60lbs for each of my two children was the foundation of Barbell Cardio’s programming.
Has it been a smooth road?
Training teaches you that nothing is easy. The only way to improve is to put yourself in situations that are uncomfortable, embrace them, do your best, and EARN the results. For MAC, balancing a family and also starting a business with no prior experience was as much mental as it was time-consuming.
There were days before the gym officially opened where I would second guess myself, second, guess our goal, and wonder if anyone would want to train at the intensity my programming would require. I had faith in my vision and believed that like anything, the struggle to get equipment installed, the struggle to file permits with the town, and the late nights I spent working out to my programming in the garage would pay off. I gave my best effort and had the support of family and friends and it was 100% worth it.
About five months after the opening of MAC, I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer, putting my work on hold and having to trust our MAC team. I was forced to quickly find a doctor, schedule the surgery, and reassess my priorities in life and what I wanted to spend my time doing. Surgery was successful, but it was my third major surgery in five years and I was looking at another recovery. It would either be a burden or be an opportunity to learn more about myself. I learned how much support I had from my husband and family and how much support I had from friends too. It was a very low time in my life, but I am stronger because of it.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
MAC Speed & Strength has an adult training program I write, Barbell Cardio, and sports performance training for Middle School and High School athletes. For adults, what sets us apart is the fact that every single workout was written by the owner, NOT purchased or downloaded, and the six coaches do ALL of the workouts. Everything our members do, we also do as a coaching staff. We don’t have side training, we train 3-5x a week like our members. We sweat together to support each other.
For our young athletes, what sets us apart is the fact that the coaches have all competed at the highest level and we take pride in our attention to detail and earning the trust of the athletes, not just writing hard workouts and seeing kids struggle. We understand that to train effectively and make long-term progress, a bond has to be created between the athlete and trainer. We are known for how much athletes improve their jumping and quickness as well as their endurance on the field.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
Plano is a fantastic city with great family values and also plenty of reasons to be in shape with the great parks and trails along with the outdoor promenades close by. People in Plano aren’t too busy to notice the little things small businesses do, and MAC takes a lot of pride in the little things. There is plenty of competition in all industries, especially fitness, but you can make it if you’re willing to provide a great service and make people feel appreciated for their business and support.
Pricing:
- Adult Training Comes in singles/10 Packs/30 Packs and Unlimited for $15/$140/$390 and $169/month
- Youth Training comes in 8/12/16/24 session packages for as low as $33/session
Contact Info:
- Address: Mac Speed & Strength
3645 Dallas Parkway #599
Plano, TX 75024 - Website: www.macspeedandstrength.com
- Phone: 630-373-9861
- Email: info@macspeedandstrength.com
- Instagram: macspeedandstrength https://www.instagram.com/macspeedandstrength/?hl=en
- Facebook:Mac Speed and Strength https://www.facebook.com/macspeedandstrengthplano/
- Twitter: macspeedplanotx
Image Credit:
Nikki McCareins
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