Below is an interview I did with the Taiwanese calisthenics group GIN'-A'. In Taiwan, calisthenics are referred to as "street workouts," and the people who do them are often really coming from the street. "GIN'-A'," which means "the children," was started in order to spread the word about calisthenics.
I thought GIN'-A' came up with some really terrific questions for me. Enjoy the interview, and be sure to 'Like' GIN'-A' on Facebook. For the Chinese version of the interview, see HERE.
GIN’-A’: Hi, Travis. Nice to meet you, and thank you
for accepting our request for this interview. Can you please simply introduce yourself?
Travis
Pollen: Hi! My name is Travis
Pollen. I’m a 25-year-old graduate student studying biomechanics at the
University of Delaware in Delaware, USA. In addition to my schoolwork, I’m a
certified personal trainer. I enjoy practicing, teaching, and blogging about
calisthenics and weightlifting.
G: I first saw your video on Frank Medrano’s Facebook page, and I can’t lie, it really impressed me. So here I am, sharing some inspiration
with the Taiwan people. First of all, what is your impression of Taiwan?
T: Thank you so much for watching my video! I
had a great time making it. I hope it inspires people to get up and get active.
Although I’ve never been to Taiwan personally, my best friend’s family is
actually from Taiwan. He’s been there many times, so I’ve heard a lot about it
and seen pictures. It sounds like a terrific place, and I’d love to visit
someday!
G: This might be rude, but I am wondering
what’s the story behind your handicap?
T: Not rude at all! For most purposes, I say
I’m an above-knee amputee, but it’s actually slightly more complicated. I was
born with a rare congenital birth defect called proximal femoral focal
deficiency (PFFD, for short). Basically, this means that I’m missing me left
thigh bone, and my left knee functions as a hip. I had the foot at the end of
my short leg amputated when I was three years old for better cosmetics and
functionality with a prosthesis.
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| Illustration of my birth defect: proximal femoral focal deficiency |
G: What made you get into the fitness world?
How do you feel about the industry? Is it booming upward or on a downward trend?
T: I obtained my personal trainer
certification three years ago. I had just finished my undergraduate degree in
physics, and I knew I didn’t want to pursue physics. I’d always loved exercise,
so I figured I could work as a personal trainer until I sorted out my career
plans. Lo and behold, I absolutely loved personal training, and I plan to be
involved in the fitness industry for the rest of my life. The connections I’ve
made with people in the field, both in person and over the Internet, have been
life changing. I definitely think the industry is booming. Just look at the
staggering numbers of people participating in the CrossFit Open each year!
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| Source: https://www.facebook.com/CrossFitGames/photos/ |
G: In Taiwan we have a problem with personal
trainers focusing so much on promotion that they failing to engage in
continuing education. These trainers have lots of clients but not a lot of
knowledge. What is your opinion on this issue? Does the USA have this kind of
corruption?
T: Yes, this is a huge problem in the USA as
well. The certification standards are very low. People can obtain their qualifications
simply by studying a textbook and taking a test or by attending a weekend program.
Just because you’re in great shape, read a book, or spent a couple of days at a
workshop doesn’t mean that you’re a capable trainer, especially given the challenges
we face working with real people with real medical and injury histories.
Furthermore, the bad trainers give the good trainers a bad reputation. As my
mentor from the National Personal Training Institute (NPTI) says, the certification is only the beginning; the education never stops.
G: I saw a lot of calisthenics exercises
in your video. When did you start training like this? Is it part of your regular
training program, or are you just having fun with it?
T: Since I was a young boy, I’ve always
enjoyed calisthenics. I remember being able to do more pull-ups than my
classmates in elementary school gym class. I’m a firm believer in mastering
your own bodyweight (planks, push-ups, inverted rows, bodyweight squats, etc.)
before progressing to exercises with added external resistance. To this day,
calisthenics remain a big part of my training program. I’m always working on
mastering a new trick. Most recently, I’ve been working on my one-arm
handstands.
G: Also, I saw a “planche” and “front lever”
in the video, both of which are not easy movements. Do you practice them in particular,
or are you just able to do them naturally (as a result of your weight lifting
background)?
T: This is a great question. I swam
competitively in high school and college, which afforded me a lot of upper body
strength that carried over to my calisthenics. Plus, having one leg obviously
makes my lower body much lighter than normal. Thus, some of the challenging
movements you mention have come naturally to me. For instance, I performed a
human flag the first day I tried, which, admittedly, seems a little unfair to
the people who spend years working up to that. With that said, other movements,
like muscles-ups and planches, took me weeks or even months to conquer, and I
definitely still have room to improve.
G: How many days a week do you workout? Can
you show us your training schedule?
T: I work out just about every day, or at
least 6 out of 7. Sometimes I think back and realize that I haven’t taken a day
off in a couple of weeks! Some days I’m in the gym for two hours; others I just
do a quick workout at home. When I’m at the gym, I try to train my entire body
every session, meaning I’ll do something for my lower body (i.e. deadlift),
some sort of upper body pushing movement (i.e. bench press), some sort of upper
body pulling movement (i.e. pull-ups), and something for my core (i.e. ab
wheel). At the end, I might throw in some conditioning work, but after doing so
much cardio over the years with swimming, I don’t worry too much about that.
Pictured here is an example of a 4-day training program I designed and followed
for about six weeks.
G: In terms of training others, what is your opinion
of calisthenics?
T: I think calisthenics are an underutilized
art. Many trainers are quick to jump on free weights or machines, but what
about mastering your own bodyweight first? People forget that you can get a
great workout without any equipment at all (besides perhaps a pull-up bar)! There
are tons of advanced exercises that one can do with just their own body
(handstands, pistol squats, one-arm push-ups, muscle-ups, etc.).
G: Have you ever watched the street-workout
competition? Who’s your favorite athlete in USA?
T: Sadly, I’ve never seen a street-workout
competition in person, but I’ve seen highlights on YouTube and Facebook, mostly
from Frank Medrano’s page. That man is incredible! I think my favorite is when
guys do a 360-degree turn from the top position of a muscle-up. I’d love to try
that, but I’m scared!
G: Impressively, you still squat, even with
one leg. Did it take a long time to learn to balancing and produce force at the
same time?
T: Because I was born missing my leg, my
single-leg balance has always been very good. (I don’t know any different!)
Squatting with a bar and weight definitely took some getting used to, of
course. I was lucky to have good mentors over the years who encouraged safety
and proper form.
G: What are your personal records for the bench press, squat, and deadlift?
T: At a bodyweight of about 130 lbs (59 kg), here are my PR's:
- Bench press: 205 lbs (93 kg).
- Single-leg squat: I’ve never actually maxed out – the balance does become an issue when I go heavy. I usually go light for work sets with about 65 lbs (29.5 kg).
- Single-leg deadlift: 175 lbs (79.5 kg).
G: When a setback comes, how do you deal with
it? How do you keep your motivation?
T: This is a really pertinent question, as I
just underwent serious colorectal surgery for ulcerative colitis, which I’d
been battling since 2010. According to doctor’s orders, I’m not allowed to lift
anything heavier than a gallon of milk for the next two months. This has been a
major challenge for me, as exercise is obviously a huge part of my daily life. To
fill the void in the meantime, I continue to read and write and help friends
with their training. Also, on a positive note, I think this will be a great
learning experience for me. When I do return to the gym, I will have to start
from square one, with very little strength and stamina. This is the same
challenge that so many sedentary people face when they return to exercise, and
I will get to experience it firsthand.
G: I saw that you just came home from hospital.
Are you okay now? I hope you’re recovering!
T: Thank you so much. The surgery went really
well, but I had several complications afterward that resulted in a two-week
hospital stay and 17 lbs (8 kg) of weight loss. I’m glad to be back home finally.
Although the road to recovery is going to be a long one, I continue to feel a
little bit better each day.
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| Working on my deep breathing while in the hospital. |
G: Again, thanks for showing us human toughness.
You are truly a model for us. I hope we’ll meet each other someday.
T: You are too kind. Thank you so much for
reaching out and for the fabulous questions. I’m so glad that people near and
far are finding my work inspiring, as it’s what I love to do. I hope to visit
Taiwan someday soon!
