Ian Warner
DNA Training, Markham ON, Canada
Ian Warner, the owner of DNA Training, has always been involved in sports.
From his first years in youth soccer to being a long jumper, sprinter, and football player in high school to practicing bodybuilding in his twenties, Ian has always enjoyed sports. “I started weight training in my basement when I was 11 years old, with a barbell set consisting of plastic and cement weights,” Ian recalled.
Twenty-five years ago, Ian was introduced to the personal training industry after the first Gold’s Gym opened in Toronto. “Because of my keen interest in the sport and self-taught knowledge base, I was often approached by fellow members for help and advice,” Ian explained. “I would walk the floor and help members with their workouts or offer suggestions concerning how to increase muscle gains or lose body fat.” Ian also coached his girlfriend, now his wife, as well as others for many competitions at the local, provincial and national level and landed his first official ‘personal trainer’ job at the same gym in 1989.
Like so many others in the field, Ian left the training industry when we married and started a family, but he could not stay away for long. When his boys started playing football in 1996, Ian was ready to get back to his passion. “Their involvement in football resulted in me serving 12 years as a football coach at the minor level through to high school. Not only have I helped to develop numerous young athletes, but I have also mentored a number of other coaches,” Ian told Source 4 Speed. Soon people started noticing the results that his coaching was producing in the athletes more requests started pouring in.
Deciding to take it to the next level, in 2001, Ian became certified as a Personal Training Specialist. He is has also completed certifications in Can-Fit-Pro, Level II Football and has a pending certification as an International Sports Science Association (ISSA) Specialist in Sports Conditioning. Ian has been able to expand his cliental to include strength, conditioning and speed for a variety of sports, including soccer, tennis and dragon boating.
Ian also takes pride in helping his sons succeed in the world of sports. “With my help as their strength coach my kids have been able to parlay their talents into National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) scholarships. I will continue as my older son’s strength coach as he prepares for the 2012 Olympics.”
“I don’t believe in beating athletes up, they get enough punishment during competitions,” Ian said when asked about his training philosophy. “However, I do believe in helping them train hard to ‘bullet proof’ their bodies and help them minimize injuries during the season. I enjoy seeing an athlete gain confidence in their chosen sport.”
“As a head football coach for 6 years, I’ve been able to take teams from below .500 to two quarter finalist, two semi-finalist, two runner ups, and a city championship. My wife and I have helped both our kids obtain full scholarships for Track & Field. ” Ian’s eldest son just graduated from Texas Christian University (TCU) with a degree in Health and Fitness. He will train athletes along side Ian while pursuing a professional track career. Ian’s other son, is a sophomore at Iowa State pursuing a business degree.
Ian works hard to constantly increase his knowledge through an extensive library he adds to monthly and various seminars he attends ever year. “I enjoy the challenge of gleaning nuggets of gold that can be passed onto my clients that have never been seen or heard of by them. I like to provide athletes with information to help them understand why they are performing a particular drill or exercise; it allows them to understand the benefit while gaining their confidence.”
