Mark McClenathen

Meet Mark McClenathen
I’m a Manufacturing Engineer and work in Goleta. In July of 2009, I had back surgery for a ruptured disk L4-L5. I have always been a very active person and I Gigured life, as I knew it, was over! Dr. Brook Phillips was my physical therapist at Hayashida and helped rebuild me from the ground up. He recommended that I start building my core. Around October of the same year, I started “Paying Myself First” and working out at least two times a week. I remember I would come home from these 6:00 pm workouts, ice my back and go to bed wondering if I was doing the right thing. I was really embracing the “No Pain, No Gain” moto.

 

When did you start coming to Prevail?
I worked out at Hayashida for about 2-3 years and then Hayashida contracted with Prevail around the 2011/12 time frame. Jacob Goodin was my first coach at Prevail, then Caitie Wippermann and now, JB Quigley.

What impact has training at Prevail made in your life?
Wow! Where do I start? My life has changed in so many ways with how I feel. I sleep better, I move better, and I can play hard on the weekend and not be sore at all. I also thought I would never be able to perform a dead lift again! Jacob coached me back into believing in myself and I did my first dead lifts with him. This year, I had a conservative goal of 300lbs, and, with JB’s help, easily did 315lbs.

Do you have any words of encouragement or tips for somebody new to exercise (or restarting)?
Have patience with yourself and your body, also Never Surrender….Never Give Up!

What are your hobbies?
My family and I really like being outdoors on the water so we tow each other around lakes with our boat. I also like biking and hiking. I have hiked Mt. Whitney twice in one year. My friends also know me for the classic cars I own and have restored.

What is your favorite movement/exercise?
My favorite movement are Bear Crawls and any exercises with some excitement like Box Jumps (up). My least favorite movement is Core Clocks.

Any additional comments you would like to share?
I am honored to have been noticed and selected for my hard work and want to thank the Prevail Team!