Shaun T (fitness trainer)
Encyclopedia
Shaun T. is an American
fitness trainer and choreographer best known for his Insanity and Hip-Hop Abs home fitness programs for adults and children. Shaun is 5 in 11 in (180.34 cm) tall and weighs 175 pounds (79.4 kg).
, New Jersey
and grew up playing football, baseball and track. He attended Rowan University
, where he received his BS in Sports Science
and minored in Theater/Dance. After gaining 50 pounds in his freshman year
of college, Shaun changed his course of study and became interested in fitness. He now lives in New York City
.
Shaun T's career began as a health and fitness specialist/personal trainer and health program manager at Wyeth
, a multi-national pharmaceutical company. He also worked at a number of fitness chains, including Equinox Fitness
. Shaun began dancing in college, when, at 21, he was required to teach an aerobics
class as a part of his Sports Science degree and became an aerobics instructor. After graduating from Rowan University
, he moved to Los Angeles
to work as a choreographer, dancer and trainer. His first professional work as a dancer was for Mariah Carey
. While Thompson was teaching a popular fitness class at Equinox Fitness
, he was approached by representatives of Beachbody, LLC. and asked to submit a demo for a workout video.
-style program and later with P90X, hosted by fitness guru Tony Horton
. Beachbody was looking to augment their line of fitness DVDs with an intense workout, and Thompson answered the call with what would become the "Insanity" series, which was released in 2009. It was dubbed 'the hardest workout put on DVD' and sold via infomercials. Insanity is a workout regimen similar to P90X in that it claims to improve fitness through strenuous stamina, but is meant to be tougher than P90X in that it delivers results in only 60 days (as opposed to the 90-day regimen in P90X). Insanity's advertising emphasizes "max interval training
", a method of exercising during which one works out strenuously for 3–4 minutes and then rests or "cools down" for approximately 30 seconds before starting the whole process over again. This is essentially a reversal of traditional interval training
, during which participants exercise rigorously for 30 seconds and then cool down for 3–4 minutes.
, marketed by parent-company Beachbody and a network of authorized affiliates, as well as through infomercials.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
fitness trainer and choreographer best known for his Insanity and Hip-Hop Abs home fitness programs for adults and children. Shaun is 5 in 11 in (180.34 cm) tall and weighs 175 pounds (79.4 kg).
Early life and career
Shaun T. was raised in CamdenCamden, New Jersey
The city of Camden is the county seat of Camden County, New Jersey. It is located across the Delaware River from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city had a total population of 77,344...
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
and grew up playing football, baseball and track. He attended Rowan University
Rowan University
Rowan University is a public university in Glassboro, New Jersey, USA with a satellite campus in Camden, New Jersey. The school was founded in 1923 as Glassboro Normal School on a twenty-five acre tract of land donated by the town...
, where he received his BS in Sports Science
Sports science
Sport science is a discipline that studies the application of scientific principles and techniques with the aim of improving sporting performance...
and minored in Theater/Dance. After gaining 50 pounds in his freshman year
Freshman fifteen
The Freshman fifteen refers to an amount of weight often gained during a student's first year at college.The expression is commonly used in the United States and Canada...
of college, Shaun changed his course of study and became interested in fitness. He now lives in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.
Shaun T's career began as a health and fitness specialist/personal trainer and health program manager at Wyeth
Wyeth
Wyeth, formerly one of the companies owned by American Home Products Corporation , was a pharmaceutical company. The company was based in Madison, New Jersey, USA...
, a multi-national pharmaceutical company. He also worked at a number of fitness chains, including Equinox Fitness
Equinox Fitness
Equinox Fitness is a luxury fitness company with its national headquarters in New York. Equinox operates three separate fitness brands: Equinox Fitness, PURE Yoga and Blink Fitness. Equinox is a subsidiary of The Related Companies, one of the largest real estate development and property management...
. Shaun began dancing in college, when, at 21, he was required to teach an aerobics
Aerobics
Aerobics is a form of physical exercise that combines rhythmic aerobic exercise with stretching and strength training routines with the goal of improving all elements of fitness...
class as a part of his Sports Science degree and became an aerobics instructor. After graduating from Rowan University
Rowan University
Rowan University is a public university in Glassboro, New Jersey, USA with a satellite campus in Camden, New Jersey. The school was founded in 1923 as Glassboro Normal School on a twenty-five acre tract of land donated by the town...
, he moved to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
to work as a choreographer, dancer and trainer. His first professional work as a dancer was for Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. She made her recording debut with the release of her eponymous studio album in 1990, under the guidance of Columbia Records executive Tommy Mottola, whom she later married in 1993...
. While Thompson was teaching a popular fitness class at Equinox Fitness
Equinox Fitness
Equinox Fitness is a luxury fitness company with its national headquarters in New York. Equinox operates three separate fitness brands: Equinox Fitness, PURE Yoga and Blink Fitness. Equinox is a subsidiary of The Related Companies, one of the largest real estate development and property management...
, he was approached by representatives of Beachbody, LLC. and asked to submit a demo for a workout video.
Insanity
Carl Daikeler and Jon Congdon launched the Beachbody fitness company in 1998, and had early success in 2001 with Power 90, an in-home boot campFitness boot camp
A fitness boot camp is a type of physical training program conducted by gyms, personal trainers, and former military personnel. These programs have been increasing in popularity for the past several years....
-style program and later with P90X, hosted by fitness guru Tony Horton
Tony Horton
Anthony Darrin Horton is a former Major League Baseball player. A first baseman who batted and threw right-handed, Horton played for the Boston Red Sox and Cleveland Indians ....
. Beachbody was looking to augment their line of fitness DVDs with an intense workout, and Thompson answered the call with what would become the "Insanity" series, which was released in 2009. It was dubbed 'the hardest workout put on DVD' and sold via infomercials. Insanity is a workout regimen similar to P90X in that it claims to improve fitness through strenuous stamina, but is meant to be tougher than P90X in that it delivers results in only 60 days (as opposed to the 90-day regimen in P90X). Insanity's advertising emphasizes "max interval training
Interval training
Interval training is a type of physical training that involves bursts of high-intensity work interspersed with periods of low-intensity work...
", a method of exercising during which one works out strenuously for 3–4 minutes and then rests or "cools down" for approximately 30 seconds before starting the whole process over again. This is essentially a reversal of traditional interval training
Interval training
Interval training is a type of physical training that involves bursts of high-intensity work interspersed with periods of low-intensity work...
, during which participants exercise rigorously for 30 seconds and then cool down for 3–4 minutes.
Hip Hop Abs
Shaun T's first work for Beachbody was released in 2006. The majority of the workout plan was designed to target abdominal muscles in different ways. Sold via informercial, they also came with a nutrition guide, a workout calendar and 24-hour online support. In 2007 it was the top selling workout video in the United States.Program distribution
Thompson's fitness programs, along with associated gear and nutritional supplements, are sold mainly by mail orderMail order
Mail order is a term which describes the buying of goods or services by mail delivery. The buyer places an order for the desired products with the merchant through some remote method such as through a telephone call or web site. Then, the products are delivered to the customer...
, marketed by parent-company Beachbody and a network of authorized affiliates, as well as through infomercials.
Videography
- 2011: Insanity: The Asylum (Exercise video series)
- 2009: Insanity (Exercise video series)
- 2008: Rockin' Body (Exercise video series)
- 2008: Shaun T's Fit Kids Club (Exercise video for ages 7 and up)
- 2008: Get Real with Shaun T (Exercise video for pre-teens)
- 2007: Hip Hop Abs (Exercise video series)