About Shane
The Mind & Experience Behind Ulfhednar Training Systems
Shane Caraway
Founder, Coach, Competitor.
The roots of my passion for training and programming comes from a place of experience. I am not a fitness or athletic paragon; I have had multiple corrective surgeries, have birth defects in my lungs and cervical spine, and have dealt with chronic issues for the bulk of my life. These many factors pushed me to find solutions to many orthopedic and disease-related issues, and so by 2013 I had nearly eradicated 23-years' worth of chronic disease and injury-related disorders. In 2014, I began to train others in the unique and evolving system I discovered and refined as a matter of personal necessity. Through both formal and self-education, I combine practical experience with a level of technical knowledge that far exceeds that of most coaches and enables me to provide my clients with training and nutritional modalities proven in scientific literature and practical experience.
The progress I found only fueled my desire to learn more. Through formal, ongoing education, personal experimentation, and growing experience in training others, the vast body of knowledge that would become Ulfhednar Training Systems continued to take shape. I began to compete in strongman competitions and the fire of ambition emerged: the crucible of personal challenge and success, as well as that of others under my instruction, demanded ever-better strategies of training, nutrition, and supplementation. Then I found I had a birth defect in my neck and mutated bones in both hips. The neck forced me to reevaluate and sharpen training modalities, while the hips both required corrective orthopedic surgery. In a single year I had two major surgeries, and after therapy, my role changed from trainer to client.
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After two surgeries and with a severe cervical spine deformity inflamed, I found myself deconditioned, weak, and frail. Though I'd always had to contend with asthma, bronchitis, and my damaged neck, I found myself tasked with learning how to use my hips anew. I went from deadlifting 560 pounds to struggling how to find a comfortable position. I'd lost more than just the strength and conditioning I'd gained as a strongman; I was a blank, sedentary slate with my entire 20-plus years of training adaptations almost completely erased. For once, I became my own client.
The challenges forced me to expand my skillset and knowledge base further, and what emerged was a complex system of intersectional training modalities rooted in scientific evidence, practical experience, and a clear vision towards results. Ulfhednar Training Systems was a response to necessity and continues to incorporate the latest, most innovative strategies towards advancing human athleticism and health.
A process that continues today...
Video Montage coming Soon!
My Education
I am constantly expanding my knowledge base, both within and without mainstream exercise and nutritional science. Those clients that I have had the pleasure of guiding for many years know more than most that my protocols are often a decade or more ahead of the mainstream curve.
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That being said, I do have many industry-leading credentials and formal education. Transparently, I gained very little to add to my repertoire from any of these certifications, and my experiences in the formal realm have only reinforced what I learned as a student: getting the alphabets seldom equates to expanded ability.
Certifications, CECs, and Credentials
2013 - Certified Personal Trainer through the National Strength & Conditioning Association (NSCA-CPT)
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2017 -
Certified Lifestyle and Weight Management Specialist, NESTA
Certified Holistic Nutritionist, AFPA
Certified Personal Trainer for Special Populations, AFPA
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2016 - GMP Fitness
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Agility, Balance, and Coordination Training Specialist
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Back Injury Prevention Specialist
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Balance Progressions Specialist
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Core Training Specialist
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Exercise Development Specialist
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Flexibility Training Specialist
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Knee Injury Prevention Specialist
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Posture Analysis Specialist
Career Highlights & Special Mentions
2017- Fitness Learning Systems
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An Introduction to Fitness for Breast Cancer Survivors
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Working with Clients that have Diabetes or Pre-Diabetes: What You Need to Know
2019- New Skills Academy
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Fitness Certification
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Nutrition and Hydration Specialist
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Alzheimer's Research & Prevention Foundation featured Medical Fitness Network Member of the Week
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Medical Fitness Network’s Contributing Author of the Week
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Friends of Parkinson’s featured Medical Fitness Network Member of the Week
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Nationally Qualified Strongman 181 Class 2017-2019
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Owner & Head Coach at Full Circle: Strength and Wellness Center
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Head Coach of Ulfhednar Strongman Team