WHO IS MICHAEL?
“I don’t know what I’m fully capable of...but I know I’m fully capable.”
I’ve been blessed to work with thousands of individuals in the past 14 years of coaching: from professional athletes in baseball, hockey, and track and field, to young adults 6 years old and up learning how to move their body, and everyone in between in pursuit of strength, health and happiness.
I’ve had the opportunity to connect with the best of the best through hosting two top 10 podcasts, learning from the stories, insights and experiences from the greatest coaches in the world.
All from the one realization I’ve had my whole life; that I wanted to help others live their best lives, everyday.
What’s up, I’m Michael, Coach, Kettlebell Instructor, Intuitive Practitioner and Connector of Strength. My mission is to be a navigator to those who want anything but an average life find their path towards physical, mental, and spiritual strength.
How it Started
I, like so many young boys growing up, was enthralled with sports and competition. Mostly playing baseball, basketball and tennis in my youth, on the field was always where I felt most alive. But unlike many of my friends and peers, who were always excited for game time, I had a love for practice.
I knew early on that practice was when you got to work on improving yourself, and try new and different skills and plays. The feeling I got from seeing progress in myself, and working with my teammates and seeing them improve, was a feeling different than playing in a game. I knew that feeling was something special, and it never left me.
My life was going pretty normal until 14 years old, when I got news one day that I needed emergency surgery on my hip. Apparently, my suspected groin pull was my femur slipping out of my growth plate, and before I knew it I was on my way to Ellis Hospital to have a pin implanted; a surgery that would keep me off of my feet for the next year.
From being a young man where sports was my identity, I was now going to be out of any activity for months and months. Not only that, all of my friends came from sports, so slowly over time, my friends continued to stay busy with athletics, and I was out of commission.
I went from being active everyday, with friends who shared the same interests, to being on crutches and in recovery for the next 2 years. Talk about a complete 180 degree turn.
I didn’t know it at the time, but now looking back, it was a time I feel blessed to have gone through, because it launched the side of me that I didn’t know I had. It made me think deeply, to look inward and find some introspection that things will happen in our life we weren’t expecting, but that doesn’t give us an excuse to not excel and be strong.
I dabbled in many different ideas and jobs in my late teens and early twenties, with no real direction, except one thought that never left...I wanted to help people.
After living in Boston and Florida for a period of time in my early twenties, I moved back to New York with no idea what I was going to do with my life.
THEN ONE DAY…
My life changed when a buddy I worked with told me about his new job he got as a personal trainer at a nearby gym, and was taking on new clients. I had recently been in great shape training to play baseball, but was starting to let myself go.
After hiring him to be my trainer for over a year, he asked me if I ever thought of getting into fitness training and being a coach. He was becoming the new manager and looking for a couple people to join the team of trainers.
I jumped at the chance, met with the owner a couple times, and started on the journey into a whole new world, a world that would become my passion and purpose for the next decade.
For Over a Decade…
I worked as a strength coach for almost every type of person, 6 years old to 90, post surgical rehabilitation, stroke victims, general population, and collegiate and professional athletes in Baseball, Hockey, Track and Field, and Crew
I’ve witnessed clients who have accomplished great goals they desired, changed their lives and their bodies, and continue to progress well beyond their initial goals they set out for themselves.
Yet, I also saw the other side of the coin. Those clients who excel early on, but somewhere down the line they lose it, they fail to keep it going, and ultimately stay “stuck” in their journey.
What kept me up was that I couldn’t pinpoint what made one person succeed and the other struggle.
They followed the plan laid out for them, they did all of the foundational practices like
--Strength Train, Healthy Nutrition Habits, Sleep Health, Stress Management
But still, some would ultimately struggle, and it was heartbreaking to see someone working hard and following a plan and failing.
This was a problem I was determined to figure out.
THEN THE WORLD CHANGED…
In March 2020, something happened that changed my life, as well as so many lives. The COVID pandemic forced gyms and studios to shut their doors, leaving everyone at home to fend for themselves, using the internet and a few tools to stay strong and healthy.
Being on my own for a while, I thought I could get through this time with no struggles, and the same would go for the clients I worked with...
I will put a plan together, and just stick to the plan and I will come out stronger.
And that's what we did, and it worked...for a while. Then things started to change. I felt myself losing steam. My focus and clarity which was usually very sharp was cloudy, and the strength in my body started to fade.
I couldn't understand it, because I was following a plan just like I've done for years before. But, my environment changed. My mentality changed. Ultimately, I changed. What I was doing was telling myself, and my body what to do, rather than listening to my body on what I should be doing.
And, the people I worked with started to feel the same thing.
Discipline was there, but still it wasn’t enough. If I wanted to continue to grow in my life, I would have to let go of what I thought was best, and seek out the next evolution.
It's The Skill of YOU
My goal in coaching everyone I work with is to make myself obsolete in your success.
That you are equipped with the skill, capability, and self-awareness to progress everyday of your life, regardless of anything or anyone external.
We have been accustomed to following programs, downloading systems and taking instruction from outside sources in virtually everything we do, including our own health, when everything you need for your own personal strength, health and happiness, is inside of you, and it is my mission to help you see yourself in fullness of this.
Book a Breakthrough Call Today
Who Do I Work With?
I work with busy professionals who’s day to day life is filled with the things they value (family, career, personal development).
They cherish their ambition and drive to be successful for themselves and their families. They have built a sense of discipline towards their health (exercising, even if inconsistent, eating relatively healthy, they practice mindfulness or have in the past), but they feel lost in their personal path towards getting stronger.
If they do good things, it is more by accident or coincidence, they don’t feel in control of their personal strength, like they do so in their other areas of life.
They are open to being coached and have little ego in regards to seeking professional help.
They are good students and able to follow through on instructions.
And most importantly, they’ve accepted the fact that they are ultimately in control of their lives, but want the support and guidance to recognize their potential every day.
