Bio:
Michael has been the head coach at OPEX Fitness (formerly Optimum Performance Training) since 2014 as well as the expert consultant for The American Center for Natural Medicine, a functional medicine clinic.  Before coming to OPEX Michael had been a personal trainer and boot camp instructor, the head strength coach for a law enforcement academy, and an instructor for a strength and conditioning course at Northern Arizona University.  He eventually transferred to Arizona State University to study Kinesiology. While studying, he taught anatomy and physiology cadaver labs. Currently Michael is finishing a graduate degree in kinesiology which he will finish in 2018.
Throughout the years he’s traveled around the world seeking deeper understanding of the human body.  Aside from his academic education, he’s a functional diagnostic nutrition practitioner. He has completed courses ranging from FMS as well as SFMA, to PRI, DNS, CFSC, Precision Nutrition, an Altis apprenticeship, as well as completed all of EXOS’s performance mentorship courses.
Throughout his travels and continuing education, he’s recognized that no matter what new information that was presented, there were underlying principles that could be applied across all populations from pain to performance as well as body composition clients.  In the last decade, he has logged over 20,000 hours of coaching. As well, he’s written thousands of programs to improve performance, get out of pain and improve or improve body composition.
Michael is not only inspired to coach his clients, but to educate other coaches as well.  He has consulted with the United States Army, worked with special forces and special operations, professional and collegiate athletes, as well as general fitness clients looking to feel and look their best.  He has a firm belief that principles transcend paradigms, and that dogma leads to the death of mastery. With this vision of mastery in mind, he has traveled all over the world teaching coaches how to use the principles he recognized to elevate their own coaching craft to improve client results and their own businesses.
When he’s not busy traveling the globe teaching, you can find him in sunny Scottsdale Arizona, reading a book, writing about research he reads, or spending time with his family and dog Buddy.
Time-Line:
0:00 – 1:14 – Robbie’s Intro1:15 – 3:47 - Mike gives us his background and current role at OPEX3:38 – 5:52 – Robbie asks Mike to share his thoughts on how important a thorough assessment is5:53 – 10:15 - Robbie asks Mike to give us his thoughts on a coaches’ scope of practice when itcomes to performing and interpreting certain assessments10:16 – 13:52 - Robbie asks Mike to share his future aspirations both personally and professionally13:53 – 15:26 - Robbie and Mike discuss about how medicine and fitness will become integrated as aholistic entity going forward in the future to help upgrade the health and well-being of people’slives, and they talk about how “everything is all connected!”15:27 – 21:00 - Robbie asks Mike about his current reading list and book recommendations21:01 – 24:01 - Robbie asks Mike the big question – If Mike could invite 5 people to dinner, dead oralive, who would he invite and why?24:02 - 24:44 - Wrap up