Scott Burkhalter

I began working out with Michael at a very low point physically and mentally. I was an avid cyclist until several shoulder surgeries left me unable to ride, and I had allowed myself to deteriorate to the least fit condition in my life. Looking back to this time three years ago I can fully appreciate my good fortune in choosing Michael for my trainer. Honestly, no one else was really eager to take on a 54-year-old guy recovering from surgeries in both shoulders and forty pounds overweight.

So, what’s unique about Michael? Well, his knowledge of kinesiology is extensive due, no doubt, to his Bachelors in Kinesiology and his additional training in physical therapy. I really appreciated this as we began to demand that my body take on additional stresses without any injuries from the training (not a single one). What I appreciated most, however, was his unbridled enthusiasm and good cheer. I never would have persisted had he not been so enthusiastic, as I really had none of my own at that time. I really looked forward to every training session. Additionally, Michael is an artist at keeping our workouts flowing seamlessly and without interruption. This requires considerable skill when the gym is busy.

When we began training my shoulders felt and sounded like the mess they were. It wasn’t long before they began strengthening and I was able to apply substantial loads. The first couple of months were the real challenge, as we had to continually prepare my body to accept higher loads. Once we persisted through this period the gains were truly amazing.

Although Michael included countless lifting variations the ones that really count, to me anyway, and squats, dead lifts, and bench press. As embarrassing as it is to say, I was initially doing these with little more than the 45-pound bar. About a year and a half later my bench press was at 300 pounds and I was able to squat 350 pounds. My real joy came from my 495 pound dead lifts. I think even Michael was a little surprised, partly because I have been a vegetarian for over 30 years. I modified my diet as he suggested, primarily by increasing protein intake, but my basic diet remained the same.

An additional benefit from our training was that my body fat, which initially we couldn’t even accurately measure, dropped to approximately 11 percent and my weight leveled at 220 pounds. It is also important to note that my flexibility increased immeasurably during this time. Michael never lost sight of total fitness as our goal, even when my focus was on moving more weight.

So, what have I learned? Well, for one, proper weight training absolutely guarantees strength gain and increased flexibility. I did what I was told as well and with as much effort as I could muster and the results were amazing. I got out of it what I put into it and the results were very satisfying. There’s no magic. Just put in the work and do what I’m told and the results are inevitable. I know that many of Michael’s clients have radically different goals from mine and I have seen how he creates entirely different strategies and routines for them. I have also observed how he helps each of us accomplish our goals, not his.

I can now shave every morning without having to avoid looking at myself. This alone is worth the price of admission. I wish you my kind of success.