Hello and welcome to Global Bodyweight Training! I’m Mike Fitch, Founder and President of Global Bodyweight Training. I am proud to have been able to create multiple bodyweight training programs, including the GBT Progressive Bodyweight System and the Animal Flow Workout, and am excited to be able to share it all with you here.
My Background
I have 13 years experience as a fitness professional, including as a personal trainer and with extensive fitness management experience. My development in the fitness field has including a range of fitness disciplines, fusing together training styles such as Olympic lifts, kettle bell training, sports-specific and speed-agility training, and specialized training for post-rehab and corrective exercise clients. In working with my clients, I focus on creating individualized programs that help them achieve their goals through an integrated mix of fitness, nutrition, and lifestyle coaching. I’ve been able to build upon this accumulated knowledge and experience to create the GBT system.
I’ve also always placed importance on education, and have spent hundreds of hours as an educator for various fitness clubs, including as a Master Trainer for Equinox’s Equinox Fitness Training Institute (EFTI)), teaching anatomy, physiology, biomechanics and program design to my fellow trainers. I am continually a student myself, learning new things to this day.
How did I come to Bodyweight Training?
I’ve always been interested in non-traditional methods of exercise, but was inspired to seek out new ventures when I was just no longer feeling challenged in my day-to-day routine. So beginning in 2010 I embarked on a search for a new and different avenue of training that would allow me to continually improve my body while still having a ton of fun. My quest led me to begin exploring a variety of new fitness and exercises disciplines. The resulting journey has been an exciting adventure.
First, I put down the dumbbells and began using my own bodyweight for strength training. I soon began gymnastics classes, adding tumbling and acrobats to my workout routine. I began incorporating hand balancing into my daily skills practice (think handstands and frog poses). I was also able to travel the world, learning from the best of the best. I got into Parkour, the French practice for traversing the elements and moving through the environment with ease and speed (you’ve seen those guys jumping off buildings and running up walls in commercials and movies), and had the opportunity to train with some outstanding parkour teams in France. I was extremely humbled by my lessons in breakdancing from some incredible Bboys in NYC. I explored incorporating an outdoor green lifestyle while adventure traveling in Costa Rica. I learned to surf in Australia, improving my balance and sense of space.
While each of these disciplines has its unique strengths, they also complement each other and share even more in common. Each uses bodyweight as its basis for building muscle and skills. I’ve been able to draw upon my expertise and personal experience to synthesize the best components of each into my own bodyweight training program. The result is a unique style of exercise and fitness that is extremely effective and really fun to do.
Certifications
My previous certifications include: National Strength and Conditioning Association – CPT; National Academy of Sports Medicine; NSCA Approved Kettlebell Coach by Jason C. Brown; AAHFRP Certified Medical Exercise Specialist; C.H.E.K. Exercise Coach; IFPA Accredited Personal Trainer.
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