I started my journey with Michael as I began the Special Forces Qualification Course. The course places a multitude of demands on the soldier not only physically but intellectually and emotionally. Coach Bann ensured that all of my training was tailored towards my success. I was able to maintain and improve my fitness in every facet despite being in the woods for up to 6 weeks at time. His approach to fitness isn’t myopic, he plays the long game. His attention to detail and professionalism made me feel like I was the only client he had. He’s a force multiplier and and big reason for me realizing my goal of becoming a Green Beret.

I don’t know how to keep this testimonial short…

Since this journey has been very emotional for me. Michael has been the coach that I can always count on. I had suffered shoulder chronic pain for about 1 year, hired another online coach for 6 months, turned out wasting my time. The magic of Michael’s program is miracle, it works!!

I remember when he asked me to do toe to bar during aerobic work for first time, I was like “Michael, are you crazy? It will hurt”, I modified it to knee raise with pain. 8 months later, I m not only getting back my TTB with better form, but also breaking my training plateaus, hitting lots of PRs.

Michael is so thoughtful, mega talented at what he is doing. Top of that, his jokes sometime funny but mostly nerdy and cute.

When I started to work with Michael 7 months ago I had chronic elbow and back pain. I was really frustrated because nothing seemed to help and I was not able to train the way I wanted to. Now I‘m pretty much pain free and fired up to compete again. He‘s not just helping me to become a better athlete, he also helps me to grow as a coach and a human being. I read more over the last 7 months than in the last 3 years prior :D

Police work is my dream job. I get to connect with people on their worst days and try to make tangible real differences often on that person’s worst day. I get to protect good people from some of societies worst and in addition to that I get to do it with my best friends.

As 2018 rolled around though I was noticing some tangible, real, and worrisome changes. I had been working graveyards for 4 years now, a hard personal year, and just the wear and tear of the job were beginning to take a noticeable toll. I’ve always been a gym rat and was determined to not let my squad down and always be ready for a bad day. I was noticing though that I was almost afraid to go to the gym because I felt so weak and was actually in pain more often than not. Everything hurt. After waking up it often sounded like a bag of microwave popcorn from my back down to ankles. I was lucky if I could sleep 3 hours a night, I had no energy at work despite 8-12 cups of coffee, and often my first day off of work I was sleeping 20hrs if I wasn’t getting called to go serve warrants, or call outs. I was beginning to worry that a 25 year career at a pace that I wanted to maintain just simply wasn’t doable.

Then I saw Pat McNamara post about a guy named Michael Bann and started watching his stuff. After reading Mike’s philosophical approach to training and seeing his background I decided that I probably should give it a try because at the rate I was going I was going to get hurt, or what scared the shit out of me is I was going to get someone else hurt. I did my consult with Mike and I instantly hit it off with him. I come from a community of guys who are always questioning the conventional and I could instantly tell Mike was a kindred spirit in that regard. Mike listened patiently, often a little wide eyed at my training regimen, and then proceeded to give me a list of stuff I needed to do, which the abbreviated version was, “slow the fuck down, and take care of yourself.”

In the first six weeks I managed to PR virtually every single test, and either hit lifetime PR’s. The reason was Mike managed to get me to shift my paradigm. In the first 2 weeks Mike had me sleeping a minimum of six hours a night but often and frequently 8. My appetite improved, I was able to cut back to 2 cups of coffee a night and had energy through my whole shift. There were also some insane unexpected peripheral benefits as well. I have always had seasonal allergies and this year despite off the chart pollen counts, my allergies were minimized. I shot my best every pistol qualification and didn’t realize how much trouble my eyes had been having focusing because my central nervous system was so burned up. I also wasn’t sleeping 20 hours on my first day off and am now back to doing things I love on my off days instead of trying to recover from work.