From a young age, Jeff wanted to be just like the superheroes he saw on TV. Characters like the Red and Green Power Rangers, Leonardo, Batman, and Spiderman all inspired Jeff to take up Tae Kwon Do and earn his black belt by the time he was 11. His desire to become the most superpowered version of himself carried on with him to his high school track and field team. Once he began weight training, his athletic ability greatly improved. That is when he really discovered his passion for fitness.
He took his zeal for fitness with him to college where he hit the weight room 5 days a week and hit the books even harder to earn his Bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science and Master’s in Applied Health Physiology. He decided to work in cardiac rehabilitation to help people recovering from heart attacks and surgery get back on their feet. After working in the clinical setting for a few years he felt like something was missing. He transitioned his focus to personal, small, group, and online training to be able to help more people realize their inner strength and infinite potential. That is where his true passion lies as a Fitness Coach.
Jeff has been a fitness coach since 2012. He is a Certified Personal Trainer and Exercise Physiologist through the American College of Sports Medicine. With his experience, Jeff has been able to help many different people from young athletes seeking to improve their athletic ability to older adults with varying levels of chronic health conditions. He specializes in functional strength training for improved longevity, cardiovascular and HIIT training, and bodyweight mastery.
Many of Jeff’s clients have greatly improved their overall strength and mobility through pain-free movement and a focus on postural correctives. Through all facets, Jeff’s training style focuses on mindset and behavior, which allows his clients to create the necessary habits for nutritional and physical change.
Jeff’s also a huge fan of American Ninja Warrior so he can usually be caught swinging around at a local ninja gym or scaling the walls at a rock climbing gym. During his time off he loves going to rock concerts, reading fictional novels, or watching Marvel movies. He loves all things fantasy, superhero, and gaming-related. Some of his favorite nerdy things are Dungeons & Dragons, Spiderman, Legend of Zelda, and Dragon Ball Z. Jeff believes that superpowers shouldn’t be left just for comics, but everyone can truly discover their own superpowers through exercise and movement!
Education and Certifications:
- MS in Applied Health Physiology, Salisbury University
- BS in Exercise Science, Towson University
- Certified Exercise Physiologist, ACSM
- Certified Personal Trainer, ACSM
And the important stuff:
Star Wars or Lord of the Rings?
Lord of the Rings! Those movies completely shaped my nerdy interests as a teenager. Legolas was obviously the coolest so I based my very first Dungeons and Dragons, and EverQuest characters off of him.
Favorite video game of all time?
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is my absolute favorite video game of all time! When the game was first released my best friend and I started it at the same time and we would call each other every night to see who progressed the furthest in the story. Some majorly memorable moments in the game were when you first became adult Link and of course when you first befriended Epona. It was so cool being able to shoot fire arrows while riding your horse!
I was also a huge fan of the Prince of Persia series on the GameCube, especially Warrior Within. The dynamic storyline and being able to slow down time during the hack-and-slash combat sequences made it one of the most enjoyable games I have ever played.
What are you passionately nerdy about?
Everything superhero-related. I’ve watched pretty much all the Marvel movies and there was a time when I played City of Heroes almost every day for a couple of years. I might have been a little obsessed with that game.
I have always wanted to miraculously gain superpowers of my own especially if they ended up being a combination of powers from Spiderman and The Flash.