http://www.menshealth.com/mhlists/america_s_best_gyms/Indianapolis_Fitness_and_Sports_Training.php
“I can’t thank Mike and Bill enough for everything they have done for me. I am not training to compete, but I am working on getting into the best shape I possibly can. After working out at IFAST for 3 months I am much stronger, I have better posture, and I have much more energy. I have always been active and enjoy working out, but it wasn’t until I joined IFAST that I truly understood how I should be working out. We are truly lucky to have such an amazing team right here in Indianapolis!! My favorite thing about IFAST is that they don’t treat me like a girl. They push me just like they push the guys in the gym. They make sure I am challenging my body to perform the best it can. Thanks guys! You are the best!!”
-Ally D. "Prior to visiting Mike Robertson and Bill Hartman at their I-FAST facility, I’d been at the mercy of chronic pain for the last four years of my life. An injury shortened college football career had left me with an ailing back, creaky knees, and a pair of aching shoulders, all of which required professional medical attention. After three major, yet unsuccessful surgeries and multiple ineffective bouts with all measures of physical therapy, I searched desperately for an answer to solve the conundrum that was my painful, 22 year old body. It was during this time that I discovered some of the amazing work Mike and Bill were doing up in Indianapolis. "I’d been a huge fan of Mike’s before I ever met the man – mainly through his outstanding collection of articles at T-Nation.com and his comprehensive Bulletproof Knees manual. His approach to corrective exercise had piqued my interest, but I’ll be the first to admit my skepticism considering what I’d been through. It was only after a glowing recommendation from T-Nation contributing editor Nate Green that I realized a trip up to Indy was essential, especially given that I’d exhausted every other conceivable option for getting healthy. "Mike was extremely helpful in setting up a time for me to come in for my assessment, and with a few quick emails back and forth I was ready to depart and, more importantly, get fixed. "What immediately struck me about Mike and Bill’s gym after first arriving was how different it felt from the large scale“fitness centers”I was accustomed to in my last few years of lifting, reminding me much more of when I was training at Georgia Tech to compete as an elite level college athlete. At I-FAST, its apparent that the only thing that matters to Mike and Bill is getting results, not posting HD televisions all across the gym floor. "Though I’d done a fair share of reading and independent study concerning what ailments might have been giving my body trouble, I learned more in my first five minutes of the assessment process with Mike than in months of perusing all levels of literature on the subject. 'That’s why your knee hurts, right there,' I remember Mike saying as he examined my faulty hip alignment. I can’t possibly quantify how much time I’d spent in doctor’s offices over the years, waiting patiently to hear an explanation for my ongoing knee pain. Not only had Mike diagnosed a major contributing factor to why my knee was giving me so muchtrouble, he caught something that no doctor or physical therapist that I’d visited had ever thought to check. Even more impressive, he could provide a solution to my problem. "After an in-depth assessment, Mike sent me on my way and delivered my first program in only a day or two. Without boring anybody with specifics, I’ve followed Mike’s programming for the last four months and the results have been nothing short of staggering. Unquestionably, this is the best I’ve felt since I was competing in high school sports- nagging pains are long gone, I’m actually getting stronger after months of stagnation, and my movement patterns are better than ever. "My favorite aspect, though, is the significant improvements to my physique all while abolishing chronic pain from my joints. I’ve always been under the impression that one can’t make serious body composition improvements while following corrective programs. Thankfully I was dead wrong here – Mike’s programming has made me bigger, stronger, leaner, and pain-free all simultaneously. "While every physical improvement I’ve made over the past four months has made me a firm believer in what !-FAST is all about, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Mike’s greatest asset as a coach – his desire to improve peoples lives. I’ve trained under Olympic athletes and alongside top 10 NFL Draft picks, but those experiences pale in comparison to my experience with Mike Robertson at I-FAST. I honestly believe that Mike wants success from my training more than even I do, and this is reflected every time we speak. He is the consummate coach – whether standing along side me or regularly keeping in touch from over 600 miles away. "Mike, I can’t express in words how thankful I am for all the guidance you’ve provided. You’ve settled the worries of myself, along with those of my family, when concerning my health and I look forward to working with you through I-FAST for a long time to come. Best of luck with the gym."
-Eric Oetter
100m Dash Georgia State Champion in 2005
*http://bit.ly/vqWEML
Now former I-FAST Intern
Former wide receiver for Georgia Tech football
*http://youtu.be/7dDJbdelMUg
“The reason I contacted Mike was because I had been having increasing hip and low back pains for the last 2 years. It started as what I thought was IT Band tightness or soreness, and gradually over time worked its way up into my low back. The warm-ups were worse and longer than my actual workouts. I was also having a lot of upper back tightness and neck pains, where it felt like I just couldn’t get it popped into place. "I went to 3 different chiropractors over that span, and spent over $2,500 dollars in adjustments and massages and it just kept getting worse. I was convinced I needed to be stretching more (and I had been), but it just didn’t seem to be helping much. I had been going through a stretching routine for about 4-5 months which did help some, but nothing for the time I was putting into it. It was hit or miss; some days I would be fairly flexible (for me anyways) and some I couldn’t even get into position to get a stretch because it felt like my back and hips were out of place. I got to the point where I could not even sit for more than 15 minutes without extreme low back, glute and neck pain. I had to do something. "While I was looking for ways to alleviate some of the pain, I came across a few articles by Mike over on T-Mag but I was still at a loss on where to start; what stretches to do for my problem, how hard to push the stretches, how often, etc. It was a lot of info to learn and I didn’t have time – I needed relief RIGHT THEN, so I emailed Mike for his help. He told me what he thought the problem was and gave me some rather simple stretches to do to fix the problem. Some I was trying to do already, but I was doing them wrong. A few simple adjustments and within a week I noticed some relief. By week two I was seeing some more progress and by week four, ALL hip and back pain was GONE! What’s more, my upper back and neck pain cleared up too! I thought for sure I needed to be stretching my upper back, but the pain was just working up from the hips. "After 4 weeks, my previously exhaustive warm-up routine for my hips was dramatically reduced to a few stretches and I was ready to go in under 10 minutes (this is down from about 30-40 minutes – No joke!). There was no hip pain when squatting, or after, and it was much easier to achieve depth. The increased ROM has also helped me get into a better position to DL and get a better arch my bench which was non-existent before. "All that is great, but I cannot begin to tell you about the relief from the constant hip and low back pain from squatting and pulling heavy week after week. I was seriously considering hanging up the chucks because it was getting so bad. I felt way too old and decrepit to be as young as I am. Mike I can’t thank you enough for your help man!”
Sam Byrd, Competitive Powerlifter
All Time 198 Squat Record of 1,050 pounds
All Time 220 Squat Record of 1,063 pounds
** 1063 squat , 611 bench, and 733 deadlift for 2408 Total
