Michael’s ability to change lives is nothing short of Amazing.   His gentle, yet powerful integrated approach to training and conditioning allowed me to achieve my dream of running a ½ marathon after only a few months of training.  He uses his breadth of knowledge of sports physiology, nutrition and spiritual mindfulness at each session.  By combining a multitude of techniques including carefully planned running regimes, pool work, and stretching sessions, he unlocked the athlete in me.

I have been bed bound for 2 years with limited physical functioning, which has made returning to my healthy and fit self very challenging. During this time various trainers and physical therapists had worked with me with limited, or no success. My doctor told me of a ‘Holistic Personal Trainer’ that she felt could help me achieve my goals of standing, walking and being self sufficient, as well as becoming healthier and fitter.

After much thought about, ‘What a Holistic Personal Trainer’ is, and what he does, I decided to call Michael Holland. That was just about one year ago. I must say that at first, his ways of working with me did not make sense. I now understand his methods and philosophies.

Within in a few sessions my right leg, which had no mobility or function, amazingly began to ‘wake up’ and function. My overall strength and flexibility has greatly increased, and I have lost weight as well. My energy is also consistently improving. It will not be much longer before I am up and moving, and self sufficient.

I highly recommend Michael’s ‘Holistic’ methods!

My dietary changes, the stretches and the deep water running have been absolutely transformational in tuning and strengthening my body. In just a couple of months of working with Coach Michael Holland (and after about 10 years), I am now at my ideal weight. I feel great and with each week my knee is getting stronger. I have resumed a weekly practice of hiking the PG&E Trail at Rancho San Antonio (a rigorous 8 mile hike) without any knee pain, and I am looking forward to returning to doing triathlons with my daughter, who is 37 years my junior!

My time training with Michael helped me evolve in many ways. When I first started working with him, I had ended my high school cross country season early due to shin splints. If not taken care of properly, this injury could have prevented me from participating in both soccer and track later that year as well. Luckily, Michael knew not only how to help heal the injury, he also knew how to keep me in shape and even improve my performance.

Using his deep water running training routine and knowledge of holistic healing, not only did I improve my performance in running as soon as I recovered, I also learned about his unconventional yet strategic approach to training. The program he established for me involved running workouts in the pool, which simulated running on ground, but avoided the stress that it could put on my shin. It also made me much lighter on my feet and stronger, as the resistance of the water made running on land feel much easier. His holistic healing involved the practice of Qigong, a 5000 year old Chinese medical modality that improved my balance, diet, health, discipline, focus, and awareness.

Overall, for each and any client, Michael can formulate a personalized routine crafted to assure peak performance without over-exhaustion or further risk of injury. I cannot stress how extremely thankful I am for Michael and what he taught me about fitness, health, qigong, and running.

I have worked with Michael and have been utilizing his Comprehensive Athletic Training program since my sophomore year of college in 2013. His holistic modalities propelled me to tap into my full potential on and off the playing field. I graduated with my Bachelors degree in exercise science. I was selected as an ALL-American QB for my NAIA college. Prior to college I battled back from injuries using eastern modalities that western medicine could not provide for me. Michael provides the mind, body, and soul with exercises that puts you in a state of harmony which transfers to an overall better performance.  Coach Holland also deepened my knowledge of Qigong by teaching me practices that translated to improved athletic performance, while keeping me injury free. I continue to incorporate these practices into my daily life, and they definitely help keep me healthy and fit.

Michael is an amazing “healer” trainer and coach!

I have been able to observe his work over the years with athletes and injuries in all age groups. My most recent personal issue was a complete rupture of my hamstring muscles off of the posterior pelvis playing “A” league hockey at age 55. I am a long ago retired pro and a practicing surgeon. My orthopedic colleagues recommended surgery and I was advised I might not regain normal function.

I turned to Michael. RRIP!. Regression, Recovery, Integration Progression. We started with Ice, then Ice and heat with the tiniest of reactivation movements and nerve “reawakening”. Ultimately over 4-6 months with intensive pool therapy (deep water movement, walking then running), Active Isolated Stretching and TRX. Guess what!! Complete recovery. No more hockey for me but plenty of cycling, jogging, yardwork etc, etc , with no problems.

He has helped my family and friends in similar fashion. Give him a call!

Qigong has provided me with a mental framework with which to face the day and its unexpected events with a greater degree of calmness. I would like to share with you what has for me been a very unexpected benefit. I was a competitive swimmer for many years through high school and college. I realized recently, after one of our sessions, that the practice of Qigong has improved how I breathe when I swim the crawl.  As a result of the Qigong you taught me, and the specific breathing patterns I learned in the process, I was automatically using those same breathing patterns while swimming.  I am now able to swim much more easily and efficiently—and it has enabled me to swim for a significantly longer time.  Many thanks!

I have known coach Holland for more than six years. Michael was highly recommended to me when I was looking for a trainer to help my son with his conditioning and golf game. He helped him with all aspects of his game – he ended up becoming the top player in his high school team in his senior year. Subsequently he worked with my younger son on his soccer skills and eventually with me directly as I was working through some lower backpain issues that prevented me from running as much as I had grown accustomed to. In general, I like and appreciate Michael’s attention to details of the individual’s desires/goals relative to their existing physical condition and constraints concentrating on long-lasting results – not trading off risks of injury/reinjury for short-term gain.

I’ve also been impressed with how Michael strives to stay up to date with the latest trends in exercise, healing and nutrition to bring valuable insights, tools and techniques to his clients.

Specifically, the things that worked for me best were: core strengthening and stretching (Active Isolated Stretching-AIS) (for my back), TRX training (general conditioning) mixed with cardio and pool exercises.
I have recommended Michael to other friends – you won’t be disappointed.

Coach Holland gave me a direction in my physical fitness that was custom tailored to my physical needs and my goals in golf. He played an instrumental part of preparing me for college golf. The training in high school gave me an upper hand once I got to college. Now, I currently hold the highest certification in Golf for the Titleist Performance Institute (TPI).

The programs and exercises that Coach a Holland prescribed years ago, are very similar to the fitness programs of the TPI, that are built for rotational athlete. I would highly recommend Coach Holland to anyone who is looking for results in their sports performance.

I am a long time runner, now in my 40s, though I once competed on the national collegiate level and I have had various injuries in my history. I met Michael and was impressed by his presence and wisdom and patience in addressing and sharing healing modalities for a unique foot ailment I had.

Michael also has coached me and helped me to slowly heal a shoulder injury I received while surfing. He walked me through a sequence of small movements-Somatic Repatterning-then with the use of small weights to regain strength and to also allow my healing shoulder to remain relaxed and at ease and to reset the pathways of my mind and body to not expect pain after healing.

Many, many times he counseled me and coached me on the merits of correct sport specific training, rest and recovery and being patient with myself and allowing my body to heal before going out and surfing or running. His care and advice and experience in sustainable healing have been invaluable.

I am now doing Triathlon training-running regularly, swimming and biking and there are no issues with my foot or shoulder.