Zayden M.

I have over two years of experience in high-performance athletic coaching and personal training. My coaching background is split between boxing instruction, where I specialize in pad work and combat-conditioning, and football performance, where I focus on position-specific technical drills and explosive speed/agility mechanics.
I have coached at several levels, ranging from developing youth and high school athletes preparing for collegiate recruitment to training high-end adult clientele in competitive Manhattan and Hamptons gym environments.
Gotham Gym (West Village & Bridgehampton): I served as a Fitness Associate and Personal Trainer, where I was hand-selected to lead technical boxing sessions at their high-volume Manhattan location.
Michel Athletic Lab (Southampton, NY): I currently operate my own performance lab, providing independent coaching for local football athletes and individuals focused on athletic longevity.
My typical client base consists of youth and high school athletes (ages 10–18) for football-specific training and adults (ages 18–60+) for technical boxing and general athletic conditioning.
I am CPR/AED Certified: American Red Cross (Certified Feb 2025), a CPT Candidate: Currently completing final requirements for National Personal Training Certification, and I have completed two semesters of coursework toward a B.S. in Sports Management at Lock Haven University.

My athletic journey is defined by a commitment to elite performance across multiple disciplines, culminating in my time competing at the NCAA Division II level. As a defensive lineman for Lock Haven University, I experienced firsthand the intensity and technical precision required to succeed in collegiate athletics. Before my college career, I was a standout multi-sport athlete on Long Island, primarily at Holy Trinity Diocesan High School, where I was ranked among the top 40 defensive players in the Catholic league and the top 19 in my division for sacks. My performance as a 6'3", 250lb defensive end earned me the scholarship offer to compete for Lock Haven.

Beyond the football field, I pushed my limits in combat and field sports, earning All-League and All-State honors in Varsity Wrestling and capturing the NSCHSAA Discus Championship in 2023. One of my proudest achievements was receiving the Ken Weisman Award for leadership and dedication, an honor that reflects the character and work ethic I now bring to every client at Michel Athletic Lab. This background as a high-level competitor, navigating both the triumphs of championship wins and the challenges of collegiate-level recovery, is the foundation of the technical, results-driven coaching I provide today.

I treat every session at Michel Athletic Lab like a professional training camp tailored specifically to your individual goals. I create a high-energy, technical environment where I prioritize quality of movement over simple repetition. My primary focus is on developing elite technical skills, whether that means position-specific football footwork or Gotham Gym style boxing pad work, while I maintain a strict emphasis on safe biomechanics and athletic longevity.

I begin each session with a diagnostic warm-up that incorporates dynamic stretches and movement prep designed to prime your nervous system and increase your active range of motion. In this phase, I draw on my background in injury prevention to focus on lower-body stability and specific "ACL-safe" movement patterns, ensuring your joints are prepared for the high-intensity work ahead. I use these dynamic movements to observe your biomechanics in real-time, allowing me to tailor the rest of the session to your specific mobility needs while actively "bulletproofing" your body for the technical blocks that follow. By prioritizing dynamic stretching over static holds, I ensure your muscles are primed for maximum speed and power while maintaining a strict focus on your long-term athletic health.

I then move into the primary technical block, which is the core of our session where I help you master the technical demands of your sport. For my football athletes, I work on position-specific skills such as defensive line hand-fighting, tight end route running, or explosive line-of-scrimmage starts. For my boxing clients, I focus on technical mitt work, footwork geometry, and defensive head movement using the precise methods I practiced in Manhattan. I follow this with speed, agility, and quickness drills using ladders, cones, and resisted sprints to improve your lateral speed and reaction time. During these explosive movements, I analyze your biomechanics to ensure you are moving both efficiently and safely.

I finish the physical work with high-intensity conditioning rooted in the Gotham Gym philosophy, focusing on short, high-output bursts to build the stamina you need for game-day. Finally, I conclude with a recovery and performance review, where I lead a cool-down focused on long-term health. I review our data together, discussing your technical improvements and setting specific objectives for our next meeting to ensure you stay on a continuous upward trajectory.