Mike is a man of constant positivity and continuous results. He’s never satisfied and always trying to better his approach and technique to deliver the absolute best coaching. He spent most of his 20’s touring the world as a professional musician, jamming on guitar for metal/hardcore bands The Acacia Strain and Burn in Silence. It was around this time that he started to focus more on his training as a career and saw a light at the end of his touring life to transfer into being a full time coach. After studying and interning under the watchful eye of world renowned strength and conditioning coach and owner of Total Performance Sports, CJ Murphy, Mike knew he had met one of the biggest mentors of his training career. Always a source of inspiration and guidance, Mike moved on to start Iron Force Athletics and never looked back. It wasn’t long after Mike started IFA that he became the go-to coach to get stronger, move faster, and execute better. After working with high school and collegiate athletes, Mike shifted his focus to competitive Masters and has built an extremely loyal remote coaching following worldwide. Outside of lifting, Mike’s an avid writer/blogger, traveler, life seeker, songwriter / producer and an all around good dude!

Total Performance Sports-Coaching Program / Strength & Conditioning Coach
IKFF Level 1 & 2
ISSA – Strength & Conditioning Specialist

Formerly a coach at Crossfit New Bedford in Massachusetts, Coach Taylor is a Fire Fighter, a beer enthusiast and an absolute stand up guy with a fierce desire to get you BETTER!

USAW L1
CrossFit L1 Trainer
Pendlay L1/L2
ADFPF competitive powerlifter 2010-2011
Masters weightlifting competitor

Gretchen has been an athlete all of her life. Growing up in Rochester, NY, she competed nationally in gymnastics all the way through high school, eventually earning a college scholarship to compete in the sport for the University of Maryland. Gretchen competed for Maryland for four years and graduated in 2008. After graduation, she retired from the sport of gymnastics and moved to Charlottesville, Va to attend law school at the University of Virginia. Gretchen’s first semester of law school was the first time in her life where she wasn’t training for a sport, and she felt lost without some sort of athletic pursuit to put her efforts toward. In January of 2009 a friend suggested that she try CrossFit. Gretchen got her first taste of CrossFit competition that winter, and she was hooked. She decided to make it her goal to train and make it to the CrossFit Games. She qualified for the CrossFit Games as an individual in 2011 and made return trips in 2012, 2013, and 2014. Gretchen has been coaching CrossFit since 2010, and is currently coach at CrossFit Reston in Herndon, Va. She also worked as an attorney for CrossFit, Inc. from 2012-2016.

Since age 16, Pete has been competing in Powerlifting and has placed 1st in the teen nationals, 2nd in the men’s nationals as a raw lifter and won best lifter in the USAPL single ply gear division. His knowledge and scope for creating the best training programs has been a major asset to the direction that Iron Force has taken it’s strength progressions and apply them to fit within the Masters division to get every man and woman that does our programs strong as fuuuuug!! He’s certified through the International Sports Science Association and continues to learn under some of the best lifters & coaches Massachusetts has to offer. When Pete’s not slamming weights in his basement and writing programs with Coach Mike, he can be found writing music, playing bass and listening to Iron Maiden at obscene volumes. His best totals in competition have been 1477 @ 220 raw teen division and 1897 @ 264 single ply junior division

ISSA – Strength & Conditioning Specialist