Chris McNamara

Chris McNamara

Owner/Head Coach

2014 & 2015 State Weightlifting Champion (77kg)

1st Place 2015 SuperFit Charlotte

1st Place 2012 World Wide WOD

1st Place 2008 10 Hour Beach Extreme Adventure Race (BEAR)

3rd Place 2015 NC's Strongest Man

10th Place 2013 CrossFit Regional Team – Mid-Atlantic

Qualifications

Coaching Certifications

⁃EXOS Performance Specialist (XPS)

⁃EXOS Fitness Specialist (XFS)

⁃EXOS Tactical Training Systems Coach

⁃USA Weightlifting Advanced Sport Performance Coach (L2)

⁃Certified CrossFit Level 3 Trainer (CF-L3)

⁃CrossFit Olympic Lifting Certification

⁃CrossFit Endurance Certification

⁃CrossFit Movement and Mobility Trainer’s Course

⁃Pendlay Level 2 Weightlifting Certification

Health and Wellness Certifications

⁃Functional Movement Screening (FMS) Level 1

⁃FMS Kettlebell Correctives Course

⁃Precision Nutrition Level 1 Certification

⁃Reflexive Performance Reset Coach

⁃ASTYM Certified Provider (Total body)

⁃Hawkgrips IASTM Level 1 Provider

⁃HMI Advanced Acupuncture Practitioner

⁃HMI Extremity Dry Needling Certification

⁃Mobility WOD Tactical Certification

About Coach

I have always been captivated by human ability. This fascination has been cultivated by my own endeavors, across multiple sports, and nearly 20 years in the healthcare, coaching, and Special Operations Forces (SOF) Communities - Including 14 combat deployments. Through these experiences, I have been given an intimate exposure to a human’s will to fight, survive, adapt, and overcome whatever is put in front of them. My career progression afforded some amazing opportunities that fed into my passion to understand human performance on a deeper level. During my time in the Military, I developed and implemented multiple human performance systems across the SOF communities such as Ranger Athlete Warrior (R.A.W.) and the Evolution Protocol (EvoPro). While working on these projects, I was granted unique insights into organizations like Google, IBM, and Red Bull, to pro sports teams from the NFL, NBA, and MLB. We all were united by a common drive to help our people achieve the highest levels of performance. Over that time, I was also given the amazing opportunity to build a solid coaching foundation from which I could grow and learn. I can’t put into words how amazing it was to find myself working with coaching icons like Mark Verstegen, Mark Twight, Dan John, Greg Glassman, Glen Pendlay, Mark Rippetoe, and Scott Sonnon to improve the lives and performance of our personnel. Along the way, I realized that the underlying principles used to develop and maintain the world’s best athletes and executives could be made available to everyone. The packaging, methods, and delivery might change slightly, but the principles are where the “magic" is made.

Turning Point

From the earliest I can remember, the goal was to become a doctor. Even when I joined the military in response to 9/11, I specifically chose a job in the medical profession to get me even closer to my goal. However, I was becoming disillusioned with the large number of preventable diseases like, obesity and type II diabetes, that we were seeing in the ER on a daily basis. Then, in 2006, cancer got the final vote. I went from being what most would consider extremely fit, to barely able to get out of a bed. During my recovery, I was forced to analyze what I wanted from life. My cancer experience, combined with patients I saw in the hospital, helped create the concept of EAX. It was then, that I dedicated myself to helping people BEFORE they ever had a need for a doctor.

Motivation & Passion

Over my lifetime, I’ve experienced firsthand the joys of winning, the shame and self-doubt of losing, and the realization that, at times, lives – mine and my teammate’s – literally depended on my state of readiness. I can say I am thankful for every moment of my journey. Now, it is my mission to take those life lessons to help others get the most out of life by getting the most out of their body. It is now my focus, and therefore the mission of EAX, to use the principles of optimal performance to help our athletes maximize their potential no matter what their goal might be. We are witnessing a human performance epoch that is shifting what we thought humans were capable of and I could not be more excited to contribute to this new era.

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