Mark Verstegen

Founder and President

An internationally-recognized leader and innovator in the world of athletic performance training, Mark Verstegen is Founder and President of Athletes' Performance, which has set the standard for providing athletes with cutting-edge training based on the latest in sports science. Athletes' Performance has trained many of the top champions in the world of sports at their state-of-the-art facilities, where Verstegen and his team have implemented many of his unique and breakthrough concepts in athletic performance.

Verstegen began his coaching career at his alma mater, Washington State University, before completing his master's degree in sport sciences at the University of Idaho. He became Assistant Director of Player Development at Georgia Tech, where he implemented innovative and successful performance programs for football, men's basketball and golf. In 1995, Verstegen ventured to Bradenton, Fla., to create the International Performance Institute, which became recognized worldwide under Verstegen's direction.

Verstegen's continual pursuit of quality and his vision of creating a facility completely dedicated to helping athletes achieve their goals led to the development of Athletes' Performance in Tempe, Ariz., in 1999. Athletes' Performance has since opened three additional facilities throughout the United States: In 2003 at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif., followed by a facility in Gulf Breeze, Fla., in 2006 that's connected with the Andrews Institute, and, in 2009, a facility at FieldhouseUSA in Frisco, Texas. In the summer of 2009, Athletes' Performance moved its original Tempe, Ariz., location to a new facility in Phoenix.

In 2004, Verstegen authored his first book, Core Performance (Rodale Press), which reached the top 25 on Amazon within six weeks of its release and has sold well over 100,000 copies. Verstegen has subsequently launched four additional books: Core Performance Essentials (2006), Core Performance Endurance (2007), Core Performance Golf (2008), and Core Performance Women (2010). Verstegen's widely acclaimed Core Performance system is also available online through interactive programs and other world-class performance lifestyle content at CorePerformance.com.

Verstegen and Athletes' Performance consult for high performance companies including adidas, EAS, SKLZ, Keiser, Axon Sports, Sheraton, and Tignum, helping them with product and program inspiration, development, and testing, as well as consumer marketing. Verstegen serves as the Director of Performance for the NFL Players' Association, where he focuses on player safety and welfare. He's regularly interviewed for training insight for publications, as well as a sought after industry speaker who regularly presents at the leading conferences in the field.

Movement

The Most Overlooked Area for Women

In this excerpt from his new book, Core Performance Women, Mark Verstegen explains why training your hips can reduce injuries and improve your performance.

Nutrition

The Costco Diet?

In this excerpt from the new book Core Performance Women, Mark Verstegen and Pete Williams explain how to simplify your nutrition planning with just 13 foods.

The Performance Life

Celebrate Your Victories

A message from Mark Verstegen on what it feels like to train national soccer teams.

The Performance Life

The NYT's Take on Core Training

Core Performance founder Mark Verstegen reacts to a recent article in the New York Times on core training, and explains why training for "pillar strength" actually matters most.