Martin Rooney

Martin Rooney is an entrepreneur, fitness expert, author, and pioneer in strength and conditioning with a career spanning more than three decades. Rooney holds a Master of Health Science and Bachelor of Physical Therapy from the Medical University of South Carolina, as well as a Bachelor of Arts in Exercise Science from Furman University. He was a four-time All Conference and four-time MVP performer in track and field at Furman and served as a member of the United States Bobsled team. A record-setting powerlifter and two-time Guinness World Record holder, Rooney has combined academic, athletic, and business experience in the fitness and sports performance industry.

After returning to New Jersey and working as a physical therapist, Rooney began training with Renzo Gracie at his academy in New York City. Gracie later asked Rooney to train his fighters for physical performance, leading to the creation of the Training For Warriors system. Rooney became the first sports performance specialist to prepare fighters for major mixed martial arts events, including Pride and UFC. The Training For Warriors system has operated in more than 300 facilities across 25 countries, and Rooney's programs have been used by over one million youth athletes and adults. Rooney also served as chief operating officer of Parisi Speed School, a youth sports performance franchise with more than 80 locations nationwide.

Rooney has trained athletes from the NFL, MLB, UFC, NBA, and WNBA, and has worked with Olympic medalists, All-Americans, and world champions. He has conducted training and development programs for military organizations such as the Army Rangers, Army Airborne, and Navy SEALs, and has coached and advised professional teams including the New York Jets, Cincinnati Bengals, Carolina Panthers, and New York Giants. His university consulting clients include Notre Dame, University of Texas, Arizona State University, Brown University, University of Alabama, Oregon State University, Auburn University, Rutgers University, and West Point.

Rooney has been listed among the top 100 most influential people in health and fitness over multiple years and was inducted into the Personal Trainer Hall of Fame. As a presenter, he has spoken to more than 10,000 people annually and has consulted for Fortune 500 companies such as Marriott International, Nike, Prudential, and Hasbro. Rooney launched the Training For Warriors podcast, "Into The Roar," which received over 200,000 downloads and was featured among the top 100 health-related podcasts on Apple.

Rooney is an author whose work covers fitness, leadership, and fiction. He has written three bestselling books published in five languages for HarperCollins: "Warrior Cardio," "Ultimate Warrior Workouts," and "Training For Warriors." His books "High Ten" and "Coach to Coach" focus on leadership and building strong business and team cultures. His book "Bloodfeud" is his first thriller fiction title. Rooney serves as chancellor of Lionel University and has been featured on ESPN, Spike TV, Fox Sports, NFL Network, and in New York Times, USA Today, Men's Health, Men's Fitness, Muscle and Fitness, The Sporting News, Runner's World, SELF, Outside, and Sports Illustrated for Kids.