Meet Mike

Meet Mike

Trainer-Coach

Trainer-Coach

Growing up I played a lot of baseball and soccer; in middle school I started Track & Field which I competed in through school along with football. I went D1 and competed in the throws for Wagner College in the Northeast Conference (NEC) where I still hold the Freshman record, School record and NEC record in the Discus.  There I fell in love with the weightroom, explosive movements, lifting heavy and recovering properly with injury preventative exercise. 

After graduating from college with a B.S. in Pre-Med Biology I continued to compete for an additional year with hopes of qualifying for the 2024 Olympic trials. In 2023 after being a meter shy of that mark I decided to hang up my shoes and take up my seat in a Doctor of Physical Therapy program and move forward with getting engaged and married to my high school sweetheart. This past year I’ve hit the books and grown more in love with anatomy and corrective exercise and spent this past spring coaching the throwers at my local high school where my love for instructing was born.

There I had the pleasure of coaching the throws as well as in the weightroom teaching Olympic lifts, and standard lifts (squat, bench etc). I really enjoyed taking my athletes through explosive plyometrics including variations of jumps, med ball throws, sprints and mobility. I enjoyed plyos so much I took the opportunity to further coach HS football players and wrestlers along with working with a basketball player to increase his vertical jump which we were very successful at doing.

I have an intensive history working as a physical therapy aide at a number of PT clinics where I learned treatment methods such as cupping therapy and exercise methods to bring healing to various ailments and pain relief deepening my understanding of the PT motto, “Exercise is Medicine” 

I have my CPR BLS Certification and APTA Student Physical Therapy Member Cert.

I am very excited to Train and Coach you ŌVOX Gym!

TRAIN WITH MIKE

Training with Mike has been very rewarding.  My personal goal was to rehabilitate and get stronger for martial arts.  When I first met him, I was nursing a knee ligament injury.  Mike provided me exercises to strengthen the surrounding muscles and get rid of the pain.  I was also experiencing shoulder pain during presses.  He diagnosed the issue and gave me band exercises to strengthen my rotator cuff muscles.  Now I have fully recovered from both.  Then he evaluated my current lifting program and improved my form on core compound lifts.  In addition, he recommended several modifications of existing exercises and new exercises to strengthen muscle groups more efficiently.  Since then my personal maxes on bench, deadlift, and squats have been steadily increasing without fear of injury.  Overall I would highly recommend him to anyone looking to get over an injury or tailor a workout routine for a particular sport.

Peter-Englishtown, NJ

I cannot recommend Mike Pepe highly enough as a personal trainer. His background in physical therapy truly sets him apart—he uses that knowledge to design programs that are tailored specifically to my needs and goals.

From day one, Mike has taken my progress personally. He’s always upbeat, greets me with a smile, and motivates me to push past limits I didn’t think I could reach. He’s also been incredibly flexible and accommodating with scheduling, which has made it so much easier to stay consistent.

I’ve worked with several trainers in the past, but none even come close to Mike. If you’re serious about seeing real results with someone who genuinely cares about your success, Mike is the trainer for you.

Adam-Holmdel, NJ

Mike hasn’t just helped me improve my strength and conditioning, but also has helped correct physical issues I’ve suffered for years.  Mike’s balance of corrective exercise and toning has been invaluable.

Mary-Manalapan, NJ