- Doctor of Medicine
- Master of Science in Neuropsychopharmacology
- Bachelors of Science in Biochemistry and Psychology
- IFBB pro bodybuilder, State and National 212 Bodybuilding Champion
I grew up in a nutrition and exercise focused home. After graduating from U of M with a Biochemistry/Psych degree, I was accepted to Wayne State University School of Medicine to pursue my graduate degree. While awaiting acceptance into medical school, I focused on the field of Neuropsychopharmacology. My focus in medical school was Neurosurgery, but a love of fitness and nutrition led to Sports Medicine.
During my residency at St. Joseph Mercy, I began training and competing in the sports of powerlifting and bodybuilding. I used my knowledge of nutrition and human anatomy to excel in these sports, taking 1st place for the first time in 2009 at the NPC Western Michigan State Championship and going on to win the Michigan State Championship, Nationals, and eventually earn my IFBB pro card.
In my 15+ years of competing I’ve worked with hundreds of clients, helping clients lose weight, come off unnecessary medications, and generally live healthier lifestyles and improve their quality of life.
I have found an immense amount of satisfaction and happiness using my knowledge and experience to successfully aid my clients in achieving their goals.
- PhD in Sociology and Demography
- Masters in Sociology, Statistics specialization
- Bachelors of Arts in Sociology and Law & Justice
- State and National USAPL Powerlifting Champion
I first got into lifting in high school to improve my performance on the fútbol pitch. Growing up, I was always involved in some type of sport—soccer, softball, cross country—but it wasn’t until I picked up a weight for the first time that I really found my passion. I got big into powerlifting and eventually won state and national championships in my weight class. I loved it.
However, lifting took a back seat for awhile in my life as I struggled with chronic health problems. I had a lot of issues with gut health and inflammation in my body—being diagnosed as being immune compromised with no real diagnosis or answers. I began to research nutritional science as a possible solution. Being a trained researcher and data scientist this looked like a very deep and obsessive dive as I sought to understand how I could use nutrition to heal my body. And it worked! Friends who knew about my health problems and had watched me struggle for years saw that I was able to completely get off all medications and start to feel healthy again. They began to ask for help with their own nutrition and I started to write diets for clients asking for help. It was then that I discovered my second passion–helping educate people and getting to watch them achieve their goals.
My Masters and Doctorate training as a researcher and data scientist has immensely helped in the pursuit of knowledge about all things sport physiology and nutritional science. Now I’d like to share that knowledge and experience with anyone looking for help.
Our Story
We first met through a mutual friend who had hired Todd for help prepping for his first bodybuilding show. Karina watched this friend completely change his lifestyle, from his physique and training protocol, to his nutrition, and the change was incredible. Interested in Todd’s approach to hypertrophy, Karina started following the content he put out and eventually reached out to him herself as an online client.
We communicated throughout the years via email but it wasn’t until the Arnold Classic in 2020 that we finally met in person. We spent the entire weekend annoying our friends by nerding out talking about periodization, nutritional science, heavy metal music, and dungeons and dragons (yes we are giant nerds).
We became training partners and eventually started coaching each other, and consulting with one another on each of our clients. Over one of our weekly sushi carb reload meals we had the idea to formalize the process and go into business together and the rest is, as they say, history!
Apex Coaching 