10 Questions with Mike "Coach B" Burgener

The legendary "Coach B" Mike Burgener, is a Level 5 Senior International Weightlifting coach for the United States. He is a graduate of Notre Dame and obtained his MS degree in Exercise Physiology from the University of Kentucky. He was a Captain in the United States Marine Corps. Coach Burgener is currently the head coach of CrossFit Weightlifiting. He runs Mike's Gym out of his garage, where he regularly works out with his crew of geezers and provides Olympic weightlifting coaching to athletes of all ages.

When did you first hear the name Concept2 or try one of our products?
Oh geeze you would ask me that question... I have been retired from teaching 10 years so I would guess 10 years before that. I had purchased five or six Concept2 Indoor Rowers for my physical education classes at Rancho Buena Vista High School. They were legit for our students.

Do you remember your first workout on a C2 machine?
Sure, the 2000m time trial. Everyone hated that workout! We all—students, and this teacher—were spent and had to recover from this grueling workout.

Why do you specifically use Concept2 equipment?
The Concept2 Indoor Rower, BikeErg and SkiErg are the trifecta of fitness and conditioning. They are tanks and hold up to the most abusive work!!

How do you incorporate Concept2 equipment into your programming?
Today my geezers and athletes use the Concept2 three-tier system in enhancing their geezer fitness. I have 70+ year-olds using all three. The Olympic lifters use all three systems to warm up and, periodically, I will give them some short intervals to work on their conditioning.

What types of athletes do you primarily work with?
Geezers and Olympic weightlifters.

What’s your favorite/go-to workout?
30-second sprints followed by a 60-90 second rest interval for 10+ rounds. (Editor's note: ouch!)

We’d love to hear your favorite or best motivational story using Concept2 equipment.
For me, my favorite story regarding the Concept2 Indoor Rower was that I used this piece of equipment to reduce non-suits in my PE classes (editor's note: "non-suits" are disciplinary action when students arrive without their gym clothes) If a student had a non-suit I lowered their grade one letter grade... but the student could row 5000m at lunch or after school to bring that grade up. Best thing I ever did. Also students that could not run I made them row. 5000m was my go-to workout.

What’s your favorite workout music?
Country and western.

What or who inspires you to keep going?
My age. I don’t worry about what I have done. I just want to keep doing what I can to make me healthy but also a leader in the geezer movement to help others live a quality life of movement. The Concept2 trifecta philosophy will help make that happen.

Which Concept2 products do you use?
I use all three Concept2 pieces of equipment; the Indoor Rower, the SkiErg, the BikeErg. The SkiErg is my favorite.

How have you expanded or changed your use of our equipment over the years?
Certainly. Over the past 10 years I had one Indoor Rower and one SkiErg and, of course, I needed more. But now I have two SkiErgs, two Indoor Rowers, two BikeErgs. That is all my gym (two-car garage) will accommodate.

THANK YOU CONCEPT2 FOR ALL YOU HAVE DONE FOR MIKE'S GYM.

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