Martin Rooney is a performance enhancement specialist with a Masters in Health Science and Bachelor of Physical Therapy from the Medical University of South Carolina. He also holds a Bachelor of Arts in Exercise Science from Furman University. He is the author of Train to Win and Training for Warriors and also co-authored two other books on the 40-yard dash and the vertical jump. Training for Warriors (Collins), is the most comprehensive and challenging workout ever put together for mixed martial arts fighters.
Rooney has lectured for Perform Better, the American College of Sports Medicine, the College Strength and Conditioning Coaches Association, the National Strength and Conditioning Association, at the University of Alabama, and has been commissioned by Nike to run speed testing camps at a number of major universities. Rooney has been featured on ESPN, Sports New York, Fox Sports Net, the NFL Network, NBC.com and in the New York Times, The Sporting News, Stack Magazine, Sports Illustrated for Kids, and Outside Magazine.
Rooney was a member of the United States Bobsled team from 1995-1997 and 2000 and a four-time All Conference MVP performer in Track and Field at Furman. He currently trains in both Brazilian Jiu Jitsu with Team Renzo Gracie and Kodokan Judo at the prestigious New York Athletic Club. Rooney is the conditioning coach for Team Renzo Gracie and also on the editorial council of Brazil’s Gracie magazine. He has traveled as far as Brazil, Japan, and the Middle East to conduct seminars and help prepare world-class fighters for competitions such as Pride, the UFC, and the Abu Dhabi World Submission Grappling Championships.
Over the last few years Rooney has helped to develop one of the top NFL Combine training programs in the country producing the fastest athlete at the 2001, 2004, 2005, and 2006 NFL Combine and first place finishers at 10 different positions, including five all-time records.
Rooney was also the martial arts consultant to the NY Giants and the NY Jets, and a speed and conditioning consultant to the New York Giants, Cincinnati Bengals, Arizona State University, Oregon State University, Montana State University, as well as other athletes from the NFL, MLB, NBA, WNBA, and numerous top Division I colleges. He has trained numerous Olympians including one gold, and four silver medalists.
Currently, he is the director of the Parisi Speed School. The Parisi Speed School is launching national franchises under Rooney’s leadership and there are already 35 franchises across the country in addition to company owned stores in New Jersey. Rooney also produced a 10-part DVD series on the Parisi Training Method.
Praise for Martin Rooney and Training for Warriors:
“If you want what other warriors don’t have, you need to do what other warriors don’t do. I want victories and that’s why I follow this program.”
– Ricardo Almeida, UFC, Pride FC veteran and Middleweight King of Pancrase
“This training is intense – and it gives me the strength, speed, and endurance I need to take on and defeat the world.”
– Roger Gracie, 2005 ADCC Absolute and 2007 BJJ World Absolute Champion
“If you’re tired of being the nail, let Martin Rooney turn you into the hammer!”
– Renzo Gracie, ADCC and Pride Fighting Champion
“Rooney gets the most out of MMA fighters. He doesn’t stop at physical conditioning. What separates him from other top-flight trainers is his strict emphasis on being mentally prepared.”
– Frank McNeil, ESPN.com
“You have it all in the book. As someone who has seen the benefit of innovative, functional, and sport specific exercises, I think Martin Rooney is giving people a tremendous advantage in their MMA training with this book.”
– Kenny “Kenflo” Florian, UFC Fighter and BJJ black belt
“A fantastic book! The approach of associating MMA techniques with the exercises that will help improve them is something people will not have seen before.”
– Kid Peligro, Acclaimed martial arts author and BJJ black belt