Back Room Talk Coach Spotlight: Michal Scepko's Journey from Military to Elite Fitness Coaching
This episode of Back Room Talk explores the remarkable journey of Michal Scepko, a Slovakian fitness coach whose path from competitive swimmer to Navy SEALs combat diver to professional coach demonstrates how elite military training can forge exceptional coaching excellence. After 20 years of military service, including specialized training with US Navy SEALs and deployments to Afghanistan, Michal has built a thriving coaching practice that serves everyone from MMA champions to general population clients seeking healthier, stronger lives.
The Foundation: From Pool to Battlefield
Michal's journey began in the water as a competitive swimmer in Slovakia, where he developed the discipline and work ethic that would define his approach to everything that followed. "I've been working out since my childhood. I started as a competitive swimmer and then I added strength training and powerlifting to my routine and I've never stopped."
This early athletic foundation led him into military service, where he would eventually become a combat diver instructor - a role that would change his perspective on fitness forever. The pivotal moment came when he earned the opportunity to train with US Navy SEALs through NATO cooperation: "I was actually a combat diver, okay? When I was in military, I was combat diver instructor and I had a chance to go to the USA to pass BUDS, you know, Basic Underwater Demolition Seal course."
The experience was transformative: "It was really tough, was very, very hard and just a few guys came through and fortunately I was one of them. Yeah, so I spent in the US like 18 months because I was studying there for military schools and then at the end US Navy SEALs course."
Discovering Functional Fitness in Combat Zones
It was during his military deployment to Afghanistan that Michal first discovered his passion for coaching. At the Kandahar CrossFit box, he began teaching kettlebell classes during his free time - a decision that would plant the seeds for his future career.
"I began my coaching career in 2012 during my military deployment in Afghanistan when I started coaching kettlebell classes at the Kandahar CrossFit box during my free time," Michal explains.
The military mindset profoundly shaped his coaching philosophy: "When you work with the crazy guys like Navy Seals and they were hammering you every day and you are looking to things differently. I look into the training different. I'm not thinking that discomfort is the obstacle."
This perspective, forged in some of the world's most challenging environments, became central to his coaching approach: "I started to learn how to feel good in a shitty state," he says, referencing James FitzGerald's famous phrase that resonates throughout the OPEX community.
The Transition: From Military Service to Professional Coaching
After returning home, Michal deepened his studies and earned his first strength and conditioning certifications. He opened his own CrossFit-style gym, pouring his energy into building both the facility and his knowledge base.
The moment that would define his coaching trajectory came when one of his athletes began winning local CrossFit competitions and asked for help reaching international levels. "To be honest, actually I realized that this was limit of my knowledge and at that point... that's the time when I discovered OPEX and I began the CCP program."
Michal's dedication to learning was legendary among the early OPEX community: "I started to communicate with James Fitzgerald, Mike Lee and some other guys from OPEX because I was applying all my knowledge and I had tons of questions and probably I was the pain in their ass."
His commitment to education was total: "I printed all handouts all handbook everything I printed and studied study study study because during my military career a lot of time I didn't have like internet connection in the boots or somewhere. So I took the books with me."
This dedication paid off when, in 2022, he received the opportunity that would launch his professional coaching career: "I attended something like a casting like a casting or job interview with the biggest Slovakian MMA star... the former Bellator champion MMA and he was looking for a strength and conditioning coach."
After 20 years of military service, Michal was selected for the role, marking his transition from part-time volunteer coach to full-time professional: "That was the time when I left the military after 20 years and I started my professional coaching career."
Elite Performance Coaching: Working with Champions
Michal's work with the former Bellator champion proved to be a defining experience. The fighter, at 39 years old, had never worked with a dedicated strength and conditioning coach despite over 20 years in the sport.
"His coaches like MMA coaches told me like, Michal, we are working with this guy more than 20 years and he had never been in the strength and conditioning form like he's now," Michal recalls with pride.
The success of this partnership opened doors to working with other professional fighters, but Michal discovered his true passion lay elsewhere: "To be honest, the biggest passion is to work with GPP because everybody is different and everybody has his own life, his own problems, his own why, you know, when I assess them. It's kind of big challenge every time for me."
Building a Comprehensive Coaching Practice
Today, Michal operates a multifaceted coaching business that includes:
In-person training at his gym with 10-12 general population clients
Remote coaching for 25-27 clients (his self-imposed maximum)
Training for two professional MMA fighters
Managing a team of three coaches
Running two companies (his gym and coaching business)
His approach to remote coaching is uniquely hands-on: "Everybody, everybody who wants to work with me. The first is coming to my gym and I'm doing assessment like in-person assessment. I'm teaching them actually the proper technique during my time... and then online coaching."
This hybrid model ensures quality while allowing him to serve clients who can't train at his facility daily: "Most of them, most of them are coming to my gym every like two or three months to check their technique."
The Technology That Enables Excellence
Michal's use of CoachRx has been instrumental in scaling his impact while maintaining the high-touch service he's known for. The platform allows him to provide an unusually high level of attention to his remote clients.
"I'm checking what's going on with my clients. If I need, if I see that there is some kind of problem, I'm calling them like right now," he explains. This approach recently impressed a client who had skipped workouts: "I called him like, Hey man, what's going on? Why did you skip it? And he told me like, shit. I didn't know that I'm under that view. You are still checking my... I said yes. He said, wow, this is fantastic service."
While Michal acknowledges this level of attention "maybe it's not good for my time," he explains: "That's me. I love to be as good as possible."
Leading and Developing Other Coaches
As his business has grown, Michal has taken on the responsibility of developing other coaches. His approach reflects his military leadership background combined with OPEX principles.
"I'm working with them every day almost... every time when they are creating their training plans, a lot of times they are giving me that plans like, please, Michal, can you check it out? If this is good way to coach them."
He actively encourages his coaches' education: "I love to see the growth of my coaches so that's why I'm pushing them to study... I'm giving them my books and everything like hey please because it will help you with your clients."
His coaching philosophy emphasizes OPEX principles: "I'm applying a lot of like knowledge from OPEX business part to my coaches. And a lot of stuff from the communication consulting... I'm going that way. Like, okay guys, look, this is what is written in consulting and it's true because it works for me."
The Art of Assessment and Goal Setting
One of Michal's greatest strengths lies in his approach to client assessment and goal alignment. His military background taught him the importance of clear objectives, but his OPEX education refined his ability to truly listen to what clients want.
"The biggest lesson" he's learned is to "listen to their goals and set up the training into their goals not set up training what I think is good for them."
He describes a pivotal moment in his coaching development: "Every time I know every time when I start it. I said, okay, maybe this is your goal, but you need this and... after time they told me, okay, I reached that, but that's not what I wanted to reach. No, it was like the punch to my face. Like what the hell I'm doing."
Now his approach is collaborative: "I'm talking with them a lot. I'm asking them... What do you want to reach in this year? Good. You want to reach this? Do you agree that to reach that we need to go step by step like this? They said, yeah. And I'm setting this path, this pathway for my clients and they like it."
Addressing Modern Health Challenges
Working primarily in Slovakia, Michal has observed troubling trends in population health: "People want to be stronger, healthier and leaner. Because fortunately not like the half of population is fat or something, but people can see the difference of people like 20 years ago and nowadays."
The primary culprit, in his observation, is nutrition: "People are getting fat and a lot of people come to me and they talking to me very honestly like you know Michal we are fat, weak and we don't have very good like healthy habits please change it or help us to change it."
Rather than prescriptive approaches, Michal focuses on education: "I know it from military if I tell you like hey you should do it like this way do it people know know... I'm just trying to change their approach. Like hey guys, you should think what you do and how it affects your body your health."
Navigating Complex Life Stages
One area where Michal has developed particular expertise is working with women going through menopause - a challenge that has become increasingly common as the fitness industry matures.
"I have three in-person clients who are going under this stage. So it's kind of hard," he explains, but his approach demonstrates the depth of his commitment to client success.
His strategy combines practical psychology with lifestyle modifications: "I'm trying to tell them at least if you feel the hot waves or you feel the hunger or you feel dizziness or you feel shitty or something, think that it's just the state of your hormones. It's not the real... try to get over it... Go to the shower, go to walk or do any activation or do something what is going to change your focus."
He also creates environmental supports: "I'm telling them please try to use bike... I'm going to my bike. Let's meet on some place and we will go together... I'm creating the habits for them."
The Philosophy of Professional Coaching
Michal's perspective on what separates professional coaches from casual fitness instructors is rooted in continuous education and practical application: "Professional coach has to study because the change... the time is changing and very fast. There are a lot of research."
He emphasizes the importance of being discerning about information sources: "Try to study some studies and try to pick the place... of information or the source of information."
His approach to learning is deeply practical: "Study, apply, study, apply but coach has to working out... coach has to work out as well." This philosophy extends to his own training, where he personally tests programming concepts: "When I started to study energy system training, you know the table, I went from anaerobic lactic power to anaerobic lactic endurance three all the way because I wanted to feel what is it written."
Living a Larger Life
When asked about OPEX's core philosophy of "living a larger life," Michal's response reflects both his military background and his current priorities as a father and business owner: "To live larger life for me it means like to be healthy to have enough time to have enough money to live the life... not just to be at home."
His approach to money and time demonstrates this philosophy in action: "I'm taking money like something what needs to be in the circle. So when I'm earning money, I'm giving it to somewhere to live the larger life, to travel, to spend time with my family. I don't care if it costs too much."
The military experience gave him perspective on what truly matters: "To live a larger life means for me to spend the money and time for my family to live a happy life, to be together and to have a good time."
Managing Multiple Responsibilities
With three children (ages 12, 3, and 1), two businesses, and a full client load, Michal faces the challenge that many successful coaches encounter: time management.
"Managing my time... that's not problem to have money. My problem is to have time," he explains. "It's very hard to managing my time. That's what I need to like find a balance between time and money or time, family, business."
His approach involves setting clear boundaries and priorities, though he acknowledges this remains an ongoing challenge: "I have to struggling between all those stuff. Yeah, it's hard."
Advice for New Coaches
Michal's advice to aspiring coaches reflects his journey from military service through elite coaching: "Study guys study study study study and try to pick good source of information and I think OPEX is one of the best on the market."
He emphasizes the importance of practical application: "Study, apply it and find very good source for studying."
His military background informs his perspective on facing challenges: "Everybody has good days and bad days. So come on, let's work it out. And every time at the end of the day, everybody's happy."
The Continuing Journey
Looking back, Michal reflects on what he might have done differently: "Maybe go to competition sooner because I was still very humble... but one day they told me, Michal, there's no chance you have to go to competition. I said, okay, go. And I won the first place."
This experience taught him about the value of stepping outside comfort zones - a lesson he now applies to his coaching: "I said to myself, Michal, why did you wait that many years to compete?"
However, he ultimately discovered that competition served its purpose in his development but wasn't his calling: "You compete, you won or you were third or fourth, whatever, applause, goodbye, nothing... I will be rather coaching people and have like money from that than compete and have nothing."
The Legacy of Service
Michal's story represents a powerful example of how military service can translate into exceptional civilian coaching careers. His journey from combat diver to elite fitness coach demonstrates that the qualities that make someone successful in military special operations - discipline, attention to detail, continuous learning, and the ability to perform under pressure - translate directly into coaching excellence.
His commitment to his clients, whether they're former Bellator champions or general population members seeking better health, reflects the military ethos of service before self. The same dedication that carried him through Navy SEALs training now drives him to provide extraordinary service to every client who trusts him with their fitness goals.
"I love working with people, helping them improve and supporting them in reaching their goals. And that's actually, that's my why," Michal explains. In a world where fitness coaching can sometimes feel superficial, Michal's approach - grounded in military discipline, OPEX education, and genuine care for client success - represents the gold standard of professional coaching.
Connect with Michal
Those interested in learning from Michal's unique approach to coaching can reach out through:
Instagram: Find Michal on Instagram for coaching services and fitness content
"Just send me a message, that's enough. I'm checking my Instagram," he encourages, reflecting the straightforward, no-nonsense approach that defines everything he does.
Want to use the coaching platform trusted by Michal and thousands of other professional coaches? Experience the difference professional tools can make in your coaching practice with a 14-day free trial of CoachRx.
Next Steps
Want to use the coaching platform trusted by Michal and thousands of other professional coaches? Experience the difference professional tools can make in your coaching practice with a 14-day free trial of CoachRx.
