Athletes' Performance Institute

Athletes' Performance Institute (API) is a private personalized performance training institute, described by MLB.com as "a high-tech fitness boot camp for professionals," and by ESPN as "a sprawling weight room/running track/football field/swimming pool/café/spa." Training programs can include aspects such as a nutrition program, massages, metabolic tests, cardiovascular work, drills, and aptitude and media training. Personalized training centers are a relatively new concept. API was founded in 1999 by Mark Verstegen, a lithe, crew-cutted man who spent years implementing fitness programs for IMG, who holds a masters degree in Exercise Science and studied at Georgia Tech. The API Tempe, Arizona facility opened in 2001, and that same year API began an NFL Combine preparation program for prospective NFL athletes, training them for the NFL Combine tests. Since its inception more than 25 first round picks were API athletes, including 8 each in the 2005 and 2006 NFL Drafts. In the spring of 2001 Sports Illustrated noted that Roberto Alomar had spent the prior December at API, and was noticeably stronger.... Mehr