An alumnus of Berklee College of Music, Michael developed a love of teaching when he began giving guitar lessons in 2016. Upon the opening of Starting Strength Boston in 2021, he began apprenticing and transferred that passion and enthusiasm into barbell coaching. Michael found out about Starting Strength via the internet in 2019 and began his novice linear progression weighing 140lbs. His confidence improved, his anxiety faded, and his lifts went through the roof. A native New Englander, Michael is interested in fostering a community of strong, confident lifters and providing for them the same life-changing benefits that Starting Strength has provided for him: A discipline, a hobby, and a home.
7 Reviews on “Michael Shammas, SSC”
Great coach! Helps me with my form, very encouraging and supportive.
Michael’s a fantastic coach, his coaching style is a blast! His feedback isn’t just on point—it’s downright entertaining. He throws in jokes, keeps thing objective when things get tough, and gets straight to the point. Answers to any questions and feedback that I have come quickly and covers all the bases. His coaching is worth every penny.
Michael Shammas is an exceptional strength coach. I worked with him for 3 months as an online client in the intermediate phase of my lifting career. Michael listened to all of my needs and goals upfront and put me on the right program, which he continuously refined each week according to my progress. His technique coaching is easy to understand and fruitful. Even as an online client, Michael was always accessible and responsive to me. I put on 10 pounds in the first 2 months and it was the leanest and most successful bulk I ever undertook (noticeable mass gains). I would recommend Michael to anyone weather novice or intermediate level.
Michael is an outstanding coach. I’m 75 yrs.old and this is my very first experience with this type of training. Michael is very knowledgeable not only with SS but also nutrition. He is very supportive and no matter where you are in your abilities he will be your guide in your continous and safe progress.
I have worked with Michael for over two years now, and he is an outstanding coach – it should be a given that coaches are knowledgeable and experienced, which of course he is, but what sets Michael apart is his ability to give extremely succinct and clear guidance during my exercises. It makes all the difference and gives you confidence mid-lift knowing Michael sees your form clearly and can articulate easy-to-execute corrections in real time. PLUS – Michael is one of the funniest, kindhearted, and nice humans. Very down-to-earth and gets along with everyone.
Michael is the GOAT. He gave me the confidence to do something I was scared of and now SS is a fundamental part of my life. I’ve moved from across the country since starting and I exclusively do online coaching with Michael because there’s not a better coach out there!
I am almost 40 years old, and I had been trying to follow the Starting Strength program on my own for about 2 or 3 years before I started working with Michael. It’s been about a year since I started with him. Hiring him has been one of the best decisions I have ever made for my health, my confidence, and my mental toughness. Before starting with Michael, I could only progress for a few months at a time before I tweaked my back on the lower lifts or stalled out on the upper lifts. Since starting with Michael I haven’t stalled once and I’ve had steady and consistent progress. He is an absolute professional. He understands every aspect of the strength training process, from the technical parts of each lift, to the importance of recovery and nutrition. Most importantly, Michael “wears his knowledge lightly.” He makes you feel comfortable and confident with his amazing sense of humor and perspective. He knows how I think and what my weak/blind spots are and patiently helps me get around them. With his help, I just joined the 1000lbs Club in the Press, Squat, and Deadlift, which I never could have done on my own. I’m also squatting 405 for reps, which I also never could have imagined before. Starting Strength is hands down the most efficient and effective program to develop overall strength. You can try to do the program without a coach, but, in my experience, you are going to get much stronger much more quickly with the help of the coach. And I cannot recommend Michael more highly. He is the absolute best. Invest in your future self and hire him.
I have been an online client of Michael’s for about 18 months. My original goal was to run through the Starting Strength NLP, graduate after a few months, and continue training independently. I’ve stayed around with Michael after finishing my NLP and become stronger than I thought I ever thought I could be!
Michael knows his stuff — he’s excellent at finding cues that work for me, which has been paramount in my learning to lift “the Starting Strength way”.
Online coaching isn’t perfect, but Michael exceeded my expectations. The 1 monthly visit to SSBoston with Michael was a great way for me to dial in my form when it was most important. I can’t recommend his training enough!