Your body is the engine for everything you're building.Bakari Taylor, M.S., coaches founders, executives and high performers to get their energy, focus and strength back, built around their calendar.
Five clients, in their own words: where they started, what changed, and where they are now.
SarahClient for more than five years
He's a pro at adapting my workouts around my limitations.
In her words
I've trained with Bakari for over five years and can't recommend him enough. He's a positive and supportive trainer, making even the toughest sessions something I look forward to.
What I appreciate most though is how he's stuck by me through various health issues. He's a pro at adapting my workouts to work around my limitations while still keeping me moving and making progress. If you're looking for a trainer who truly cares and knows how to adapt to your life, Bakari is your guy!
5+ yrsTraining with Bakari
AdaptedEvery workout, around her health
ChimereClient
Not just what to do, but why it works.
In her words
Working with Bakari has been truly transformative. He has taught me how to truly understand my body, how to fuel it, train it with intention, and trust the process.
He emphasized the power of persistence and consistency, and I've learned that lasting progress comes from applying the small lessons every single day. His ability to explain not just what to do, but why it works has completely changed the way I approach fitness.
I trust his knowledge completely, and because of his guidance, I've grown stronger physically, mentally, and emotionally. The confidence and discipline I've gained extend far beyond the physical appearance.
10/10Would recommend him
StrongerPhysically, mentally and emotionally
BrandonFounder & Software Engineer, Ancre · about a year with Bakari
Bakari transformed my LIFE. Not just my body, but my life.
Before
I thought productivity meant sleeping four hours a night. I thought I was “doing better” by ordering Uber Eats three times a day from good restaurants. … I was constantly stressed, under-rested, and running on fumes while telling myself I was being disciplined.
My resting heart rate was so elevated that doctors would routinely hold me for hours because it was abnormal. Sometimes it sat between 95–100 bpm while doing absolutely nothing. … Walking around in the summer — going to brunch, a festival, or just being out with friends — left me out of breath and exhausted.
The turning point
The longer I committed to Bakari and trusted his program, the more my body and mind recalibrated. … I learned that health comes first — not last.
After
My resting heart rate dropped into the 60s. … I now get 12 hours of my old work done in 3 hours because my brain works better. My focus is sharper. My stress is manageable. My recovery is real. I don't just push — I sustain.
95–100→60sResting heart rate, bpm
12→3Hours to do the same work
4 hrsSleep a night, before
BarrieFounder, Global Coaches Network; executive coach & author
Functional at the age of 80, and getting stronger lifting heavy weights.
In her words
Thanks for keeping me functional just in case I have to punch somebody or climb uneven steps like on the Great Wall of China!
Seriously, older people tend to shuffle, lose their balance, and trip on a step because they don't lift their feet high enough. Bakari trains me every session to be functional at the age of 80 AND to get stronger lifting heavy weights. I often think how fortunate that Bakari is my trainer when I travel, am physically challenged and I'm up to the task!
80Age, and still lifting heavy
Every sessionBalance, footing and strength
DebbiePractice Operations Director, Dentons
Consistency is key. Just show up.
Before
I was struggling on multiple fronts: persistent weight gain despite conscious efforts to restrict my diet. The lack of eating the right things likely led me to feeling constantly tired and sluggish, so even the thought of physical exercise felt impossible.
I was also not sleeping well. Would often wake in the middle of the night and shift around for a few hours, feeling drained by the time I fully woke up.
The turning point
You're not going to look like wonder woman 3 weeks in. Be patient with your body. I began to feel gradual improvements in my balance and flexibility first – key foundations to a sustained weight training routine. Then, after a while, you start seeing it – in the mirror, in the fit of your clothes… and then soon after others start seeing it too.
After
Integrating a consistent weight training regime has made all the difference … energy levels higher, hunger levels lower, and I can actually eat normal because my metabolism fire was finally re-lit. Total game changer.
Just ask him about my squat game on day 1 compared to now.
−24 lbsIn about nine months, twice a week
32.3→27.1%Body fat
44→40Metabolic age
79→88Average sleep score
More clients. More proof.
Different jobs, ages and starting points, with the same foundation underneath.
You're helping me and my team build generational health.
Generational health, for her and her team.
From dreading workouts to loving them
“People notice the change”
Irene, 35
1.5yrs
Planned 12 sessions. Still training, a year and a half later.
Zero upper-body or core strength at the start
Weekly sessions, now an essential part of her life
Ayan
700+ steps
Up a mountain in Colombia in 25 minutes.
700+ steps, “an impossible feat before this”
Lifting heavier than ever thought possible
About two years with Bakari
HerlysAssociate Vice President, Global Vaccines Public Policy & Partnerships, Merck
2yrs
Stronger, around extensive work travel.
Heavier weights and more complex routines over time
Plans built to keep momentum after travel
Pooja, Dentist, 36
He has helped me see fitness as a lifestyle and long term health.
Fitness as a lifestyle, not a short-term goal.
Stronger, with much better mobility and flexibility
Almost a year with Bakari
Buie
It has saved me both time and money.
A program that travels with the job.
Athleticism, strength, mobility and physique up within three months
Built around work travel and varying equipment
EricSenior Associate, Federal Contracts Manager, TFC Consulting
Progress you can keep.
Patient and determined, for nearly two years.
Nearly two years with Bakari
Results vary. Every client starts from a different place, and individual results depend on consistency and circumstances. Quotes are from client testimonials, lightly trimmed.
When your sleep improves, your nutrition lines up and your training has a purpose, your energy, focus and stress follow.
SleepReal rest, not four hours and willpower.
NutritionThe right food at the right times, with structure.
Intentional trainingStrength, mobility and endurance, without pain or shortcuts.
RecoverySo you can sustain, not just push.
Power, on purpose.
What working together looks like
An honest assessment of where you are.
A plan built around your goal and your calendar.
Weekly accountability from Bakari.
Adjustments as you progress.
Built around a demanding life.
Travel, long weeks, setbacks: the plan bends, the progress doesn't.
Work travel
“He has also been very strategic with how to structure the routines when I have returned from extensive work travel, so we maintain the momentum.”
Herlys, Merck
Any gym, any equipment
“The fully customized workouts he provides have been instrumental in accommodating changes related to work travel and varying access to different equipment.”
Buie
Health setbacks
“He's a pro at adapting my workouts to work around my limitations while still keeping me moving and making progress.”
Sarah
Every age
“Bakari trains me every session to be functional at the age of 80 AND to get stronger lifting heavy weights.”
Barrie, executive coach & author
Bakari Taylor, M.S.
Meet your coach
Bakari Taylor
Human performance coach.
For nearly 15 years, I've helped people build stronger bodies and habits that last. I do my best work with people who carry a lot: companies, clients, teams and families. I don't just tell you what to do; I teach you why it works, then build the plan around your travel, your calendar and your body, so you keep getting stronger at 35 or at 80.
High performers who invest in themselves for something bigger: founders, CEOs and the C-suite, executives and senior leaders, business owners, physicians, dentists, attorneys, people in finance and tech, consultants, creators and entrepreneurs. What they want back is energy, focus, strength and recovery that last.
Less than most people expect. Your plan is built around your goal and your calendar, so it fits the time you actually have; you'll agree the right rhythm with Bakari on your call.
Yes. Bakari plans around work travel and whatever equipment you have access to, so you keep your momentum on the road and pick up cleanly when you're back.
Yes. Bakari coaches clients in person and from anywhere; you'll work out the right setup together on your call.
You and Bakari talk through where you are, what you're building, your calendar and what's getting in the way, then work out the right setup together.
Every plan is built around you, so pricing is covered on your call.
Become the person you keep saying you'll be.
Book your consultation in two steps: tell Bakari a little about yourself, then pick a time. He reads every application personally.
“Bakari transformed my LIFE. Not just my body, but my life.”
Working with Bakari didn't just change how I look — it changed who I am. Over the past year, my entire identity shifted. I became the person I always said I wanted to become… the person I just didn't know how to reach until I met him.
Before this program, I was chasing growth in all the wrong ways. I thought productivity meant sleeping four hours a night. I thought I was “doing better” by ordering Uber Eats three times a day from good restaurants. I wasn't eating junk — but I was feeding my body the wrong things, at the wrong times, with no structure or recovery. I was constantly stressed, under-rested, and running on fumes while telling myself I was being disciplined.
The truth is, I was disconnected from my health — and it showed up everywhere.
My resting heart rate was so elevated that doctors would routinely hold me for hours because it was abnormal. Sometimes it sat between 95–100 bpm while doing absolutely nothing. I wasn't obese. I wasn't inactive on paper. But my nervous system was overloaded, my sleep was broken, and my body was constantly in survival mode.
Even simple things were hard. Walking around in the summer — going to brunch, a festival, or just being out with friends — left me out of breath and exhausted. I used to dread eating at restaurants because I knew I'd crash immediately after. I would avoid going out afterward because my body would shut down and demand sleep. That became my normal.
And then, slowly but surely, everything changed.
The longer I committed to Bakari and trusted his program, the more my body and mind recalibrated. My resting heart rate dropped into the 60s. My energy stabilized. My breathing improved. My strength, athleticism, and endurance grew — without pain, without burnout, without shortcuts.
“I learned that health comes first — not last.”
Once my sleep improved, my nutrition aligned, and my training became intentional, my entire life upgraded. I now get 12 hours of my old work done in 3 hours because my brain works better. My focus is sharper. My stress is manageable. My recovery is real. I don't just push — I sustain.
I can eat a good meal, go out, walk around, enjoy life, and still feel good. I'm no longer out of breath. I'm no longer crashing. I'm no longer fighting my body.
Bakari didn't just train me — he rebuilt my foundation. He helped me understand my body, respect it, and use it as the engine for everything else I want to build. His coaching is intelligent, precise, and deeply intentional. Every movement, every progression, every adjustment is rooted in longevity and trust.
If you're constantly chasing the person you think you're supposed to become, it starts here. I was on a mission to become a different version of myself — and I didn't realize that the path ran straight through my health.
I trust Bakari completely because his program doesn't just change bodies — it changes lives. Mine is living proof.
Brandon, Founder & Software Engineer, Ancre
Debbie
“Consistency is key. Just show up.”
Before starting my regular weight training routine with Bakari back in May of 2024 after my 41st birthday, I was struggling on multiple fronts: persistent weight gain despite conscious efforts to restrict my diet. The lack of eating the right things likely led me to feeling constantly tired and sluggish, so even the thought of physical exercise felt impossible.
I was also not sleeping well. Would often wake in the middle of the night and shift around for a few hours, feeling drained by the time I fully woke up. Oddly, I even felt hunger pangs late at night which sometimes led to midnight grazing (probably due to the highly restricted diet I tried to maintain during the day). Even worse, my clothes weren't fitting right (or at all!) and that just made me feel more depressed and as if I were fighting a losing battle.
Flash forward about 9 months training with Bakari twice a week – and I'll let the numbers below speak for themselves and just add that integrating a consistent weight training regime has made all the difference in everything I previously described above (energy levels higher, hunger levels lower, and I can actually eat normal because my metabolism fire was finally re-lit). Total game changer. Frankly, I didn't think I would stick with it for this long as I rarely stick to any type of regular routine. Consistency is key. Just show up. You're not going to look like wonder woman 3 weeks in. Be patient with your body. I began to feel gradual improvements in my balance and flexibility first – key foundations to a sustained weight training routine. Then, after a while, you start seeing it – in the mirror, in the fit of your clothes… and then soon after others start seeing it too. At that point you almost crave a challenging workout – it clears your mind, gives you a sense of true accomplishment and starts/ends the week off so well for me!
Bakari focuses in on flexibility, balance, and always correct form. After a while, taking on heavier weights and trying different types of sets seemed achievable (not always easy of course, but always doable with a little extra push from yourself and from him). Frankly, his positive vibe attitude helps me get through it. … He just keeps encouraging me on down to the last count (as if he knows I can do it, I just personally don't realize it yet until I do), and it's worth it I promise!
Make no mistake Bakari won't let you simply ride “comfortable” with your achievements – he keeps raising the bar just a little more so you can rise to the challenge. You will be surprised with what you're capable of. I was! Just ask him about my squat game on day 1 compared to now.
The only advice I would give to myself if I were to go back in time -- and to anyone else who is curious -- just show up. Bakari will take care of the rest!
June 2024 → February 2025: body fat 32.3% → 27.1%, metabolic age 44 → 40, muscle rate 63.7% → 68.5%, average sleep score 79 → 88.
From June to February, I've lost a total of 24 lbs! 2-4!! Never lost this much weight in my entire life. And I am not done!
Debbie, Practice Operations Director, Dentons
Irene, 35
“Personal training with Bakari is the best investment in myself I have made.”
Personal training with Bakari is the best investment in myself I have made - it's hands down the best thing I have ever bought besides educational degrees and traveling. I can't overstate how much it has changed not just my body, but my life.
While I always knew the importance of physical activity, I never knew how to use gym equipment safely or how to even start with strength training, so my exercising consisted of just running or occasional soccer. I started personal training with Bakari over a year and a half ago intending to only purchase 12 sessions so that I could learn basics and then go to the gym on my own. I had zero upper body nor core strength and had never been able to go to the gym consistently. A year and a half later, our weekly sessions are an essential part of my life. I'm much stronger, but perhaps more importantly, I have the tools to be consistent because he has taught me how to always get a good workout in no matter where I am and whether I have any equipment.
While I expected to learn about strength training, I didn't expect that I would actually enjoy it - that I would really look forward to meeting up with Bakari in the gym for our sessions. He is incredibly good at what he does - not just because he's a fitness expert who will get you in shape safely, but he makes working out fun. He cares about his clients as people. He has this energy and positive vibe and clear love for what he does that is contagious to everyone around him. I feel very lucky that I found him and simply can't recommend him enough.
Irene, 35
Tyechia
“You help me build mobility, longevity, functionality, while I focus on building generational wealth.”
At first, honestly, I dreaded working out, but now I love it because the results speak for themselves. People notice the change, and you're helping me and my team build generational health. You help me build mobility, longevity, functionality, while I focus on building generational wealth. Thank you for being that guy. The work matters, and it shows!
“I was able to trek up a steep mountain in Colombia, hitting over 700 steps in 25 minutes; an impossible feat before this!”
Working with Bakari has been a truly transformative experience! Before I started training with him, I felt like I was in a rut with my fitness and was unhappy with my stamina and weight. I lacked direction and consistency, and honestly, I wasn't seeing the results I wanted. Initially, I wasn't sure about personal training; I thought it might be intimidating or too costly, but working with Bakari completely changed my perspective on the value and investment.
Since I began training with Bakari about 2 years ago, I've seen incredible improvements in both my strength and stamina. I'm lifting heavier than I ever thought possible, and activities that used to leave me winded are now much easier (I was able to trek up a steep mountain in Colombia, hitting over 700 steps in 25 minutes; an impossible feat before this!). Bakari's custom workouts are truly tailored to my specific goals and abilities, and he constantly adjusts them as I progress, keeping things challenging and engaging.
Beyond the physical improvements, I've also learned so much about my own capabilities. Bakari's encouragement and positive attitude have pushed me beyond my perceived limits, and I now have a much stronger sense of self-belief and discipline. I'm more aware of my body and what it's capable of.
My experience training with Bakari has been fantastic! He's not just a knowledgeable and skilled trainer; he's also incredibly personable and motivating. He creates a supportive and encouraging environment, and I genuinely look forward to our sessions. He listens to my feedback, celebrates my successes, and keeps me accountable.
If you're looking for a personal trainer who will truly invest in your fitness journey and help you achieve your goals, I wholeheartedly recommend Bakari. He's a game-changer!!
Ayan
Herlys
I have been working with Bakari for approximately 2 years and, during this time, both my fitness level and my health have improved in a very meaningful way. He has gradually been increasing the weight I am lifting and the complexity of the routines and, as a result, I feel stronger and more flexible.
“He has also been very strategic with how to structure the routines when I have returned from extensive work travel.”
He has also been very strategic with how to structure the routines when I have returned from extensive work travel, so we maintain the momentum but at the same time respond to my fitness needs.
Lastly, I just want to mention that in addition to being a top notch professional and expert in his field, Bakari is also a pleasure to interact with given his fun, friendly, outgoing, and positive personality. I consider him a friend, in addition to being my trainer.
Herlys, Associate Vice President, Global Vaccines Public Policy & Partnerships, Merck
Pooja, Dentist, 36
“He has helped me see fitness as a lifestyle and long term health as opposed to just aesthetics and short term goals.”
I have been training with Bakari for almost a year and it's been great. He has helped me see fitness as a lifestyle and long term health as opposed to just aesthetics and short term goals. I have gotten stronger and my mobility and flexibility have improved a lot too. I love that he focuses on stretching, mobility etc to ensure you have as pain free of a life as possible!
He's very realistic where he encourages you to be your strongest and most disciplined self while still giving you the grace and flexibility to enjoy the things you love. Besides him being a great trainer, he has a very engaging personality! I have so much fun during my work outs and feel like I'm working out with a friend.
Pooja, Dentist, 36
Chimere
Working with Bakari has been truly transformative.
He has taught me how to truly understand my body, how to fuel it, train it with intention, and trust the process. He emphasized the power of persistence and consistency, and I've learned that lasting progress comes from applying the small lessons every single day. His ability to explain not just what to do, but why it works has completely changed the way I approach fitness.
“His ability to explain not just what to do, but why it works has completely changed the way I approach fitness.”
I trust his knowledge completely, and because of his guidance, I've grown stronger physically, mentally, and emotionally. The confidence and discipline I've gained extend far beyond the physical appearance. 10/10 recommend him to anyone looking to transform their body and mind!
Chimere
Buie
I have been working with Bakari for several years. Specifically, in relation to online programming, I have been utilizing this service for the past 4 months.
I have learned a lot about myself since starting fitness training with Bakari. Through this period, I've come to understand how consistency is key, also that you don't have to do a lot of exercises to achieve the results you want. … I prefer the flexibility of being able to work out when time permits and according to my own schedule.
“The fully customized workouts he provides have been instrumental in accommodating changes related to work travel and varying access to different equipment.”
I believe that discovering Bakari's online program has saved me both time and money. Additionally, the fully customized workouts he provides have been instrumental in accommodating changes related to work travel and varying access to different equipment. This level of personalization has been incredibly helpful. Not only has it given me a consistent direction, but it has also reignited my enjoyment of working out. Bakari's workouts are both unique and enjoyable, yet they prioritize results above all else. In the three months I've been working with him, I have already experienced significant improvements in my athleticism, strength, mobility, and physique. He is an excellent listener and possesses the rare ability to translate that information into a consistently effective program.
Buie
Sarah
I've trained with Bakari for over five years and can't recommend him enough. He's a positive and supportive trainer, making even the toughest sessions something I look forward to.
“He's a pro at adapting my workouts to work around my limitations while still keeping me moving and making progress.”
What I appreciate most though is how he's stuck by me through various health issues. He's a pro at adapting my workouts to work around my limitations while still keeping me moving and making progress. If you're looking for a trainer who truly cares and knows how to adapt to your life, Bakari is your guy!
Sarah
Eric
“Progress you can keep.”
I've trained with Bakari for nearly two years. His approach is equal parts patient and determined, in the name of making progress you can keep. He's an amiable, experienced, and intelligent trainer and under his tutelage you can Trust The Process.
Eric, Senior Associate, Federal Contracts Manager, TFC Consulting
Barrie
“Bakari trains me every session to be functional at the age of 80 AND to get stronger lifting heavy weights.”
Thanks for keeping me functional just in case I have to punch somebody or climb uneven steps like on the Great Wall of China! Seriously, older people tend to shuffle, lose their balance, and trip on a step because they don't lift their feet high enough. Bakari trains me every session to be functional at the age of 80 AND to get stronger lifting heavy weights. I often think how fortunate that Bakari is my trainer when I travel, am physically challenged and I'm up to the task! Thanks Bakari!
Barrie, Founder, Global Coaches Network; executive coach & author
