Mike Bledsoe

Mike Bledsoe is one of the founders and owners of Faction Strength & Conditioning Home of CrossFit Memphis. He has a degree in Exercise & Sport Science as well as a long list of meaningless certifications that might awe some people but not most and definitely not the people who are probably on this website.

What you’re probably interested in is his experience and passion for optimizing performance. Mike has had a curiosity for fitness and nutrition since before he was 15. That’s when he can first remember getting into the gym to lift weights, shopping for his own healthy food and making trips to GNC to find that magic supplement that will get him jacked as shit. Back then Muscle & Fitness was the bible and he followed it to the T.

At 19 years of age he thought he should donate his body and mind to the service of his country in the US Navy. Fortunately it was there that he discovered that he didn’t like taking orders. He did extremely well and had a good time but being part of a system was not his ideal and he’s an idealistic dude. Getting out was scary but now the entire world was available.

At the ripe old age of 24 he started college at the University of Memphis in the business department but before the first semester could end he changed his major to Health & Human Performance. It was there that he was first introduced to Olympic Weightlifting by Dr. Brian Schilling. He found his athletic passion and teammates for not just sport but in life in the basement of the field house. You’ll more than likely meet every single one of those dudes on the Barbell Shrugged podcast if you watch long enough.

While in school he regularly donated his body and parts of it to research in the name of science. It was during his senior year that he and Rob Conner started CrossFit Memphis. Dropping out of school after the first semester of grad school he devoted his time to growing the business and becoming a better coach.

Over the 5 years that Faction and CrossFit Memphis has enjoyed a fantastic community. Our team and individuals have done well at CrossFit Regional competitions every year they’ve existed. We have an eclectic group of athletes and coaches that make our facility worth sharing with the world.

Mike “Matraca” Bledsoe (matraca means chatterbox in portuguese) is most well known for his ability to not shut up. Barbell Shrugged was the next natural step in his career. Talking to 200 members on a daily basis was no longer enough, he needed a worldwide audience to satisfy his need to be heard.