Mike Stella
Owner
I’m not your average athletic trainer. or strength coach…
And this isn’t your average gym.
This is The Movement Underground—where pain meets its match, potential gets unlocked, and excuses don’t survive the front door.
After 20 years in the sports medicine game—working with everyone from pro athletes to everyday weekend warriors—I got tired of watching people fall through the cracks of a broken healthcare system. Insurance companies dictating care from a cubicle somewhere. Cookie-cutter rehab. Band-aid solutions.
I knew there had to be a better way. So I built it. And Assembled a team of incredible coaches and clinicians who believe as I do…
That pain is a teacher.
At TMU, we don’t chase symptoms—we hunt down the real constraints holding people back from the sports and life they love…
We blend world-class physical therapy, elite-level training, cutting-edge recovery, and guided health optimization under one roof.
It’s not just rehab. It’s a system designed to rebuild you stronger, faster, and more resilient than ever before.
I’ve helped people come back from career-ending injuries. I’ve helped others get off pain meds, reclaim their bodies, and take back their lives. I’ve worked with athletes who were told they were “done,” only to watch them not only comeback…but better than before they were hurt.
I don’t care where you’re starting—only that you’re ready to go all in.
I’ve been where you are. I’ve felt broken, lost, out of shape, and beat up by life. That’s what makes this personal. This isn’t just my career—it’s my calling. And if you’re ready to show up for yourself, then I’m ready to help you break through.
No fluff. No gimmicks. Just real results from someone who actually gives a damn.
You don’t need another generic program or insurance-mill PT.
You need someone who sees what’s possible—and knows how to get you there.
Let’s rebuild what they said was broken.
Let’s turn setbacks into fuel.
Let’s show the world what happens when you train with purpose.
This is your comeback story.
And it starts right here—Underground.
Brian Harder
BS, ATC, PES, FRCms
Brian is a Certified Athletic Trainer (ATC) as well as a Sports Performance Coach (PES), and Corrective Exercise Specialist certified by the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM). Currently, he serves as the Clinical Director for The Movement Underground, assisting Mike in all facets of staff education, and ensuring the team is on the cutting edge of sports medicine and performance training. He is a Hofstra University graduate in Athletic Training and sports medicine, and has spent over 10 years in the fitness industry with a wide variety of clients from high school/college athletes to adult recreation enthusiasts. Brian’s aim is to always understand you, your goals, and how best he can share his knowledge to guide you in your movement journey. In addition to a wide variety of Manual Therapy skills, honed under Mike Stella’s tutelage, he is an expert mobility coach, holding advanced certifications in Functional Range Conditioning (FRC) and Kinstretch.
Matt Forman
BS, CPT, FRCms
Matt Forman is an ACE (American Council for Exercise) Certified Personal Trainer who graduated form the University of Delaware with a major in Exercise Science, and a minor in Strength and Conditioning. He also holds a Certification as a FRC Mobility Specialist. Matt’s passion for fitness and training began as a local standout soccer player, but after a hip fracture, learned he was meant for helping people get the most out of their rehab, training and life. While at Delaware, Matt worked with a variety of Division 1 athletes including Football, Track & Field, Soccer, and helped the Men’s Basketball program take home a conference championship in ’21. Matt currently is an up and coming competitive bodybuilder as well as pursuing a Doctorate in Physical Therapy. Matt helps coach clients at The Movement Underground in corrective exercise, and is an integral part of the design and implementation of Strength & Conditioning programs.
Grace Martinez – Espina,
BS, CSCS, FRC-MS
Grace Martinez-Espina is a Strength & Conditioning Coach at The Movement Underground,
where she develops athletes capable of meeting the physical demands of high-level sport
through structured performance training and movement development.
A former collegiate basketball player at Brooklyn College, Grace helped lead the program to its
first conference championship since 1980 before continuing her playing career professionally in
the Dominican Republic and competing semi-professionally throughout New York and
Massachusetts. Her experience as an athlete continues to shape her coaching perspective and
approach to performance preparation.
From 2023–2026, Grace served as the Head Strength & Conditioning Coach at Brooklyn
College, where she designed and implemented year-round performance programs for all 15
varsity teams, supporting athletes across a wide range of sports and competitive demands.
Grace holds the Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) through the National
Strength and Conditioning Association, is a Certified Personal Trainer (CPT) through the
National Council on Strength and Fitness, and is a Functional Range Conditioning
Mobility Specialist (FRCms). She is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Applied Exercise
Science with a concentration in Sport Performance.
Grace’s coaching philosophy centers on the belief that sport reveals the problem—training is
where athletes build the physical capacity to solve it. Her work emphasizes developing
movement competency, strength, and adaptability so athletes can control the positions and
physical demands their sport consistently places them in.
Chris Tessitore
General Manager
Chis is the General Manager of The Movement Underground. If Mike Stella represents the Soul of the Gym, then Chris represents its Heartbeat. Chris is in charge of not only the day to day operations, scheduling, billing, but also ensuring that every client is greeted with a smile, a laugh, and everything they need to get better. His journey at the Movement Underground began as a client, a standout pitcher for SUNY Old Westbury where he unfortunately suffered a torn UCL and underwent Tommy John Surgery. Through rehab and program guidance from Mike Stella and the Movement Underground Staff, Chris returned to highly competitive baseball throwing harder than he did pre-injury and topping at 97mph. He completed his collegiate career and moved on to pitch professionally, winning 3 championships in 4 years and garnering a playoff MVP award for the Plattsburgh Thunderbirds & New Jersey Jackals. Chris is not only an OG client, but has walked the path of many clients at TMU, understanding the pain, injury, and rehab process better than most.
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