Dan had a lot of adversity to overcome as a child. He lost his father to an accident at a young age and while raised by a single mother, struggled to find his place in the world. As an overweight child, Dan was bullied in school which ultimately led to him developing anxiety and depression and turning to food for comfort. In the midst of his childhood turmoil, Dan loved playing sports. He was a natural athlete who loved basketball, football and anything else sports related. Once Dan graduated high school however, his relationship with food took a turn for the worse.
Without the grades to attend college right out of high school, Dan began working long and varied hours at random jobs to pay for living on his own. His health continued to decline while his weight skyrocketed. By 2004, Dan tipped the scales at 375 pounds when he was diagnosed with a debilitating degenerative spinal condition that left him virtually unable to stand and walk, let alone exercise. Dan was given the option of a highly risky surgery with little guarantee of success versus one last holistic chance at redemption. After a series of steroid injections which gave him the ability to move with less pain, Dan set out to rise from the ashes.
In 2005, at 375 pounds, Dan purchased his first pair of running shoes and proceeded to lose and keep off over 125 pounds to date.
Dan developed a passion for learning about movement that intertwined with his desire to help others in their journeys. In 2007, Dan shared his story which led to his joining up with a local running store to lead their “Couch to 5K” running program and, from that point on, Dan was hooked. Since then, Dan had worked as a coach, mostly as a hobby, taking great pride in empowering others through mindful, purposeful movement.
After a long and winding career in business that left him unsatisfied and craving to be of service to others , Dan got started full-time with his career in fitness in 2017 after passing his certified personal trainer exam. His first entrepreneurial venture was in 2020 and Dan Herman Performance has continued to help many to this day.
As a part of his ongoing quest to learn and grow in his career, Dan has obtained certifications from top fitness institutions including the National Academy of Sports Medicine and Performance Nutrition.
Dan also prioritizes his own fitness and continues to work diligently to become the strongest and most resilient version of himself. As an athlete, Dan has completed multiple 5Ks, 10Ks, half and full marathons.
Early in his career, Dan discovered that he loved to train and teach others how to move with purpose. He has worked with hundreds of people as a trainer and fitness expert and deeply values the lessons he has learned from clients. In addition to training clients one-on-one, Dan has also led boot camps, coached individual athletes and teams from several sports, provided nutrition coaching, and helped other trainers improve their techniques and leadership skills. Dan combines his passion and expertise while collaborating with like-minded fitness professionals to give him the opportunity to make a big impact on the fitness industry. He hopes to demistify health and wellness and change it for the better while empowering those with whom he interracts and works.