Athlete Performance Optimization in Columbus, Ohio

Build the machine your sport demands

Every sport builds its athletes differently, and so does every position within it. We measure your body composition, strength, and cardiovascular capacity, compare them to the athletes winning at your level, and build a plan to close the gap, so you develop faster, raise your ceiling, and take an edge onto the field. Led one on one by Dr. Shawn Bailey, for athletes from high school to the pros.

Talk to Dr. Bailey See how it works

We measure where you are, compare it to the athletes winning at your level, and build the plan to get you there.The Athlete Performance Optimization approach

Trusted by Olympic, NFL, and Division I athletes · 80+ five-star reviews

Who it is for

Built for athletes with a number in mind.

For high school, college, and professional athletes who want to change their body composition and physiology to match the demands of their sport and position. Dr. Bailey works with each athlete one on one, and brings in our dietitian, exercise physiologist, strength and conditioning staff, mental performance coach, and physical therapy team whenever their expertise moves you forward faster.

The idea

The build your sport is asking for.

A left tackle and a cornerback play the same game with completely different bodies. A shot putter, a sprinter, and a marathoner share a track and almost nothing else. Every sport, and every position within it, rewards a specific blend of size, power, and endurance. We measure yours across three dimensions, body composition, strength, and cardiovascular capacity, then compare it to normative data for elite athletes in your sport, position, and level. That shows us exactly where the gap is, and a custom plan closes it, with a DEXA and a visit every four to six weeks to prove it is working.

Same game, opposite builds

A left tackle carries the mass to anchor a point of attack. A cornerback carries none of it, because his job is to turn and run stride for stride with a receiver. Same sport, nearly opposite bodies.

Power, speed, or endurance

A shot putter is built to move a heavy implement in one violent instant. A sprinter is built to reach top speed and hold it for ten seconds. A marathoner is built to spend as little energy as possible for two hours. Three athletes, three completely different frames.

Your target, from the data

We hold normative data across body composition, strength, and cardiovascular performance for elite Division I and professional athletes, by sport and by position. So your target is not a guess, it is what competing at the next level actually looks like.

Every athlete here is a world champion or an elite pro, built to dominate their sport. Same sport — wildly different physiques, because the event decides the build.

Female · Track & Field

World champions, built to dominate their sport.

Same track.132 lb & 22 pts apartin weight and body fat — same sport

Shot putter

5′10½″Height

238Weight · lb

34%Body fat · 81 lb

3,627 cal/day40 VO₂max

100m sprinter

5′5″Height

123Weight · lb

14%Body fat · 17 lb

2,812 cal/day50 VO₂max

Marathoner

5′5″Height

106Weight · lb

12%Body fat · 13 lb

2,953 cal/day70 VO₂max

Male · NFL

Same game. Different physiques.

Same field.121 lb & 18 pts apartin weight and body fat — same sport

Offensive lineman

6′5″Height

315Weight · lb

28%Body fat · 88 lb

4,925 cal/day44 VO₂max

Linebacker

6′2″Height

241Weight · lb

16%Body fat · 39 lb

4,706 cal/day52 VO₂max

Cornerback

6′0″Height

194Weight · lb

10%Body fat · 19 lb

4,370 cal/day56 VO₂max

Lean mass — muscle, organs, bone, waterBody fatFigure height = real height · width = weight

Total Daily Energy Expenditure — how many calories this athlete needs each day to fuel the machine and do what their sport asks of them.

VO₂max— how much oxygen the heart and lungs can deliver to the body’s tissues at maximum effort.

Illustrative estimates, not per-athlete measurements. Heights and NFL height and weight come from active-roster censuses; body fat, lean mass, energy expenditure, and VO₂max are estimated from sport-science norms (DEXA and skinfold studies, position physiology). Sources: Bosch 2019 and Dengel 2014 (NFL DEXA), Dexalytics and a 2024 DEXA study (female athletes), Jones on Radcliffe (VO₂max), and a 1997 review of football physiology.

How it works

Measure. Plan. Remeasure. Repeat.

The same loop we run in performance medicine, tuned for the athlete: set the goal, baseline the data, build the plan, then prove it worked and adjust, over and over, until you have built the high-performance machine your sport demands.

Goals and barriers

We start with your sport, position, level, and the build you are chasing, and we name the barriers in the way so the plan accounts for them.

Measure where you are

Baseline your body composition and physiology with DEXA, RMR, and VO2 max, so we start from facts, not guesses.

Set the target

Compare your numbers to the data for your position and level, and set a clear, realistic target to aim for.

Build the plan

Dr. Bailey builds a custom nutrition and training plan to move you from where you are to where you want to be.

Execute

You carry out the plan with Dr. Bailey in your corner, and we bring in our dietitian, coaches, and physical therapy team when it helps.

Remeasure and tweak

Every four to six weeks we repeat the DEXA and meet, adjust the plan against your progress, and keep going until you reach the goal, then set the next one.

What we measure

Real data, not the mirror.

We use the same tools the medical side of THE ARMORY runs every day. See the full lineup on our testing page, including a DEXA body-composition scan and a VO2 max test.

Body composition

DEXA scan of lean mass, fat, and fat distribution by region, the core metric for a physique goal.

Metabolism

Resting metabolic rate to build a fueling plan that adds or drops the right kind of weight.

Cardio capacity

VO2 max testing for aerobic engine and training zones.

Bone health

DEXA bone mineral density, so a body-composition change never comes at the cost of the frame under it.

Strength and power

Sports science testing with our strength and conditioning staff when your plan calls for it.

Why it matters

Where athletes separate.

Talent and hours in the gym are the price of admission now. The athletes who separate, the ones who earn the roster spot, the scholarship, the shot at the next level, are the ones who develop faster and leave less of their potential on the table. When body composition, strength, and cardiovascular capacity all line up with what the sport demands, an athlete gets more out of every practice, recovers quicker, and raises their ceiling. That is a real, measurable edge, and it compounds season over season.

It is also one more edge we can hand your athlete. It sits on top of the coaching they already get at THE ARMORY, our strength and conditioning, speed and agility, and sport-specific skills work, and it aims squarely at the physical blueprint underneath all of it.

Who you work with

Led by Dr. Bailey.

Shawn Bailey MD

Performance Medicine Physician • Owner • CEO

Physician, engineer, and founder of THE ARMORY. Dr. Bailey earned his B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Purdue University and his M.D. from The Ohio State University College of Medicine. After completing his Internal Medicine residency at Riverside Hospital in 2004, he and Meredith launched their first practice, Hayden Run Internal Medicine, which has since evolved into THE ARMORY, a comprehensive health, fitness, and performance facility dedicated to delivering integrated, evidence-based care.

From our athletes

Hear it from them.

Kevin McGuff

Head coach, Ohio State women's basketball

“I’m really happy to be working with Dr. Bailey — he’s been very impactful on my overall health. The DEXA gave me a lot of great information about my muscle and my body, and the VO2 max helped me get a feel for where my heart health is. I’m just thankful Shawn could guide me through all of it.”

Justin Inacio

Professional lacrosse player · 3× All-American, Team Canada

“THE ARMORY is a one-stop shop for athletes, or people trying to better themselves and improve their longevity. I went through the human performance lab — a DEXA scan, VO2 max, resting metabolic rate, and blood work — with an amazing medical staff, nutritionist, and physical therapist. As a professional athlete who travels a lot, I’m looking for an edge, and this is going to help me improve all aspects of my performance and gain that edge on the field.”

What they say

Athletes who trust us.

“Dr. Shawn and all of the resources at THE ARMORY have been such an important piece of my preparations for the Olympic Games. Dr. Shawn has helped me to dial in my macros, and the DEXA and RMR testing have helped me track my metrics every step of the way. I can’t thank Dr. Shawn or the staff at THE ARMORY enough for their continued support. Can’t say enough about how much your support has meant to us!”

Joe Kovacs · Shot putter · 3× Olympic silver medalist, 2× World Champion, 3× Diamond League champion

“Being a part of a great family oriented organization has been a true blessing. THE ARMORY has filled my needs for my day-to-day access to a prominent doctor, and being able to use a top-tier facility that offers all of the amenities that I need for my youth sports program. Doctor Shawn has been an amazing resource for me and family. I can't thank him enough for what he has done for my blood pressure issues as he fixed it by me just following his plans to manage it. We are just getting started, the future is bright for our community.”

Braxton Miller · Former Ohio State quarterback and NFL wide receiver · 2× Big Ten Player of the Year

“THE ARMORY has gone above and beyond helping not only myself, but my teammates reach our full potential as athletes. They are a group of passionate individuals working to give you the best opportunity to get 1% better each day. As an athlete, we are taught to embrace the grind. THE ARMORY is here to support you through the grind each step of the way.”

Megan Courtney-Lush · Professional volleyball player, Columbus Fury · 2× national champion at Penn State · USA National Team

“Awesome experience, with detailed coaches and a great environment.”

Cade Stover · Ohio State tight end · Big Ten Tight End of the Year · NFL, Houston Texans

“My name is Zack Weber, and I've been training at THE ARMORY since the day it opened. Not long after, I joined the Strength and Conditioning program as an athlete. I can confidently say that Jay Hooten and the entire staff at THE ARMORY have played a major role in my athletic development and were instrumental in helping me earn the opportunity to play college football. The Strength and Conditioning program has pushed me to become the best athlete I can be. It has helped take my strength, speed, and overall athletic performance to the next level while teaching me the discipline and work ethic needed to compete at a higher level. I wouldn't be where I am today without the support, coaching, and environment that THE ARMORY has provided.”

Zack Weber · Bishop Watterson state champion, now playing football at the University of Charleston

Questions

Good to know.

High school, college, and professional athletes who want to change their body composition and physiology to match the demands of their sport and position. Dr. Bailey works with each athlete one on one.

Strength and conditioning, led by Coach Hooten, builds on-field performance through coached training. Athlete Performance Optimization, led by Dr. Bailey, uses objective testing like DEXA, RMR, and VO2 max to set a target body composition for your sport and position, then builds and adjusts a plan to reach it. Many athletes do both.

Every sport, and every position within it, rewards a different build. We measure your body composition, strength, and cardiovascular capacity, then compare them against normative data for elite Division I and professional athletes in your exact sport and position. That normative data shows precisely where you stand and what to close, and Dr. Bailey builds a plan to get you there.

We start with your goals and any barriers, then baseline your data. Dr. Bailey builds a custom plan, you carry it out, and we remeasure with a DEXA and a visit every four to six weeks, adjusting the plan until you reach your goal.

No. Start with a consult with Dr. Bailey. Tell him your sport, position, and goals, and he will walk you through what a plan and the testing would look like for you.

Build your edge.