The Best Biomechanics Specialists In The Business
Each of our practitioners has a unique story of recovering from complex cases of chronic pain and injury using the Functional Patterns training system. After facing the same frustrations as many of our clients who get minimal relief from various other therapies and workout routines, we found our answer. You can take comfort in knowing that you are being trained by someone who has been where you are right now and achieved relief when it seemed like there were no more solutions.
Read our stories below.
Meet Your Functional Patterns Atlanta Practitioners
All of our trainers are HBS (Human Biomechanics Specialist) certified in the Functional Patterns system, with a deep understanding of functional anatomy, gait mechanics and technique assessment/correction.
Michael Dugan
Owner // Human Biomechanics Specialist
“As is the case with most Functional Patterns Practitioners, I found FP through my own struggles with chronic pain. As a former competitive swimmer, I worked my way through the ranks to find my self competing at the Division I collegiate level at East Carolina University. During my time there I helped our team win back-to-back conference championship titles while also landing several school records. In addition to this, I earned a bachelors degree in Exercise Science with hopes that this would prepare me to take care of my body as I got older. As I began approaching the end of my athletic career, I began to experience numerous chronic pains including: neck pain, excruciating tendonitis of the shoulders and elbows, and lower back pain. No amount of rest, exercise modification, stretching, or ice could even come close to making me feel better. In fact, I felt absolutely clueless as to what I could do to actually solve my problems.
I visited our team physical therapists and doctors numerous times only to walk away with either zero relief or a temporary solution like ibuprofen or cortisone shots. I did all of the physical therapy protocols prescribed to me with no success. Unfortunately this is how most chronic pain stories go.
I discovered a youtube video from the CEO of Functional Patterns that completely changed the way I viewed the human body and why chronic pain develops. As I began to follow his methods I couldn’t believe how much relief I felt from my pains.
Not only was I finally given some hope at alleviating my pain, but also the chronic anxiety, depression and insomnia that came along with it. Something else that drew me in to FP was the fact that they prided themselves on showcasing before and after results of real people using their methods. In an age where the health and fitness industry is filled with people claiming to have solutions to your problems, none of them were showing their results.
I dove into Functional Patterns head-first in 2017 beginning with the online 10-week course and subsequently every in-person course provided by the company. Present day I feel better than ever and chronic pain is something I am confident I will never have to deal with ever again. In-fact, I can confidently say that my best years are way ahead of me. I have put on 15 lbs. of muscle while building a body that moves with less effort. Instead of feeling like I am dragging myself throughout the day, I feel athletic and resilient to every day stressors.
Since being certified, I have worked with hundreds of clients with all different backgrounds including: children, mothers, professional and amateur athletes, the elderly with severe movement restrictions, and the rare human that just wants to be proactive with their health. I take pride in knowing that when someone takes my advice to heart, they will see massive changes in their lives. Pain-free living is possible with Functional Patterns.”
Blake Howie
Owner // Human Biomechanics Specialist
“I was born and raised in North Augusta, SC. I grew up being very active, with a passion for staying fit. I attended the University of South Carolina for Marketing & Management. After college I found myself in a bit of an emotional hole. The apartment complex I lived in my last semester caught fire, & the majority of my personal belongs were lost. I started running as a form of exercise, because I didn’t want to go to my local gym. Running felt great at first, it was my personal time to get outside and connect with nature. I also started kayaking & I would wear a heart rate monitor because I was focused on my endurance, just like when I ran.
Upon starting a career in retail for Apple, I soon found myself in extreme discomfort. After seeing multiple types of doctors, the closest to a true diagnosis I received was Chronic Myofascial Pain Syndrome. I had been using exercise as a coping mechanism, and not in pursuit of health, and my body paid the price. The fascia around my shoulder blade locked me down, and slowly got worse as I struggled to find help from traditional medicine. The pain would spiral down my left arm & leg.
For seven years I built a career at Apple. I started as a part-time salesperson then worked up to management where I worked for 3 years. I never missed more than 3 days of work in my career.
That said, every day off I had was spent seeing some type of doctor, therapist, or other specialist for my pain. My body was exhausted from fighting and gravity felt like it was pushing me to the floor constantly.
Having no spouse or children depending on me, I chose to leave Apple. At this point I had collected a tremendous amount of knowledge around what didn’t work. Luckily I had been following Naudi Aguilar (the CEO of Functional Patterns) on Instagram. His methods didn’t make sense in the beginning, but after everything else I had tried, he was the only hope I had. Seeing the results he had posted online were what drew my attention.
I discovered HBS3 Michael Dugan was about 2 hours away from my hometown in Greenville SC. I rented an air bnb for months at a time. In 6 months, Michael had me feeling better than I had in 7 years. I knew immediately that Functional Patterns was different, and it reignited my passion for staying fit. I’m extremely grateful to have found this path. I’m excited to bring my experience to Functional Patterns Atlanta, & support the growth of a community push for functionality. Thank you Naudi & Michael for the opportunity to be a part of this amazing company. .”
Christopher Castañeda
Human Biomechanics Specialist
“Since I was a young boy my body always seemed to fail me when I needed it most. It lacked resilience, stability, utility. Anytime I wanted to use it, chronic pain followed.
I would watch kids my age not struggle with chronic pain and watch adults in my life struggle with the same chronic pain I had at such an early age. It infuriated me that my body was deteriorating so quickly, I thought to myself, “Why do I feel like an old man, and if I feel like this now - how will I feel when I’m actually old”. It didn’t make sense at the time. I had no understanding of the complexities of the body. Traditional knowledge (PT, weightlifting, stretching etc.) just was not getting me out of the cycle of pain and injuries.
As I got older and continued to learn more about biology and anatomy, I eventually found FP content online. It quickly became more evident that FP was on to something and learning other modalities was wasting my time.
In 2020 I altered my educational route to shift my time and resources Into further learning FP. I continued to learn on my own using the online course provided by Functional Patterns as well as attending the Human Foundations Certification course. In 2022 I began regularly working with Human Biomechanics specialists who were certified through Functional Patterns and I could see just how important this was for my health as we systematically addressed all the dysfunctional movement patterns and day-to-day behaviors that were contributing to my problems.
I decided to get certified as a Human Biomechanics Specialist because in my mid 20s, I finally found an answer to the pain and lack of athleticism I felt just about my entire life.
Growing up I felt out of control of my body, but now I feel like I can alter my future for the better with the tool belt that Functional Patterns has equipped me with.
I want to work with people who feel the same way to show them that they also have way more control over their body than they think.”
Jacob Cannon
Human Biomechanics Specialist
“Initially I found Functional Patterns trying to rid myself of chronic pain. Determined to play college baseball, I was training as much as I could using traditional weight training. Ignoring warning signs from my body thinking aches and pains were just apart of the process. Even from an early age, before really taking weight lifting serious, I had some infrequent back, shoulder, and neck pain. As a result of my weight lifting I found myself in what appeared to be the best shape of my life, but it was only on a surface level. Aesthetics meant nothing as my infrequent pains became chronic, and my mental health deteriorated along with everything else. Consequently I opted not to pursue college baseball, ending a passion I held onto for most of my life.
In search of some way to get me out of my pain and fill the void I felt of not playing sports, I found Functional Patterns. I saw one YouTube video, where FP CEO & founder Naudi Aguilar addressed one of my body’s biggest dysfunctions. Not only did he point out the issue my body was having in the video, but he provided some clarity on how to go about addressing it. From there I consumed as much of his material as I could mind. Starting with The Power of Posture book I started to notice the changes in my pain levels and my mood. I followed up the book by working through the Online 10 Week Course finding most of my pain slowly dissipating.
Unmotivated by the current curriculum I was taking at The University of Toledo, I realized I was spending all of my time working on Functional Patterns. After applying for FP’s Human Foundations Course I decided to leave college and go full on with FP. After the Foundations course I have taken the Human Biomechanics Specialist Courses levels 1,2, & 3, with the goal of taking as many as they will offer. Not only have these courses taught me how to get rid of all of my pain, but I’ve learned how to change my body’s structure and become more athletic.
Seeing and feeling the potential of what Functional Patterns can accomplish, my goal is to show every willing client how to achieve the best results with their body. Working with a range of clients from professional athletes, children, the elderly, to people with debilitating pain, I am confident in what we can achieve with FP.”
Bob Perna
Human Biomechanics Specialist
“I began seriously strength training to support my lacrosse career as a fifteen year old, and learned early on that the traditional paths of powerlifting and bodybuilding-inspired weight training were maladaptive to true athletic development. My numbers went up in the gym, but my speed and agility suffered, my pain levels increased, and in a couple of short years my body became burnt out and injured, effectively ending my dreams of playing high level college lacrosse.
I studied exercise science in college and became a licensed massage therapist in my early twenties, hoping to gain the tools to help support others in their fitness and athletic goals in a way that wouldn’t lead to injury or dead-end. I also began coaching high school lacrosse during this time, which led me to dive deeper into exploring functional movement, as I was determined to not allow the next generation to make the same mistakes that I did during my formative years.
After suffering a bad ankle sprain in 2019 and dealing with months of chronic pain, my wife suggested I look into Functional Patterns, as a former classmate of hers from graduate school had recently completed his HBS1. After a few weeks of studying the online course and performing the exercises, I was able to resolve my chronic pain and get moving again.
I went to my first in-person course in the fall of 2020, and the knowledge and community completed my paradigm shift. FP truly represents the future of fitness and movement; it stands alone as the most complete and relevant system to human biomechanics. I have been training clients as a practitioner since 2021, and am extremely grateful and excited to be joining the FP Atlanta team to continue my growth as a trainer. I’m looking forward to continuing to deepen my bonds with the greater FP community, as well as serve our local community here in Atlanta.”
Amine Belkouche
Human Biomechanics Specialist
“I grew up playing competitive soccer and eventually became a professional player, having been part of the Louisiana Olympic Development Program. My career took me to play for clubs like Al-Ain FC in the UAE and AS Cannes in France. Early on, however, I found myself trapped in the cycle of muscle injuries, rehabilitation, and re-injury. Despite seeking physical therapy solutions, nothing worked, and I eventually had to drop my dream of being a professional athlete
For most of my 20s, I had all but given up on fixing my body, until I discovered myofascial release and self-massage techniques. I had been given a second chance as I regained control of my body and reignited my passion for health and fitness. I returned to soccer, martial arts, and a variety of movement practices, deep-diving into disciplines such as Shotokan karate, judo, BJJ, wrestling, and aikido.
Then, one day, while scrolling through Instagram, I came across a Functional Patterns before-and-after result. The results shared by people from different backgrounds caught my attention immediately. As a former pro athlete, I understood how challenging it was to create lasting change in something as fundamental as gait—and FP was doing this for everyone consistently. Even though I wasn’t in pain at the time, I knew instantly that Functional Patterns offered something radically different. I went all in on FP, dropping all other fitness modalities. Since then, I have integrated FP into all aspects of my training and lifestyle—martial arts, soccer, and everything else.
My journey has now come full circle, and I am passionate about using what I’ve learned to help others. I began with training my father, guiding him to life-changing results in just five months through virtual sessions. Today, as part of the team at Functional Patterns Atlanta, I’m excited to be making an impact not only within the gym but in communities throughout Atlanta and beyond.
No matter who you are and how you show up, we're here to help you show up as the best version of yourself in all areas of your life. Whether you’re an athlete, in pain, or simply looking to enhance your well-being, let us help you not only reclaim your body but rediscover who you could become through FP by living intentionally, and not habitually.”