Persistence. Resilience. Bravery.
The Story Behind Zenkai Athletics
Zenkai Athletics was born from the pursuit of personal transformation - physical, mental, and spiritual. The name “Zenkai” comes from the anime Dragon Ball Z, where it describes a powerful concept: when a warrior is pushed to their absolute limits but survives, they arise significantly stronger than they previously were. That philosophy mirrors real-world strength … the deeper the struggle, the greater the reward.
Our logo features a lone samurai, inspired by Musashi Miyamoto who is widely regarded as not only the greatest samurai in Japanese history, but one of the greatest and most legendary warriors in human history. His lifelong pursuit of discipline, constant refinement, and unwavering spirit forms the foundation of our approach.
Our Foundation
We’re Caleb D. Falcone and Candace Sherene, and we founded Zenkai Athletics to build something we felt was missing in Berrien County: a training environment for aspiring strength athletes. There are a plethora of local gyms and personal trainers, but none that specialize in powerlifting, bodybuilding, or even niche sports such as arm-wrestling or strongman.
Who we are
Caleb was born and raised in southwest Michigan and began his athletic career in high school as a competitive cross-country and track athlete. At the time, the goal was clear: break school records, win state championships, and pursue a professional career in athletics. That path was ultimately cut short by injury. When traditional physical therapy failed to resolve the issue, Caleb began rehabilitating the injury independently. That process sparked a deep interest in strength training, training mechanics, and performance science, leading to his first personal training certification in 2020 and, eventually, a full-time transition into coaching.
Today, Caleb is an active strength athlete with long-term goals of becoming a world champion arm-wrestler, earning his pro card in strongman, and achieving over a 1,000kg total in powerlifting. Zenkai’s coaching philosophy is shaped by not only by current scientific research,but by applying that research firsthand — under load, over years, with the same patience and discipline expected from every athlete we work with.
Behind the scenes, Zenkai Athletics is run with Candace, who helps manage operations, design, and infrastructure to ensure the brand operates at a professional standard. Outside of Zenkai, she works as a 911 dispatcher for Berrien County and brings that same level of responsibility and composure into the business. She is also a competitive strength athlete herself, having qualified for the Arnold Classic in the pro class (arm-wrestling), and continues to develop alongside the athletes within the Zenkai community by leading from the front.
What We Stand For
Zenkai Athletics is built on three core values:
• Persistence — The capacity to endure hardship and suffering.
• Resilience — The capacity to recover and adapt when knocked down.
• Bravery — The capacity to overcome fear and weakness.
We don’t sell empty motivation or cookie-cutter plans. We walk alongside athletes and driven lifters through their own battles — whether they’re trying to break through plateaus, step on stage, or win on the arm-wrestling table. Real progress starts with real effort — and we’ll lead from the front.
Oh yeah, this is our baby wolf Willow; she’s a part of the crew too. She says hi!
