Background
Coach Mark Kondenko's path to coaching at Limitless started, almost accidentally, after he graduated from CU Boulder with a degree in Exercise Physiology. A coworker invited him to try a class at the academy. He was hooked immediately and has been training Jiu-Jitsu and Muay Thai under Kru Ali Hanjani ever since.
What separates Mark from most martial arts coaches is the rare combination he brings to every class he teaches. Most coaches who teach strength and conditioning at gyms are passionate amateurs, often self-taught. Most BJJ competitors don't have any formal background in how the body actually works under load. Mark has both, and the way the two reinforce each other is what makes his coaching different. He understands programming as a scientist and proves it as an athlete.
Mark is also an active competitor. He has medaled in multiple Fight to Win and Grappling Industries tournaments, two of the most respected competition circuits in modern BJJ and continues to compete while coaching. That matters because it means the techniques he teaches still get tested. He isn't coaching from old memories of what used to work; he's coaching from what's working right now.
At Limitless, Mark fills three roles that touch almost every new student. He leads beginner BJJ classes, which means he's the coach most newcomers train with first. He runs the academy's strength & conditioning programming. And he offers private training, 1-on-1 sessions tailored to whatever a student is trying to accomplish, whether that's getting into shape, returning from injury, preparing for a BJJ competition, or building a foundation before joining group classes.
Why Most Beginners Train With Mark First
Patience is part of the curriculum
BJJ is famously hard to learn. The first month is a wall of unfamiliar movements, vocabulary, and pressure. Mark has built his beginner program around walking new students through that wall calmly and clearly, not because he has to, but because he sees that initial onboarding as the most important moment in a student's BJJ life. If the first month is good, students stay. If it isn't, they don't.
Clarity over jargon
BJJ instruction can drift into shorthand that experienced players love and beginners can't follow. Mark deliberately keeps his language clear, his demos visible, and his explanations concrete. Parents of kids in the BJJ program especially appreciate this, and it shows in how confidently new students start moving on the mat.
Structure that scales
Mark's exercise physiology background shows up in how his program is structured over time. The progression from beginner fundamentals through more advanced positions and live training is intentional, built on principles, not improvised week to week. Students get better not by accident, but because the path was designed.
Strength & Conditioning: The Limitless Difference
Programming with a real foundation
Mark's degree in Exercise Physiology from CU Boulder means his S&C work isn't based on Instagram trends or what worked for one coach. It's built on actual exercise science, periodization, energy systems, recovery, programming for specific outcomes. For students who care about how their body changes (and why), that depth shows.
Specific to your sport, and your goal
S&C for a BJJ competitor preparing for a tournament looks completely different from S&C for a parent trying to lose 15 pounds and feel better. Mark builds programming around the actual goal, not a one-size-fits-all template. Both end up working, because both were designed for the person in front of him.
Built for sustainability
Adults aren't 19 anymore. They have jobs, kids, recovery debt, and old injuries. Mark's programming respects that reality, building real strength and conditioning over months and years without breaking the body down in the process.
What Coach Mark Teaches at Limitless
Beginner BJJ (Adults & Kids)
The first stop for almost every new BJJ student at Limitless. Fundamentals taught clearly, partner-friendly drilling, and structured progression toward intermediate classes.
Strength & Conditioning
Personalized programming for fat loss, muscle gain, athletic performance, return-to-training after injury, or sport-specific preparation. Built around real exercise science, not gym fads.
Private Training
1-on-1 instruction in BJJ, S&C, or both. Best for students who want focused fundamentals before group classes, who have specific physical goals, or who need flexible scheduling that group classes can't offer.
Personal Training
For students whose primary goal isn't combat sports at all, fitness, body composition, return to training, general health. Mark designs personalized programs around whatever "better" means for that specific person.
Coaching Philosophy
Train smart, then train hard
Mark believes intensity is the easy part. Programming, recovery, and consistency are what actually produce results. Most students who plateau in BJJ or fitness aren't training too little, they're training without structure. Mark's job is to provide the structure.
Beginners are the most important students
The first month of training shapes whether someone stays in martial arts for a year or a decade. Mark treats beginner classes with the same seriousness as advanced classes, because the foundation built in those first months is what every later year is built on.
Coaching is a conversation, not a monologue
Mark asks questions. He listens to what students are feeling, where they're stuck, and what their goals actually are. The coaching adjusts based on the answers, because no two students are the same, and no two paths through training look identical.
Train with Coach Mark
Whether you're brand new to BJJ, looking for serious S&C programming, or want private 1-on-1 coaching, Mark is one of the most thoughtful coaches you'll work with anywhere. Your first session is on us.