Lauren Hoffman
Holistic Strength Coach, Owner

As a Holistic Strength Coach, Lauren helps her clients build strength throughout their lives using movement, nutrition, and lifestyle as agents of change. Always starting with lifestyle and nutrition foundations, she uses many other tools in her practice including Nutrition Response Testing, functional alignment and postural work, energy healing, and Biogeometry to help her clients identify the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual root causes to physical ailments and blockages.

Lauren is obsessed with human performance optimization through movement, nutrition, recovery, and sleep.  She is a Chek Practitioner, Biogeometry Practitioner, USAW Coach, Nutritional Therapist, and a mom. Lauren has a long history of sports competition including snowboarding, skateboarding, horseback riding, volleyball, field hockey, and she played lacrosse for University of Michigan. She became involved in the CrossFit community in 2004 when she unknowingly stepped into a local group training class that would change the course of the rest of her life. She took her first Olympic lifting seminar in 2007, began coaching in 2008, obtained her first USAW Certification in 2009, and her CrossFit Level 1 in 2010. Lauren is constantly learning currently holding certifications in Chek Practitioner Level 5, Certified CrossFit Trainer (CrossFit Level 3), USAW Level 2, Nutritional Therapy Practitioner through the Nutritional Therapy Association, and Advanced Biogeometry. She is constantly engaged in continuing education and research around all topics strength, wellness, fitness, nutrition, biohacking, and functional performance. She has over a decade of coaching experience including CrossFit group training, spinning, personal training, kettlebells, weightlifting, powerlifting, and mobility. She has also trained under many coaches, both local and remote, and is a solid believer that the best coaches have coaches. 

Lauren has found that ancestral lifestyle principles result in the greatest quality-of-life improvements.  Lauren believes real food is the best food, we cannot teach if we are unable to learn, lifting heavy weight is a necessity for human wellness, sprints should be fast and frequent, sleep is the most important part of life, and our bodies know far more than we’re aware.

CREDENTIALS:

• Integrated Movement Science Level 5, CHEK Institute

• Holistic Lifestyle Coach Level 3, CHEK Institute

• Nutrition Therapy Practitioner, Nutritional Therapy Association

• Level 2 Coach, USA Weightlifting

• Club Coach, USA Weightlifting

• Certified CrossFit Trainer (CrossFit Level 3)

• Advanced Level Biogeometry Practitioner

• Ulan Nutrition Response Testing Practitioner

• Pregnancy & Postpartum Athleticism Coach, Brianna Battles

• Holistic Health and Performance for Women, CHEK Institute

• Program Design, CHEK Institute

• Advanced Program Design, CHEK Institute

• Scientific Back Training, CHEK Institute

• Scientific Core Conditioning, CHEK Institute

• Scientific Shoulder Training, CHEK Institute

• Swiss Ball Conditioning, CHEK Institute

• CHEK Approach to the Lower Limb, CHEK Institute

• CrossFit Movement & Mobility

• CrossFit Powerlifting

• Burgener Olympic Weightlifting Seminar

• Laura Phelps Sweat Powerlifting Seminar

• Outlaw Training Camp

• Strength Specific Seminar Bronze Level

• CrossFit Pregnancy & Postpartum Considerations Seminar, Everyday Battles

• Freestyle Connection Movement Seminar, Carl Paoli

• BS in Resource Ecology Management, University of Michigan

• MLA in Landscape Architecture, University of Michigan

• MS in Terrestrial Ecology, University of Michigan

• Licensed Landscape Architect, State of Michigan

Loren Ferrer, Coach

Loren Ferrer is Olympic weightlifter and Powerlifter. He started his fitness journey powerlifting at a commercial gym and, after doing that for a year, he realized something was missing from his training. He was looking for more community. After trying out several weightlifting gyms, he landed at Forged Barbell. There, he began to compete in both Powerlifting and Olympic Weightlifting and was given the opportunity to coach. Coaching has given him a lot of great perspective, and he is really enjoying helping others accomplish their goals and improve their quality of life.   

CREDENIALS:

• USAW Level 1

• USAPL Club Coach

Stacia proefrock, Coach

Stacia has been a competitive powerlifter for eight years, winning the USAPL Masters’ National Gold Medal in 2022 and placing third in the Powerlifting America Masters Nationals in 2023. She also spent 20 years working as a midwife before retiring in 2023.  Her combined passions around athletics and the optimal functioning of the human body helps her to be a trusted resource as a coach and trainer in several different fitness modalities.  Her current interests include strength training programming, athletic rehab, mobility and the mind-body connection in athletic performance. 

CREDENIALS:

• USAPL Club Coach

• USAPL State Referee

• Barbell Rehab Method 

• Stick Mobility Level 1 

• Reflexive Performance Reset Level 1 

Frank plonka, Coach

Frank Plonka is a personal trainer and group class coach at Forged Barbell! He has been in fitness since 2014 and has worked with youth athletes, elderly populations, and everything in between. He earned his B.S. and M.S. in Exercise Science and is currently preparing for Physical Therapy school. Personally, he is training for CrossFit and Ironman Triathlons. Outside of the gym, he loves hanging out with his 4 dogs, visiting national parks, and just being outdoors.

CREDENIALS:

• B.S. in Exercise Science

• M.S. in Exercise Science

• Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) through NSCA

• CrossFit Level 1 Trainer

• USA Triathlon Coach

• PS L1 Biomechanics Coach

Cori Yerke, Coach

Bio to come

Jeffrey ochs, Coach

There have been two consistent throughlines in much of Jeffrey’s life; a love for movement and being a leader. From his first days in martial arts as a child to being a captain on his high school Cross Country team, Jeff has been looking for ways to combine his love for moving with his desire to add good to the world by developing other people that they might in turn, add their good to the world. 

For years Jeff did these things separately. He pursued and attained leadership roles and training in every job he has ever had. On the side, he taught martial arts to kids like the one he had been, became a Personal Trainer and pursued his own training and movement education. When Steel Mace Flow was created, he found a space where he could become complete and both express himself with movement and develop others. 

Whether you are getting started with the Steel Mace, an experienced practitioner or someone who wants to work on new ways of thinking, being and creating what you want out of life, he is here to help.

As a Steel Mace Flow coach, he will help you use the Steel Mace to unlock your inner strength, agility and empowerment. He will teach you to establish powerful foundations and guide you towards creating an attainable flow state in which you can express yourself and grow.

Jeff’s Steel Mace Flow coaching integrates mindset, goal and intention setting as well as establishing empowering language and self-talk to tear down old road blocks.

Jeff is here to help you level up.

CREDENTIALS:

• Steel Mace Flow Level 2

• Onnit Academy Steel Mace Specialist

• Certified Enlifted & Procabulary Coach

• BS in Psychology, Michigan State University

• Experienced Crisis Counselor

aaron scheuer, Coach

Aaron comes to Forged Barbell with a background in physical therapy, helping athletes evade pain and achieve their performance goals. Aaron has spent the last 3 years traveling the country working with a wide variety of clients, from olympic level athletes to those looking to complete their first 5k. As a former collegiate athlete, Aaron has a passion for helping others utilize the gym for sport performance. 

While at the University of Michigan, Aaron spent his time researching the psychological effects on athletes following injuries and rehabilitation. Now utilizing this information, he helps clients restore their confidence in movement and regain their passion for exercise. Beyond graduation Aaron continues his education with the Institute of Clinical Excellence. Learning more about beneficial exercise for our spine and extremities. 

In his free time Aaron enjoys friendly competition, whether that be on the golf course, pickleball court, or playing sand volleyball. Aaron would likely spend all his time on the golf course, if his fianceé would allow it.

CREDENTIALS:

• Doctorate of Physical Therapy, University of Michigan

• Certified Orthopedic Specialist 

• Certified Management of the Fitness Athlete, Institute of Clinical Excellence

• Certified Rehabilitation of the Endurance Athlete, Institute of Clinical Excellence

• Certified Dry Needling

• BS in Exercise Science, University of Toledo

andy murray, Coach

Andy has been involved in the strength and conditioning field for 10 years as a student, an athlete, and a coach. Her love for fitness began with realizing how awesome it feels to get stronger, faster, and better at a sport or activity. Over the years, her passion for fitness has led her into lacrosse, CrossFit, rock climbing, rucking, Jit-Jitsu, and powerlifting. Having worked with everyone from kids to the elderly, and from individuals with traumatic injuries to competitive athletes, she can appreciate the universal impact that exercise has on body, mind, and soul.

Coaching at Forged Barbell is one of Andy’s favorite things to do with her free time. She is currently finishing her doctorate in Exercise Science at the University of Toledo with a specialty in athletic joint injury and recovery. Other than training or coaching, Andy is due to accept her officer commission with the United States Marine Corps in 2025.

Her hobbies include building her whiskey collection, wrestling with her four rescue dogs, and getting lost in the woods.

CREDENTIALS:

• Certified Strength and Conditioning Coach (CSCS), NSCA

• Tactical Strength and Conditioning Facilitator (TSAC-F), NSCA

• BS in Applied Exercise Science, University of Michigan

• MS in Movement Science, University of Michigan

Andrew gilbert, Coach

Andrew’s passion for fitness began at a young age, participating in a variety of physical activities from dance to football. In high school, he became a league champion in varsity wrestling, and competed in the MSHAA state championships for shot-put and discus. While attending the University of Michigan, he discovered his true passion in strength training, experimenting with powerlifting and body building. In 2021, he competed in the USAPL Collegiate National Championship, setting personal records inSquat, Bench, and Deadlift. Following this success, Andrew went on to become a personal trainer, hoping to help others reach their own personal strength goals. Most recently, he joined Ann Arbor Pioneer High School’s track team as the Assistant Throws Coach, helping high schoolers to develop their athletic and weightlifting abilities.

In his personal life, Andrew is continuing his education at Washtenaw Community College in the Personal Therapist Assistant program, where he hopes to help people of all abilities to become stronger and more confident in themselves. He likes to spend his free time at home with his wife Kaili, and toddler, Max.

CREDENTIALS:

• NASM Certified Personal Trainer

• USAPL Collegiate Nationals Competitor 

• Physical Therapy Assistant Program, Washtenaw Community College

Tonka Marie, gym dog

Tonka loves bones, long walks in the woods, and members who take extra long rest sets. Her only credential is her lifetime in the gym, and her special talent is love.