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 3, 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 4, 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

Jess Buckley, Coach

Jess is a lifelong athlete on a mission to find balance in every aspect of her life: work/play, exercise/recovery, nutrition, wellness. She played ice hockey at the University of Michigan, where her passion for holistic health and fitness emerged as a means of improving her own health and on-ice performance. Becoming a student of nutrition and exercise, she immersed herself in upper level Kinesiology classes as well as anything regarding anatomy, physiology, biomechanics, psychology, and exercise/performance that she could get her hands on (a practice she continues to this day). 

Jess believes the gym is merely a training ground to strengthen one’s body and mind for improved performance in sport and in life. Jess’ commitment goes beyond the exercise floor, and she feels fortunate to be a part of the Forged family where her passion for health and wellness can be shared with members in and out of the gym. In particular, Jess has a passion for helping females find balance and strength through training and nutrition. Through personal experience and continued education, Jess has studied the unique physiological, hormonal, emotional, and mental needs of females and understands how to use training and nutrition as a means to optimize quality of life.

Jess believes in the constant pursuit of strength and knowledge, using both as a means to build confidence in one’s abilities. She aims to inspire others to recognize their true potential and invest purposeful effort in their own development in order to maximize their life experience.

CREDENTIALS:

• USAW Level 1

• Certified Strength and Conditioning Coach (CSCS)

• BS in Movement Science, University of Michigan

BHILLIE Luciani, Coach

Bhillie comes from an athletic background primarily in the endurance world - she grew up as a competitive swimmer and water polo player, rowed for a season, and is most recently enjoying mountain biking. While a mile swim or a 2-hour trail ride are where she thrives, once she touched a barbell she was instantly obsessed with the technicalities of Olympic weightlifting. She realized how wild the human body and movement is and decided to pursue the most "movementy" degree she could.

While young, she has been a coach in some shape or form for over a decade - coaching swimming, water polo, CrossFit, group fitness classes, and Olympic weightlifting. Coaching others has been a constant source of joy in her life outside of the good ole chocolate and peanut butter combination. She hopes to help everyone learn something new about a movement or their own bodies as well as have fun in her classes.

When not in the pool, on a bike, or at the gym, you can find her with her face in a book or cooking as though she has a family of 12 to feed.

CREDENTIALS:

• CrossFit Level 1

• BS in Movement Science, University of Michigan

• MS in Biomechanics, University of Waterloo

CYRIL White, Coach

Since he was in high school, Cyril’s passion has always been strength and conditioning training. In 2014, he sold his financial advisory practice (that he founded in 2001) to focus full time on his calling, which is to inspire others to live healthier, happier and more fulfilling lives through proper movement, conditioning, injury rehabilitation and nutrition coaching. Cyril has studied several martial arts for many years, ran the Boston Marathon at age 43, successfully completed a full Ironman Triathlon at age 45, completed multiple GORUCK, Spartan and Tough Mudder events and continue to compete in CrossFit and other crazy mental and physical tests. In 2021, he placed 122 out of 3,880 participating athletes in his age group in the 2021 CrossFit Open (best placement in 8 years).

CREDENTIALS:

• Certified CrossFit Trainer (CrossFit Level 3)

• Certified Health & Nutrition Coach

• Level 4 Barwis Methods Trainer

• Certified CrossFit Striking Coach

• Tae Kwon Do Black Belt

• BS in Engineering Physics, University of Michigan

• MS in Corporate Finance, University of Chicago

Zach Voigt, Coach

Zach’s 10 year coaching career has been defined by one recurring theme: everything is connected. From pursuing the perfect Snatch to running your first 5k to what you had for lunch, Zach’s experience and education has taken him through the gamut of health fields and shown him the interconnectedness of how the body functions. His particular interest these days is in how your brain interprets your daily activity down to the smallest thought, and how specific training can have huge impacts on your mental and physical health.

 Zach is an Olympic Weightlifting National Champion and a Michigan National Guardsmen. He has studied and worked in the fields of Exercise Physiology, Athletic Training, Emergency Medicine, and Nutrition and loves to learn about ways to help ordinary people achieve extraordinary health. Ask him about his embarrassing (but actually growth-stimulating) Bomb-Out stories at weightlifting meets and his true passion in life, awful Sy-Fy Channel Original Series from the early-2000’s.

CREDENTIALS:

• USAW Level 2

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

melissa budd, Coach

Melissa comes to Forged Barbell with a background in CrossFit. She started her CrossFit journey in 2018 after searching for a fitness genre that fit her desire for community and competition and quickly fell in love with the sport. She obtained her L1 coaching certification in the Spring of 2020, joined the staff of her local gym the following Fall and then Forged Barbell in the Summer of 2021. Coach Mel enjoys working with all levels of athletes, but finds the most joy in working with foundations-level and teen athletes. 

When she’s not coaching, Melissa enjoys spending time with her husband, Dan, and their three children, Madison, Macy, and Daniel. 

CREDENTIALS:

• CrossFit Level 1

andy murray, Coach

For the past 10 years, Andy has been interested in strength and conditioning as a student, an athlete and, more recently, as 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, she has devoted her free time to getting involved with lacrosse, CrossFit, rock climbing, Jit-Jitsu, and powerlifting. Her background working as an exercise physiologist for over 3 years, along with coaching for over 6 years, has helped her to appreciate both the clinical aspects to exercise and the social connections that promote better training.

Coaching at Forged Barbell is one of Andy’s favorite things to do with her free time. She is currently a graduate instructor and PhD student studying Exercise Science at the University of Toledo, with a specific interest in injury and recovery. Other than training or coaching, Andy’s hobbies include building her whiskey collection and hanging out with her three rescue dogs.

CREDENTIALS:

• Certified Strength and Conditioning Coach (CSCS)

• BS in Applied Exercise Science, University of Michigan

• MS in Movement Science, University of Michigan

Alex alvarado, Coach

Alex got in trouble often at school for not "sitting still" or "keeping quiet", but even then, Alex followed his instincts to keep moving.  From Wrestling, Taekwondo, and American Football, Alex prioritized movement and athletics over everything else growing up.  After high school, Alex joined the Navy in 2005 and was assigned as a section leader, where he had to motivate sailors under his watch.  Alex then went through training as a Navy Corpsman, learning to serve alongside Marine Corps infantry units as a combat medic.  During this time, he learned to improvise, adapt and overcome adversity in a variety of environments, as well as self- motivate; qualities that would carry over to a holistic lifestyle and coaching.  

His commitment to holistic living truly began in 2014 when diagnosed with a severe autoimmune disease, which was a result of drinking toxic water on domestic military bases.  With conventional medicine not fully acknowledging toxic water as a causality of immune dysfunction, and with treatments centered on symptoms, Alex had to dive deeper into holistic knowledge to increase his quality and duration of life.  Working against this grain brought him to Forged, where he seeks to continue to learn from the best and empower himself and others through nutrition, movement, and a healthy dose of motivation!

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.