Barbell Performance Coaching & Training Facility
affiliate club of USA Weightlifting & USA Powerlifting
POWERLIFTING
WEIGHTLIFTING
Our Mission
Welcome to Muscle + Mindset, where our mission is to share the transformative benefits of barbell training by cultivating a welcoming community supported by high-quality coaching. Whether you're a barbell novice or a national-level athlete, our coaching team is dedicated to helping you achieve the next level of your potential.
Embrace the challenge, elevate your performance, and become part of a community of like-minded individuals that remain committed to achieving their strongest selves.
Membership
Muscle + Mindset offers membership options tailored to all experience levels. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced barbell sport athlete, we offer comprehensive coaching support, training programming, and nutrition counseling tailored to meet your strength goals. Click the button below to find the perfect membership for you!
Strength School
Start your barbell journey in just 10 sessions with our Strength School program. Never touched a bar before? No problem; This is the right place to start! Just need a refresher on the basics or returning after an extended hiatus from training? Great! This is still a good option for you.
Weekly Schedule:
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Mondays 7-8pm: Squat + Hinge Mechanics
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Learn & train the basics of the back squat & deadlift
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Wednesdays 7-8pm: Push + Pull Mechanics
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Learn & train the basics of the bench press, overhead press, & bent-over row
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​​By the end of the program, you can expect to be able to comfortably navigate any barbell gym's equipment, train the basic barbell exercises with confidence, and establish a base layer of strength to kickstart your strength training journey.
Interested in joining an upcoming class? Purchase your package below!
What Sets M+M Apart
Train for Comprehensive Health​
From mobility work and kettlebell flows to high-intensity cardio and restorative yoga, our supplemental mini-classes are built to support the full spectrum of athletic performance. Each session helps you improve movement quality, build functional strength, and recover intentionally—so you can feel your best and train for the long game.
Join a Social Community​
At Muscle + Mindset, the barbell brings us together—but the community keeps us coming back. From monthly community nights to post-training hangouts, our gym is built on connection and support. Lifters celebrate each other’s wins, share knowledge, and build friendships that extend far beyond the gym floor.
Start Where You Are​
At Muscle + Mindset, everyone has a place at the bar—no matter your age, experience, or ability. We support youth athletes just starting out, collegiate competitors honing their skills, adults in their 70s pursuing strength and vitality, and everyone in between. Our commitment to inclusivity extends beyond traditional programs, including providing training space and coaching support for the Rude Dogs, our local Special Olympics powerlifting team. No matter where you’re starting, we provide coaching, community, and programming that helps every athlete thrive.
Our Coaches
Amanda Pearo
Head Coach
Powerlifting
Amanda Pearo is a barbell performance coach who has worked in movement modalities since her teens. Her background as a competitive dancer and yoga instructor lay a strong foundation of knowledge in movement and anatomy. While she did not start lifting with a barbell until her late 20s , she quickly recognized the ways in which this training enriched her life, both in and out of the gym, and opted to leave her career as a public school educator to chart a new path toward helping others discover the prolific impact of the barbell.
Amanda holds her Senior National Coach title through USA Powerlifting and is certified Level-II with USA Weightlifting. She has been honored to support many athletes to podium on national platforms.
Amanda's approach to coaching is holistic and focused on the comprehensive well-being of the client. Her background in education provides a vast toolkit of skill development and mindset management strategies to support each individual's physical and emotional journey as a strength athlete.
Megan Anguiano
Head Coach
Weightlifting
Originally from Southern California Megan grew up in the weight room with her Dad. This quickly evolved into playing any sport she could access and eventually landing on collegiate basketball.
After college and recovering from several sport injuries, Megan was looking for a way to continue training that fulfilled her athletic inclinations. She discovered CrossFit and fell in love with the Olympic lifts. Shortly after discovering CrossFit, she pivoted to exclusively training Olympic Weightlifting as her primary sport and the rest is history. Megan competes in and holds her coaching credentials through USA Weightlifting.
Megan hopes to share and grow the sport of weightlifting with as many people as possible whether it is their primary sport, a supplement to a different sport, or simply to support overall health and wellness.
Samuel Johnson
Powerlifting
Samuel Johnson, a Colorado native, is a passionate advocate for strength training and powerlifting. As a graduate of Metro State University's exercise science program, certified personal trainer, and club sports strength and conditioning coach, Sam seamlessly blends scientific knowledge with real-world experience to empower athletes.
With over four years of competitive experience with USA Powerlifting, he prioritizes the individual, tailoring coaching support to meet unique needs and development stages. Sam's coaching approach is deeply rooted in science and evidence-based practices, ensuring effective and safe guidance for athletes to maximize performance.
Nicky Benfield
Weightlifting
Nicky Benfield, originally from Denver, brings a unique blend of experiences to her role. Despite her initial interests in theater, choir, and art, she discovered her passion for athletics during college after teaching yoga for many years. A trial session with CrossFit via a Groupon led introduced her to the Olympic lifts. Once she realized that cardio was NOT her jam, she began training and competing in weightlifting full time in 2020. 

Her approach centers around helping individuals move effectively, maintain their health, and foster a positive self-image. Above all, she prioritizes building a supportive community within our gym where every member leaves training feeling valued and heard.
Christian Yapp-Shing
Weightlifting
Christian is a Master’s student of Kinesiology and Applied Physiology and an ACSM Exercise Physiologist that specializes in strength training and chronic pain.
Growing up in Miami, Christian spent most of his evenings playing tennis. When he was 14, his coach introduced him to lifting weights as a supplement to improve his game. Over the years, this developed into an ever growing passion for strength sports like Olympic Weightlifting, Powerlifting, and Strongman.
Whether it’s coaching tennis, personal fitness, group fitness, therapeutic exercise, sport performance, or Weightlifting, Christian’s ultimate goal is to help people of all demographics feel strong, powerful, and athletic.
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Additional Team & Performance
Member Perks
Annalisa Averill, R.D.
Staff Dietitian
Annalisa Averill is M+M's staff dietitian who earned her Masters of Science in Nutrition from Arizona State University. She has over a decade of industry experience in healthcare and has worked with all ages of clientele. She is passionate about helping clients find balance in their lifestyle by digging deep into the root causes and addressing their fueling habits. Annie is currently working towards becoming a Board Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics (CSSD) through the Commission on Dietetic Registration.
Annie offers ongoing support to M+M's coaching clients via regular seminars and through our private Discord community.
Dr. Noah Forman, D.P.T.
Movement Lab
Movement Labs are open-hour support sessions when our Mobility & Movement Specialist, Noah Forman, is available on the training floor to help with brief check-ins, answer questions, and offer guidance for discomfort, tightness, or movement tweaks.
Think of Movement Labs as your chance to get personalized support and practical tools to keep your training and recovery on track. Need help working on your overhead position? Your front squat? Your squat depth? Noah will show you drills and exercises that will improve your mastery of these challenging mechanics so you can focus on training with comfort and ease.
Movement Lab is held every first and third Saturday of the month from 10-11am for TEAM and PERFORMANCE members. No reservation required.
Testimonials
Renée VanVleet
M+M Powerlifting Team
“The atmosphere is great, friendly, and the coaching is top notch. The gym is clean and they have all the equipment you need to train. Amanda and Josh run a fantastic establishment. I'd recommend this gym to anyone!"
Jake Cohen
M+M Powerlifting Team
"The coaching is excellent. The community is wonderful; gym members come with all levels of previous lifting experience, which makes for a welcoming gym environment for all! 10/10 recommend if you are at all interested in strength sports, or just want to put on a little muscle to fight off gravity!"
Grace Chin
M+M Olympic Weightlifting Team
“Weight training always intimidated me before. Coach Amanda is so knowledgeable, patient, and encouraging. She listens to my concerns and limitations while pushing me to grow. M+M is a safe, non-judgmental, inclusive weightlifting gym that values each individual.”