About MTN STRNG

Built for mountain athletes who train for life outside.

MTN STRNG provides strength and capacity coaching in Salt Lake City for athletes who want their training to transfer beyond the gym: to the climb, the descent, the ski season, the trail, and the decades still ahead.

Our purpose

Strength that shows up where it matters.

MTN STRNG exists to provide exceptional strength and work-capacity training for people who train in the gym so they can do more outside the gym.

For us, training is not about chasing fatigue for its own sake. It is about building the strength, durability, confidence, and capacity to ski, run, hike, climb, ride, work, parent, and play with more freedom.

The aim is not one hard season. The aim is a stronger body for this year, next year, and the decades of mountain life still ahead.

The origin

From strength training roots to a mountain athlete coaching home.

MTN STRNG grew from a simple idea: provide exceptional coaching to a strong community of people who want training to improve their lives outside the gym.

2017

Michael started the business in Salt Lake City.

The first version was called SLC Kettlebell Club, built around a clear mission to provide exceptional training for a community of amazing people.

Next

The work evolved into Wasatch Fitness Academy.

As the coaching model matured, the mission stayed consistent: use high-quality training to improve lives, build capacity, and support people beyond the walls of the gym.

Why

The mountain athlete need became impossible to ignore.

Michael came from CrossFit and loved strength training, but saw the limitations of a group system that always leveraged competition. Skiers, runners, cyclists, climbers, and outdoor athletes needed training that could boost performance and longevity.

Now

MTN STRNG became the next step.

The brand now reflects the athletes it serves: people who live for the mountains, train with intention, and want to keep playing outside for decades.

What we believe

Training should be demanding, thoughtful, and built for the long game.

The culture at MTN STRNG is high-standard without being ego-driven. We care about excellent coaching, durable progress, and people who want their training to support a bigger life outside.

Community, not competition.

You train around people who care about getting better, but the point is not comparison. The point is support, consistency, and shared standards.

Smart and hard training.

Training should be challenging, but challenge alone is not the goal. The work should be prescribed, coached, and connected to what your sport and life demand.

Consistency over intensity.

Big outdoor goals are built through repeatable work. We care less about one heroic workout and more about the training you can sustain.

Performance now.

Strength should help you ski, run, hike, ride, climb, and move with more capacity in the season you are training for right now.

Durability for demanding terrain.

Mountain sports ask a lot from the body. Training should prepare you for climbs, descents, repeat efforts, long days, and unpredictable conditions.

Longevity for decades.

The goal is not just to survive the next objective. The goal is to keep playing outside for years and decades with strength, capacity, and confidence.

How we coach

A coaching system, not a random workout.

MTN STRNG is built around attention, progression, and individual context. Whether an athlete is rebuilding, preparing for a season, or sustaining long-term training, the work starts with understanding the person in front of us.

01

We assess before we prescribe.

Coaching decisions should begin with the athlete’s body, goals, sport demands, training history, and current limitations.

02

We individualize the path.

Two athletes may share the same sport, but they rarely need the same starting point. The right pathway depends on readiness, capacity, and goals.

03

We coach the work in front of us.

Training quality matters. We cue, adjust, progress, and communicate so athletes know why they are doing the work and how to keep improving.

04

We connect gym work to mountain demands.

The goal is transfer: stronger climbs, better descents, more durable seasons, improved confidence, and more capacity for life outside.

05

We value the long-term relationship.

The best coaching is not a one-time transaction. It is a relationship that helps athletes train consistently through changing goals and seasons.

06

We protect the culture.

The room should feel focused, supportive, and high-standard. Athletes should feel challenged without feeling lost in a crowd.