A coached group training session at Kalamazoo Strength in Kalamazoo

Our story

Built in Kalamazoo

A coach guiding a member through box step-ups at Kalamazoo Strength

Coached. Scaled. Never random.

Proven programming, strength and conditioning trained together, coaching that actually watches your squat, and a class built to scale for every level. That's the whole approach.

Kalamazoo Strength runs a coached CrossFit, HYROX and bodybuilding program on West Michigan Avenue in downtown Kalamazoo. Four things drive it.

Proven programming. Structured for progress, not random — so strength, conditioning and skill build week over week.

Strength and conditioning together. Real strength, real endurance, real work capacity — trained in the same program, not two competing ones.

Coaching that matters. Fully coached, warm-up to finish. Real cues, real adjustments, not a whiteboard and a shrug.

Scalable for every level. First barbell or competition podium, the workout meets you where you are.

It’s a Kalamazoo gym on purpose — West Michigan Avenue, same faces every Friday class.

Meet your coaches

John Atkins

Head Coach

Over a decade building programs that make everyday members stronger. Six years coaching collegiate athletes before that — where the periodization habit came from. Every cycle here is intentional. Never guesswork.

NSCA-CSCS · USA Weightlifting Level 2 · CF-L3

Natalie Spencer

Yoga Instructor

Came to yoga through injury recovery, and still teaches that way. Classes blend strength-building flows with the mobility work that keeps hard-training members moving well outside the gym too.

RYT-500 · Certified Yin Yoga Teacher

Susie Hepburn

Coach

Competitive gymnast before CrossFit. Breaks down a kipping pull-up or a handstand progression better than anyone on staff. Coached members from first workout to first competition podium — loves both ends equally.

CF-L2 · CrossFit Weightlifting Trainer · CrossFit Gymnastics Trainer

Jennifer Price

Nutrition Coach

Believes nutrition coaching should feel like a skill, not a diet. Built her approach after watching members crush workouts and stall on results. Teaches habits that stick — portion awareness, protein targets, plates built for training.

PN2 · CNS · NASM Certified Nutrition Coach