Strength Wise Barbell Team
specialized Strength & Conditioning COACHES
Lifting is what we do! Our team of expert trainers all have advanced credentials and experience in barbell sports. With us, you’re getting an empathic guide with unique focus on technique and sustainability
Meet Your coaches
Chris Van Nostrand (He/Him)
Head Coach, Founder
Coach Chris’s lifelong passion was sparked when he first lifted a plastic barbell set in his best friend’s basement at 12 years old.
His career took him down a more conventional path before he discovered powerlifting in his late-30s.
This new competitive outlet enhanced his performance as a marketing executive, which motivated a career pivot to coaching. He began with the goal of unleashing physical and mental strength for people 40 and above.
Chris enjoys empowering clients with practical concepts from the latest exercise research, and creating a fun environment for people to push their limits.
Chris earned his BA with distinction in political science from Kenyon College and an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management.
When not training or coaching he’s watching musicals with his wife and two sons, reading fiction, practicing bass guitar, or binging HBO shows, or serving on his local school board.
Services: Semi-Private Training, Online Coaching.
Specialties: Masters Athletes, Beginner Barbell Training, Powerlifting, Women Over 40
Certifications: Strength & Conditioning Specialist, Conditioning Coach, Exercise Nutrition Coach, Women’s Coaching Certificate
Ryan Zaremba (he/him)
Strength coach
Athletics were a daily part of life for Ryan. He began playing competitive ice hockey at age 5 and competitive soccer at age 6.
Over the years, he explored other sports—track and field, basketball, and lacrosse—but it was clear that his passion and talents lay in hockey. His dedication to the sport took him across the country throughout high school and college, and even led him to play in Europe for a time.
Always the tall, skinny kid on the team, Ryan often wondered what it would be like to feel truly strong. It took him years to take that first step into the gym, as intimidation and self-consciousness held him back.
But in 2014, he took that step and began his fitness journey. In his intro session, he was surprised to find he couldn’t do a strict pull-up. Driven by his competitive nature, Ryan committed to the work and began to see himself grow fitter, stronger, and more confident.
Ryan, an educator by profession and by nature, decided to take his experience a step further by becoming a coach.
Ryan believes in balance, valuing hard work in the gym and self-care outside of it (though he’s still working on this balance with varying success).
Services: Small Group Training
Specialities: Powerlifting, Tennis, Youth and Collegiate Athletics
Certifications: CrossFit Level 1, USAW-L1
Jason Wieder (he/Him)
Strength Coach
Coach Jason was never a typical athlete growing up, but as an adult discovered CrossFit. That lead him to pursue Olympic lifting and Powerlifting.
Coach Jason (or Coach J)’s passion is helping his athletes believe in themselves and meeting them where they’re at.
He understands the importance of challenging his athletes, all while allowing them to come into the gym as their full authentic selves. He believes building a rapport with his athletes is the key to helping them do their best work in the gym.
Jason earned his BA in Broadcast Journalism from Loyola University Chicago, with a minor in political science. He is also a licensed substitute teacher for Chicago Public Schools and DuPage County.
Outside of the gym you can find him spending time with his wife and their feline daughter, Lila. He also enjoys playing and recording his own music, going to concerts, taking naps, and working on his own powerlifting training.
Services: Small-Group Training
Specialties: Powerlifting, Olympic Lifting, Functional Fitness, Fitness for Kids
Certifications: USAW-L1, USAW-L2
