Trainers



My interest in fitness began by helping my father prepare for his Military PT tests at a young age. From there I participated in multiple sports (boxing, football, basketball, wrestling, and track & field). I became a fitness trainer in 2009. I competed in my first powerlifting meet in 2014 and began coaching lifters in 2017.


My name is Mayra Plata-Armijo. Wife, mother of two precious girls. A native of Mexico. Naturalized USA citizen. I am passionate about helping others achieve good health through fitness and optimal nutrition. I have always done sports. Running was by far my favorite sport for many years. I remember running with my father at the early age of 6. What had started as a fun thing to do, ”trying to catch dad”, transitioned into a competitive sport I got to do from middle school all the way to college. Graciously earning a cross country collegiate scholarship. Those running years in college were the foundation of my pursuit of becoming a personal trainer and performance coach. Then in 1998, I was introduced to powerlifting which followed by my very first meet in 1999. Earning “USA Powerlifting Junior Top 20 Athletes” honors that year. I then knew, my love for running had become second to powerlifting.


From my first gym session with my dad at 13 to my powerlifting debut at 16, my passion for strength training has only intensified. Along this journey, I’ve had the privilege to learn from the best in the industry and have shared that knowledge with others.

Believing in the power of relentless self-improvement, I’ve always stayed a devoted student of the game. Over the years, I’ve had the honor of coaching multiple world and national record holders, witnessing their triumphs and sharing in their successes. Every day, I strive to enhance the quality of life for my clients, regardless of their starting point. 

My mission is to inspire and guide individuals towards their best selves, both physically and mentally, empowering each person to find their inner strength and redefine their limits.


As a strength and conditioning coach with over 20 years of experience, I provide semi-private group sessions. I strive to make every individual, regardless of experience, feel welcome. I empower clients to trust their instincts and recognize their abilities, making movement fun and sustainable. By fostering community, I help clients build physical and mental resilience, ensuring they feel fully supported throughout their journey.


From an early age I’ve been obsessed with improving my athletic performance through strength & conditioning. My passion for the weight room drove me to pursue a Master’s degree in Exercise Science so I could better learn how to help others accomplish their goals. I have helped high school and college athletes, competitive weightlifters, powerlifters, highland games athletes, and general fitness enthusiasts get stronger, put on muscle, and lose body fat.


Working out and strength training has always been one of my favorite activities that caught my attention when I was younger. This passion that allowed me to do multiple different sports has stuck with me over the years and led me to getting my degree in the physical therapy field. Furthering my education has helped me reach more people to help them overcome injury and live a stronger and more fulfilling life. I have put over 10 years of experience through personal training, strength coaching, physical therapy, education to help people from high school athletes, general population, powerlifting, bodybuilding, and Olympic weightlifting from putting on muscle, changing body composition and rehabbing injuries to get back to a higher level of performance.


Strength training has been a huge passion of mine for over a decade. After multiple sport injuries, I ended up pursuing strength training over contact sports, which led me into the world of powerlifting. I have been competing since 2018 and plan to continue competing for the foreseeable future. I am a strong believer that we all can benefit from strength training and physical activity, and even did my research capstone during my DPT program on what types of activities and interventions help to maintain higher bone mass and strength! I enjoy working with people with all levels of “movement IQ”, from never setting foot in a gym, to professional and competitive athletes.