● Staffed Mon–Fri 6a–8p · Sat 8a–2p · Sun open gym
First session free →
Est. 2014 · Pittsburgh

Forge
Barbell
Club

A strength gym for people who want to get genuinely strong — coached, not crowded.

Claim your free session See the timetable
What we run

Programs

Four ways into the barbell. Start with onboarding, train in a coached group, or run your own session in the open gym — every member gets a coach who knows their name and their numbers.

01

Barbell 101

8-week onboarding

Two coached sessions a week to learn the squat, press, deadlift, and bench from the ground up. Small cohorts, no experience assumed, real weight on the bar by week eight.

Who it's forComplete beginners who want to start the right way.
02

Small-Group Strength

Coached classes · 6:1

Our daily bread. Programmed strength training capped at six lifters per coach, so you get hands-on cueing every set without paying for full 1:1. Show up, follow the board, get strong.

Who it's forLifters who want structure and a coach in the room.
03

Open Gym

Train on your own

Full run of the platforms, racks, and specialty bars during staffed hours. Bring your own program or run ours. A coach is always on the floor if you want a spot or a form check.

Who it's forSelf-directed lifters who know what they're doing.
04

1:1 Coaching

Private sessions

One coach, one lifter, one hour. Built around your goals — a first meet, a return from injury, or a stubborn plateau. Programming written and adjusted week to week, just for you.

Who it's forAnyone chasing a specific goal who wants focused attention.

Get strong.
Stay humble.

We've been coaching the barbell in Lawrenceville since 2014. No mirrors-and-EDM globo-gym, no influencer in your DMs — just a room full of people lifting heavy, racking their weights, and cheering each other's PRs. Everyone starts somewhere. Everyone re-racks.

Weekly schedule

Timetable

Coached strength classes, Barbell 101 cohorts, and open-gym blocks across the week. Sunday is open gym only — a quiet day to chase a lift.

S = Small-Group Strength · 101 = Barbell 101 · OG = Open Gym

Time
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
6:00 AM
Strength
Strength
Strength
Strength
Strength
OG
9:00 AM
OG
Barbell 101
OG
Barbell 101
OG
Strength
12:00 PM
Strength
OG
Strength
OG
Strength
Barbell 101
4:30 PM
OG
Strength
OG
Strength
OG
—
6:00 PM
Strength
Barbell 101
Strength
Barbell 101
Strength
—
Monday
6:00aStrength
9:00aOpen Gym
12:00pStrength
4:30pOpen Gym
6:00pStrength
Tuesday
6:00aStrength
9:00aBarbell 101
12:00pOpen Gym
4:30pStrength
6:00pBarbell 101
Wednesday
6:00aStrength
9:00aOpen Gym
12:00pStrength
4:30pOpen Gym
6:00pStrength
Thursday
6:00aStrength
9:00aBarbell 101
12:00pOpen Gym
4:30pStrength
6:00pBarbell 101
Friday
6:00aStrength
9:00aOpen Gym
12:00pStrength
4:30pOpen Gym
6:00pStrength
Saturday
6:00aOpen Gym
9:00aStrength
12:00pBarbell 101
Sunday
8:00aOpen Gym
all dayOpen Gym only
Join the club

Membership

Simple, honest pricing. Month-to-month, no contracts, no initiation fee. Pause any time. Try us once for free before you commit to anything.

Open Gym

$89/mo

Full floor access during all staffed hours. Run your own program, with a coach on deck.

Coached 3×/week

$159/mo

Three small-group strength classes a week, plus open-gym access on your off days.

Most popular

Unlimited Coached

$199/mo

Every coached class on the timetable, unlimited open gym, and priority on 101 cohorts.

Drop-In

$20/visit

In town for a day? Train a single class or open-gym session. Visitors and travelers welcome.

No contracts · No initiation fee · Pause any time

Who's on the floor

Coaches

Certified, competitive, and genuinely invested in your lifts. Our coaches train alongside members — they practice what they program.

Hank Mariani, owner and head coach at Forge Barbell Club

Hank Mariani

Owner · Head Coach
  • Starting Strength Coach
  • USAW L1
  • CPR/AED

Opened Forge in 2014 after a decade under the bar. Deadlift: 545 lb

Coach Marcus Webb at Forge Barbell Club

Marcus Webb

Strength Coach
  • USAW L2
  • NSCA-CSCS
  • Pre-Cert PT

Runs the 6am crew and most 101 cohorts. Clean & Jerk: 308 lb

Coach Dana Okafor at Forge Barbell Club

Dana Okafor

Strength Coach
  • Starting Strength Coach
  • USAW L1
  • Nutrition L1

Powerlifting meet regular and our return-to-lifting specialist. Squat: 385 lb

Try it free

Your first session
is on us.

Come lift with a coach, see the room, and feel what coached strength training is actually like. No sales pitch, no pressure — just a barbell and an hour. Call or email to grab a spot.

Call (412) 555-0148 Email the club
Come by

Visit Forge

The gym
4811 Butler St
Pittsburgh, PA 15201
Lawrenceville · street & lot parking
Staffed hours
Mon–Fri6:00a – 8:00p
Saturday8:00a – 2:00p
SundayOpen gym
Get in touch
(412) 555-0148
hank@forgebarbell.club
@forgebarbellclub