Who I am

I’m Chris Van Nostrand, Founder and Head Coach at Strength Wise Barbell.

My passion for strength training, nutrition, and competition began early. But it wasn’t until my late 30s that I began to put the pieces together, thanks to my discovery of powerlifting. The sport gave me everything I’d always wanted in a sport. Aggressive but controlled training, a mixture of sport science and experimentation, and a competitive outlet focused on personal growth.

These experiences revealed the value of defining fitness on our own terms and started my coaching journey.

Fueled by a desire to unleash the latent athleticism of other masters athletes and spread the gospel of barbells, I left my career as a marketing executive. Since then, I’ve coached over a hundred clients from all walks of life.

My focus is improving performance for masters athletes at any level, whether you’re signing up for your first 5k fun run or an elite powerlifter. I also love teaching lifting to beginners, particularly teenagers looking to get more active and build confidence.

experience

  • Strength & Conditioning Coach, Chicago Union

  • Class IV powerlifter with the United States Powerlifting Association

  • Professional affiliation with Cornerstone Health as barbell course designer and instructor

  • Professional affiliation with MVMT Evanston integrating physical therapy with strength training

  • Instructor with the University of California, Berkeley

  • Over 100 clients trained, including members of Team USA Fencing and NCAA D1 programs

Education

  • Certified Conditioning Coach, BioForce

  • Strength & Conditioning Specialist, ISSA

  • Nutrition Coach, PN1

  • Kellogg School of Management, MBA, marketing and management

  • Kenyon College, BA, cum laude with distinction in political science

Personal

  • Born and raised in Boston

  • Wife Sarah is a lifelong Evanstonian

  • Mother-in-law Amy May taught at Cherry Preschool since its inception

  • Kids are Leo (12, Haven) and Skye (8, Lincolnwood)