CSCS
Coach Dani Torres
Powerlifting
Competed nationally in USAPL, 8 years coaching strength athletes from beginner to elite. Dani specializes in building raw strength and teaching lifters how to peak for competition.
Our Story
Built for Denver’s Serious Lifters.
Founded in 2018 by Kyle and Jess Forman. A no-compromise strength facility for anyone willing to put in the work.
Since 2018
Two lifters, one vision, 2,400 square feet of possibility.
Kyle and Jess Forman had been training together since they met at a USAW clinic in 2013. By 2017, they’d both competed nationally — Kyle in powerlifting, Jess in Olympic weightlifting — and they’d both spent years training in gyms that didn’t understand what serious strength athletes actually needed. Bad bars. Crowded racks. Coaches who gave up when you didn’t reach your goal in six weeks.
So in 2018 they signed a lease on a 2,400 square foot raw warehouse space on Larimer Street in Denver’s Five Points neighborhood. They spent four months building it out themselves: pouring the lifting platform concrete, bolting the Rogue rack system, installing the Eleiko competition bars they’d saved for since 2015. Forged Athletics opened its doors in October 2018 with 40 charter members and four coaches.
Six years later, the membership is at 847 and the coaching staff has grown to 12 certified coaches across powerlifting, Olympic weightlifting, functional fitness, and conditioning. The equipment list has expanded to include a full strongman implement collection, a dedicated recovery room, and one of the best barbell selections in the Rocky Mountain region.
The philosophy hasn’t changed. Build serious lifters. Respect the sport. Create a community where every member — from the first-timer to the national-level competitor — feels like they belong on this floor.
847
Active Members
12
Certified Coaches
6
Years in Denver
4.9★
Google Rating
2,400
Sq Ft Lifting Floor
0
Excuses Accepted
The Space
Facility Tour
Main Lifting Floor
2,400 sq ft of reinforced concrete with 8 Rogue Monster squat racks, 6 Eleiko Olympic lifting platforms, and a dedicated deadlift area with competition-spec bumper plates and calibrated kilos.
Cardio & Conditioning Zone
12 Assault Air Bikes, 8 Concept2 rowers, 4 SkiErgs, turf sled track (40ft), and battle ropes. Positioned separately from the main floor so conditioning classes don’t interfere with strength sessions.
Recovery Room
Foam rollers, lacrosse balls, resistance bands, and a stretching area. Normatec compression boots available by appointment. Reserved for Elite members and pre/post personal training sessions.
Strongman Annex
Purpose-built storage and staging area for the strongman implement collection: atlas stones (50-300 lbs), log bar, yoke, farmers walk handles, sandbags, axle bar, and a 50ft turf carry lane that connects to the main floor on Saturdays.
Locker Rooms
Separate men’s and women’s locker rooms with full showers, hair dryers, and day-use lockers. Elite members have dedicated assigned lockers. All locker rooms use keycard access.
Coaches Corner
A dedicated coaching and analysis station at the north end of the main floor. Tablet-based video review, whiteboard programming space, and a chalk station. Available for personal training sessions by appointment.
The Tools
Equipment
Barbells & Plates
- 8x Eleiko IPF Competition Barbells
- 4x Eleiko USAW Competition Barbells
- 4x Rogue Ohio Power Bars
- Calibrated competition kg plates (Eleiko, 10-25kg)
- Bumper plates: full set 5-55 lbs per platform
- Axle bar, log bar, trap bar, safety squat bar
Racks & Platforms
- 8x Rogue Monster R-4 Squat Racks
- 6x competition-spec lifting platforms (Regupol)
- 2x Rogue SML-2 slim rack (warm-up area)
- Mono lift for equipped powerlifting sessions
- Deadlift jack at every rack
Conditioning
- 12x Assault Air Bikes
- 8x Concept2 Model D Rowers
- 4x Concept2 SkiErgs
- 6x Kettlebells (16-48kg, Rogue competition)
- Dual turf lanes (60ft combined)
- Sled (heavy + light), battle ropes (3 sets)
Strongman
- Atlas stones (50, 100, 150, 200, 250, 300 lbs)
- Log bar (12" and 14" diameter)
- Yoke (adjustable 300-700 lbs)
- Farmers walk handles (pair, 200 lbs capacity each)
- Sandbag set (50-200 lbs)
- Tire (500 lbs flip tire)
Coaching Staff
Train With the Best
USAW Level 2
Coach Marcus Webb
Olympic Weightlifting
Former D1 collegiate athlete turned Olympic lifting coach. Marcus has trained multiple state and national qualifiers in the snatch and clean & jerk.
NASM-CPT
Coach Priya Bhatia
Functional Fitness + Rehab
Bridging the gap between performance and injury prevention. Priya works with athletes recovering from setbacks and clients building a foundation for long-term training.
CF-L3
Coach Ethan Cole
MetCon + Endurance
Metabolic conditioning and endurance programming specialist. Ethan programs the weekly MetCon classes and runs Denver’s most feared Saturday morning circuit.
Reviews
What Members Say
★★★★★
“Best gym in Denver, no competition. The coaches actually know what they’re doing and the programming is legit. I’ve been training here for 2 years and I keep getting stronger.”
★★★★★
“Came in as a total beginner and they put me with Priya for an intro session. Six months later I’m competing in local powerlifting meets. Incredible coaching staff.”
★★★★★
“The equipment is serious — Eleiko bars, Rogue racks, actual lifting platforms. And the MetCon classes are no joke. Ethan programs the hardest conditioning I’ve ever done.”
Community
Denver’s Performance Community
Forged Athletics exists inside one of Denver’s most vibrant neighborhoods — Five Points — and takes that responsibility seriously. We’re an employer, a training partner, and a community anchor for strength athletes across the metro.
Our members compete in USAPL Colorado, USAW Colorado, local CrossFit competitions, functional fitness events, and strongman contests throughout the region. We coordinate entry groups, provide transport for local meets, and host viewing parties for national championships.
Every year we partner with Denver Public Schools on a PE teacher professional development workshop covering strength training fundamentals for youth athletics. We also run a discounted youth powerlifting program for ages 13-17 that operates under direct supervision of our CSCS coaches.
- USAPL Colorado PartnershipOfficial training partner gym for USAPL Colorado sanctioned meets. We host pre-meet open sessions and equipment checks for all competing members.
- Youth Strength ProgramAges 13-17. Supervised by CSCS coaches. 12-week sessions running twice per year. Subsidized pricing for Title 1 school students.
- DPS PE Teacher WorkshopAnnual 1-day professional development workshop on youth strength training. Free to Denver Public Schools teachers. Running since 2019.
- Forged Open (Annual Meet)Our own in-house powerlifting meet every November. Open to members and non-members. All equipment provided. Perfect first competition.
- Community Drop-In DayFirst Saturday of every month: free open gym from 10am-12pm for anyone from the Five Points neighborhood. No signup required.
Come see it for yourself.
Free trial week. No card required. Show up any day this week.
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