Our Trainers
Colin Merdian, B.Sc., NASM-CPT, SGX, Pn1
OWNER
Colin is certified through NASM (National Academy of Sports Medicine) as a Certified Personal Trainer, Spartan Race as a Spartan SGX coach, and Precision Nutrition as a certified nutrition coach. He has over 10 years of experience working as a personal trainer.
Colin has always been a lover of sports and fitness, and after working in the industry for 4 years decided it was time to open his own gym. His training model is to work hard, be consistent, and never stop learning. But as serious as he takes his training, Colin also believes that in order to stay motivated and excited about working out, you need to have fun and keep things interesting. Colin makes it a point to keep his workouts fresh with new exercises and challenges so there’s never a dull moment when it comes to going to the gym.
Call today to schedule a complimentary consultation or group class with Colin!
julianne schager, B,SC., Ace-CPT, pn1
Julianne is a certified personal trainer through the American Council on Exercise (ACE), Bootcamp Tabata certified, and is a certified nutrition coach through Precision Nutrition. She has had a passion for strength training since high school and at the age of 52 finally decided to enter a NPC Figure competition, earning 1st place in the Masters division. Her training philosophy is to make every workout fun, challenging, and effective using a variety of formats and techniques. Her clients rarely see the same workout twice! Julianne joins The Rough House primarily as a group trainer. She loves healthy eating and brings a clean snack to her classes every week. She enjoys showing clients that eating clean can be delicious and easy to do with simple ingredient swaps.
Call today to schedule a complimentary group class with Julianne!
Eric Schuda, NASM-CPT, NASM-CES, GGS
Eric has worked with a wide range of people looking for help shedding pounds, building muscle, and feeling and moving better. Eric found his passion for health and wellness while serving in the United States Marine Corps for four years. A few years later he realized he wanted to share that passion with others. He became certified in personal training in 2014.
Eric has a never-ending desire for knowledge and brings several top-notch certifications to The Rough House. Along with his basic personal training certification from NASM, he is certified as a corrective exercise specialist and is pre- and post-natal certified through Girls Gone Strong. Do you need extra help with stretching? Eric also has the Living Metta Total Body Stretch certification. No matter what the ailment, Eric can assist.
Call today to schedule a complimentary consultation or group class with Eric!
Chelsea ochoa, B.Sc., NASM-CPt
Chelsea has always had an interest in health and fitness. Beginning in high school, she swam competitively and took elective classes centered around exercise and nutrition. In college, she majored in Kinesiology with a concentration in fitness leadership and began training friends and clients at a local gym to gain experience. After graduating with a Bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology, she pursued other career endeavors; however, she always seemed to turn back to her true passion of fitness.
After deciding personal training was what she was meant to do she obtained her personal training certification through The National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) in 2020. Chelsea personally believes that fitness is for everyone and that the gym should be a safe place for anyone and everyone to come to with the goal of bettering themselves.
Call today to schedule a complimentary consultation or group class with Chelsea!
Michelle meza, ISCA-GEI, Pilates Mat1-ISCA, Certified Cycle Coach, Certified Zumba trainer
Michelle is a certified group fitness instructor and Pilates Mat Instructor through the International Sports Conditioning Association (ISCA). Being a dancer since 12 years old, she gravitated towards Zumba classes and started her fitness career as an instructor in that field. After Two years of Zumba experience working with adults, kids, aquatics she expanded to group and Pilates instruction, as well as cycle coach certification.
Michelle has always had a passion to move and believes nothing contributes more to mindfulness than being active. “I love sharing and inspiring people to have a healthier and more active life.”
Call today to schedule a complimentary group class with Michelle!
Shana abraham, B.Sc., MS, NASM-CPt, PN1
Shana has BS and Masters degrees from the University of South Carolina and is a NASM Certified Personal Trainer, Women’s Fitness Specialist, BOSU trainer, and PN1 Nutrition Coach. She is currently finishing up her specialization in corrective exercise and looks forward to helping clients with current injuries.
As an avid runner and resistance trainer, her goal for every client is long-term health through exercise and nutrition coaching. She has been training clients for over 4 years and loves the connections she forms with them and the impact she has on their health and wellness.
Call today to schedule a complimentary consultation with Shana!
Derek Johnson, NASM-CPT, MF Yoga trainer
Derek studied and practiced Pilates, jazz dance, ballet, Tai chi and yoga in college. With a love of movement arts, Derek registered for and completed Moksha's Foundational Yoga Teacher Training in 2004. Shortly after, he was drawn to lifting weights. After years in the gym and teaching yoga, he became fascinated with handstands. He soon realized how arm balance brought more potential for growth within his practice.
Today, Derek is known for his strong, slow, vinyasa style that blends elements of Pilates, ballet, and Tai chi for the perfect balance of functional strength, mobility, and flexibility. He firmly believes that whichever type of movement you choose, it should not only make you stronger physically, but should also bring you happiness and reverberate through everything you take on in life.
Call today to schedule a complimentary consultation or private 1-on-1 yoga session with Derek!
william medina, B.Sc., nfpt-CPT, stretch & Flex-nasm, group exercise-ace
William comes to us as a personal trainer through the National Federation of Personal Trainers (NFPT) with additional certifications in group exercise, assisted stretching, and stick mobility. William’s journey into fitness began out of vanity and ego, but unlike many, he was fortunate to avoid any major injury due to one mindset: “You can’t make progress if you are injured”. His main reason for exercise was to promote quality of life. As a Strength Coach with a focus on Mobility and Stability, William tries his best to implement that concept into every one of his classes and sessions.
“My story as a trainer began with my first client, my sister. I don’t know if it was my own confidence, her seeing my willingness to help strangers at the gym, or just because it was leg day, but one day she joined me. What began as sporadic weekend workouts turned into daily 5am sessions, challenging and motivating each other, while learning along the way. As her confidence and strength shot up, so did my passion. I had found my calling. The gym can be a dangerous and scary place at times. My main goal as your coach is to increase your confidence within the gym as well as your quality of life.”
William has extensive experience in group training and group programming. When class starts it’s all business until the fit lady sings.
Call today to schedule a complimentary consultation or group class with William!
Jerry Garcia, B.Sc., ASCM-EP, PES-nasm
Jerry started his fitness journey in a training camp for incoming freshmen football players at his high school in Houston, TX. Since then he's dabbled in a variety of styles of weightlifting and strength training programs. Jerry's personal interest in fitness paid off during his time in the army where he eventually took over the responsibility of designing training programs for his teams and squad.
After his time in the service, Jerry went on to earn his BS in Exercise Science and began working with people with chronic neurological conditions, primarily strokes and Parkinson's disease. He continues that work at a local rehab hospital when he’s not with his clients at The Rough House. Jerry also works with the general population and youth athletes. His clients range from ages 9 to 96 years old. He is an American College of Sport Medicine (ACSM) Certified Exercise Physiologist and a NASM Performance Enhancement Specialist.
Call today to schedule a complimentary consultation or group class with Jerry!