About
Dena Mellick
Owner, Head Coach
NASM-CPT, NASM-CNC, BRM
Dena Mellick is the founder and head coach of Strength Equity. She personally experienced the therapeutic benefits of strength training while overcoming the limitations of a longstanding back injury. Scared to even pick up a bag of dog food, a physical therapist encouraged Dena to start deadlifting for her back with a 35-pound kettlebell. Fast forward a few years, and her back pain was not even top of mind anymore as she jumped into competitive powerlifting meets in her 40s – squatting, benching, and deadlifting her way to several medals. Dena now focuses on helping clients of any level, age, or background build strength and achieve their overall health goals.
Dena has a Personal Training Certification and is a Certified Nutrition Coach through the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM-CPT, NASM-CNC). She is a USA Weightlifting Level 2 coach (Olympic weightlifting), a USAPL Level 1 coach (USA Powerlifting), and is TRX certified. Dena also has her Barbell Rehab Certification, providing a proven framework to coach and modify barbell lifts for clients with pain or mobility limitations. She additionally has a female barbell athlete certification, which addresses the effects of hormones in youth, pregnancy, perimenopause, and menopause.