“I’ve had the privilege of working with Stanley as my coach for the past six years since I began powerlifting. Stanley is an exceptional coach, and what stands out the most is his constant and clear communication. He is always quick to respond to any questions I have or to provide valuable feedback. Throughout the toughest moments, including mental blocks when I doubted myself, Stanley has been a source of unwavering support. My progress and performance have consistently improved since I started working with him, and I continue to grow and learn under his guidance. I have recommended Stanley to many others because I believe in his expertise and the genuine dedication he invests in his clients. I am incredibly grateful to have him as my coach.”
Jessica Santos

“I’ve been working with Stanley for a little bit more than a year and I’m telling you it’s probably been the best year of strength training I’ve ever have. I’ve been on programs that I’ve bought over the years from other coaches and strength people, but having a coach is definitely better. Just having another set of eyes on me makes that much of a difference. It’s crazy that I’m the strongest I’ve ever been and it’s all been through a phone. I really enjoy our weekly talks, it’s been great talking about how the lifts were that week but then we also talk about life and everything in general. He’s also been helping me in my own coaching business a ton! 

Even though I’ve only met Stan, once in person. After talking weekly and getting to know each other more, we’ve grown a friendship over this year while working together and honestly linking up with him has been one of the best things I’ve decided to do. Shout out to James Daly for being the one who connected us! I’ve enjoyed every day training with Stan. He will figure out your flaws and help strengthen them. My technique on all my three lifts have been better than ever thanks to Stan. Ive done 2 meets with him and both were a great experience. I was on podium on both meets (2nd and 3rd). I’ve hit numbers I thought I could never hit and the crazy thing is that it’s only going to get better and I’m only going to get stronger. 

15/10 I would recommend working with him if you’re looking to become a stronger version of yourself or looking to compete in powerlifting. Make that jump to work with him and I promise you, you won’t regret it.”

Kenneth Tadeo

“I've been working with Stanley for a year and a half now. At first I was skeptical about how much difference a different coach would be but I was very quicky proven wrong. Stanley helped pinpoint weak parts of my lifts and worked with me to improve them. All my workouts felt like they were there for a reason and he would always help explain the purpose of everything if needed. His methodology is all about building long term success and working around life things that may interfere with training. Not only does Stanley help you improve, he's constantly trying to improve and learn new things himself. He's always open to experimenting with new things even if they're unconventional and understands that there isn't a one size fits all situation that works for everyone. Since working with Stanley, not only have I been the strongest I've ever been, but I feel like my knowledge of lifting, strength, and health has increased.”

Harlan Chang

“Working with Stanley has helped me achieve my goals in the sport of powerlifting. While dealing with a rotator cuff injury for over a year I never thought it would be possible to compete ever again. Until working with Stanley I was proven wrong and was able to achieve all time PRs. Not only is Stanley a great coach but he is an exceptional handler on meet day. Stanley is very attentive and his handling experience definitely shows in high pressure moments which allowed me to calmly and confidently execute each attempt. The best coach in the USAPL hands down.”

Stanley recognized my muscular weaknesses and technical issues quickly as we began working together. He put a special emphasis on my weaknesses which later proved to be a very smart strategy as I made fast progress in strength .

“This is totally a new level of training. His training method feels very scientific and precise, I told myself after the first free trial training session with Stanley at Barbell Brigade. After training with various coaches in New York and Santa Monica for more than two years before meeting Stanley, I was stuck in the same body weight and muscle volume. My last coach in Santa Monica only asked me to eat more and I ended up storing body fat without gaining actual muscle. 

Since working with Stanley for eight months, not only did I break through weight gain plateau by gaining another 17 pounds while keeping lean, but also made significant progress on strength gaining. Stanley recognized my muscle weaknesses and form technical issues quickly as we began working together. He put a special emphasis on my weaknesses and, which later proved to be a very smart strategy as I made fast progress in strength gaining. He’s been giving me detailed feedback on my form and techniques during training sessions and video review. He put me in a very different type of training by increasing frequency, lifting heavy, and focusing on three main compound exercises. He constantly adjusts the training program based on my body status. This hybrid training of hypertrophy and strength building meets my goals in achieving both.

His college studies in exercise science and his continuous learning and following the cutting-edge academic research in muscle and strength training equips him with a solid knowledge base for providing scientific and customized training programs to his clients. Throughout our training sessions, I’ve gained a deeper understanding in muscle and strength growth thanks to his thorough breakdown of physiological knowledge behind training and eating. For instance, he illustrated the three types of muscle fibers and how each respectively reacts to different kinds of body movements. Depending on your personal goals, what type of exercises you should focus on and what types to avoid in order to benefit the most. It’s been an eye-opening learning experience for me.

Stanley is a big man with an easy-going personality. It’s been a very pleasant journey training with him. He has a generous heart. He helped homeless people in LA by quietly leaving them snacks and fruits. I will continue training with Stanley. And I hope you can have the same effective and positive training experience as mine.”

Harvey J.

“Stanley Murkland has been coaching me for a little over a year now and I have nothing but positive things to say about him. Coming in with little to no knowledge, Stanley has been beyond patient and extremely knowledgeable in everything he practices. I have lost 20lb with the help of Stanley and have gained confidence, in both appearance and lifting. One personal thing I should mention is my fear of deadlifts coming in, Stanley worked through it almost every week until I was comfortable enough to actually put sufficient weight on the bar. He never pressured me and has met all my goals, whether it was to get stronger or lean down. He listens, which many coaches do not. I have always felt comfortable enough to ask him questions or to explain to him what exactly I’m feeling. Stanley is the epitome of a COACH and I’m beyond thankful to be working with him. ”

ANNA M.

“My SBD before meeting coach was 245/210/365. In 6 months, it went up to 325/230/440.

“I’ve been working with Coach Stan for over half a year now and honestly the amount of progress I made with him is ridiculous. My SBD before meeting coach was 245/210/365, in 6 months It went up to 325/230/440! Numbers don’t lie.”

ABDUL J.

"The detail in my training blocks is so precise. The targeting of my weaknesses and long term planning have made awesome results on the platform. Our first meet together I hit PRs on all my first attempts. This is only the beginning and I cannot wait to see how far I can go in the sport with his guidance.

“I’ve been working with Stanley for the last 10 months. It has been by far the most productive and rewarding coach-athlete relationship I have ever had. He regularly sends me video breakdowns of my lifts, online resources to further explain concepts and responds to all my questions in great depth and detail. Beyond that, he’s really taken the time to get to know me as a person. Regular check ins via text and phone have helped my confidence and our rapport tremendously. I consider Stan to be a close friend as well as my coach. It allows me to be candid in our discussions and further motivates me to do my best in my training sessions.

The detail in my training blocks is so precise. The targeting of my weaknesses and long term planning have made awesome results on the platform. Our first meet together I hit PRs on all my first attempts. This is only the beginning and I cannot wait to see how far I can go in the sport with his guidance.”

JAMES D.

"Workouts are never ordinary and constantly have an interesting twist to them. He makes sure I’m well taken care of in all aspects of my training, whether that being dealing with a minor injury or wanting to change my training style altogether.

“I met Stanley almost two years ago when I first started dropping in as a guest at Barbell Brigade every few weeks. Once I became a member I saw him almost every day I went. He always offered quick tips and tricks for whatever I was working on. I was super interested in powerlifting but had very little knowledge on the sport and a mediocre knowledge in training overall. One day I made the leap and sought out Stanley to help me prepare for a powerlifting meet. The rest has been a roller coaster of an adventure. You never really know what you’re going to get with Stan. Workouts are never “ordinary” and constantly have an interesting twist to them. He makes sure I’m well taken care of in all aspects of my training, whether that being dealing with a minor injury or wanting to change my training style altogether. He’s always had my back and has always made me feel confident in every endeavor I’ve sought out. Stan is the real deal.”

DANIEL S.

“To start off with I’ve been working with Stanley Murkland as a coach for over a year now. I can’t express how lucky i am to have a very knowledgeable coach like him. My lift have progressed so much since I started with him. Not only my numbers have gone up but so has my form on my lifts got so much better . I’ve learn so much and still continue to learn while having him as a coach. His style on programing is very unique. I would highly recommend Stanley as a coach just like i have with my friends just because i know how much of a good and knowledgeable coach he is.”

JESSICA S.

“I approached Stanley Murkland to help coach me on my first powerlifting meet two years ago and have now successfully done three meets. Along this journey he has helped me accomplish many of my goals like building my strength while focusing on my nutrition and body composition. I am extremely pleased with the results and excited to keep making progress!”

State Record Holder

Stephanie V.

“In one training cycle he added over 50lbs to my deadlift, 30lbs on my overhead press (breaking a long time plateau), improved my conditioning drastically and I got a couple placings higher in my last competition because of him. He is the truth and he's much more than a trainer. You can ask him anything. About life, dieting, mobility. He has an answer for anyone about anything. Couldn't have asked for a better coach.”

TIM M.