About Us
MEET OUR
Expert Instructors
Any fool can make someone tired. The fitness industry is inundated with online/weekend certified trainers who became trainers because they like working out. Our coaches have graduates’ degrees and long track records of helping others become successful from all different backgrounds. From being able to walk without pain again, getting stronger, just being healthier or running marathons, we’ve been there, done that.
Peter Fisher
ABOUT PETER
Peter earned his B.S in Exercise Science from the University of Pittsburgh in 2019. As a lifetime athlete in ice hockey, gymnastics and track and field, Peter also has his own pursuits in bodybuilding and powerlifting.
Certifications and Experience:
- NSCA Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist
- Currently working towards NASM Nutrition Coach
- Strength and Conditioning intern Pitt’s NCAA Division 1 football team
- Lifetime athlete: Ice Hockey and Track and Field
“You cannot truly coach a feeling you’ve never experienced.”
Brittney Palardy
ABOUT BRITTANY
Brittney earned her B.S in Exercise Science while playing Division 2 lacrosse at the Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Brittney coaches Foundry, Spin, and Versaclimber, as well as focuses on Altus’ marketing.
Certifications and Experience:
- ACE Certified Personal Training
- Mad Dogg Athletics Certified Spin Instructor
- FMS Level 1 Certification
- Working towards becoming NASM certified Performance Enhancement Specialist
- Experienced instructing kettlebell classes
- Assistant lacrosse coach at La Roche college, and Head Coach for a local club
“Push harder than yesterday if you want a different tomorrow”
Hailey Owen
ABOUT HAILEY
Hailey coaches Foundry and Impact classes at Altus. She moved to Pennsylvania from Texas to pursue her passion and play NCAA Division 2 Women’s Basketball at Slippery Rock University. Hailey obtained her B.S. in Exercise Science from SRU in 2015. Hailey has gained over 3 years’ experience working with individuals who suffered from various injuries, such as ligament tears and low back pain.
Certifications and Experience:
- Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist NSCA
- Certified Corrective Exercise Specialist NASM
- Working towards becoming NASM certified Performance Enhancement Specialist
“It’s not about what you want. It’s about what you do every day.”
Cecile Garfunkel
ABOUT CECILE
Cecile gained her B.S in Exercise Science from Virginia Commonwealth University and her M.S in Sports Medicine from Pitt. Cecile has 4 years’ worth of coaching and training experience across various populations, including clinical, collegiate, and general population.
Certifications and Experience:
- Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist NSCA
- Certified Inclusive Fitness Trainer ACSM
- Corrective exercise prescriptions for those with a history of cardiac, neurologic, and neuromuscular disorders.
“Be proud of where you are and push yourself to continue forward. You are meant to be challenged, to overcome, and to persevere.”
Caitlyn Cyrus
ABOUT CAITLYN
She received her B.S. in Exercise Science from the University of Pittsburgh, where she will be returning in August to earn her M.S. in Clinical Exercise Physiology. Caitlyn coaches spin and Versaclimber classes here at Altus.
Certifications and Experience:
- Certified Nutrition Coach NASM
- Coaching sprints and hurdles in track and field for over 2 years
- Experience in strength and conditioning and spin from her time at Pitt!
“Do something today that your future self will thank you for.”
Cherise Rossmiller
ABOUT CHERISE
Cheri loves coaching high-intensity training, and proper mechanics and technique. She believes in the importance of guiding members to understand their own strengths and weaknesses to increase their work capacity and ability. Cheri believes training can make people feel great after the fact, but the key to great training is to inspire and throw a bit of fun, at the moment.
Certifications and Experience:
- Certified Personal Training through NCCPT
- Certified Spin Instructor NCCPT
- Created hybrid style classes of spin and Versaclimber to increase her client’s work capacity.
“Train insane or remain the same.”
Heather Roberts
ABOUT HEATHER
Heather coaches spin and Versaclimber, as well as several core centered classes, here at Altus. She is a lover of high-intensity interval training and is passionate about helping clients discover their own love of spin and Versaclimber. She focuses on making her classes dynamic and fun, while also helping her clients practice proper mechanics to ensure they increase their work capacity and endurance.
Certifications and Experience:
- Certified Group Exercise Instructor AFAA
- Certified Les Mills’ Spin Instructor
- Has over 15 years’ experience instructing both spin and group exercise classes!
“The only bad workout is the one that didn’t happen.”
John Rossmiller
ABOUT JOHN
John served as an Army Ranger for seven years with 75th Ranger Regiment before being medically retired. While serving he deployed 4 times to Iraq and Afghanistan as an intelligence operative as well as serving for a year as NCOIC of the RAW (Ranger Athlete Warrior) program and Human Performance Optimization Coach for Regimental Headquarters and the Special Troops Battalion. John holds a B.A. from Colgate University and an MBA from the University of Pittsburgh.
Relevant Certifications:
- NSCA – Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist
- NASM – Performance Enhancement Specialist
- NASE – Speed Explosiveness Specialist
- TFW-Level 1 Coach
- Certified Kettlebell Instructor
- Combatives Level 2
“Real freedom is gained through ability, achieved through hard work as a team.”
YOUR HOME FOR
Exclusive Equipment & Technology!
We’ve created a fun and engaging environment for the best fitness experience in Pittsburgh by incorporating the most advanced fitness equipment and technology, to include a comprehensive daily tracking app with progress charts, leaderboard, and point system to help keep you motivated and focused.
Our Facility
We’ve created a fun and engaging environment for the best fitness experience in Pittsburgh by incorporating the most advanced fitness equipment and technology, to include a comprehensive daily tracking app with progress charts, leaderboard, and point system to help keep you motivated and focused.
When you come up the stairs to our new Pittsburgh facility, you will love our welcoming, open, modern, and clean space. Our four different training rooms; Foundry, Impact, Basecamp, and Velodrome cover every fitness need you can think of. Since we want to ensure your success, we built our facility with heart rate tracking technology so that our coaches and you can see your progress on the monitors during your workout experience, if you choose. Each class is monitored through Heart Rate Tracking technology and our coaches program the classes with heart rate zones in mind to make sure you are reaching your full potential! You can also track your progress on your phone and check your workouts wherever you go. You will receive a summary of every one of your workouts right to your phone which includes calories burned, class rank, and a way to review your instructor.
Training Methodology
The Altus training methods were developed by our founder while serving in the military as an Army Ranger with 75th Ranger Regiment. John had been a performance coach before joining the Army and during a portion of his 7-year military career, he served as the NCOIC of the Ranger Athlete Warrior program. Our military men and women needed a fitness regime that helped them be versatile in all aspects of fitness or a “Master Generalist.” He developed a progressive training system for developing mental and physical fitness cooperatively for Rangers to develop adaptability, versatility, and capability in unfamiliar environments, situations, and conditions. This was a monumental divergence from a sports specificity paradigm of training that prepares athletes for performing in highly specific, predictable, and controlled environments.
He realized that most people were looking for a basic version of this style of training. They did not want to copy professional athletes because they wanted to be more well-rounded. They did not want to copy other functional training programs because those were too focused on “in-the-gym” fitness and not fit for their day to day lives.