Meet the Team
At Fit For You, our team is here to support, guide, and challenge you every step of the way. Whether you're just starting your fitness journey or leveling up, our experienced and passionate team is committed to helping you reach your goals with confidence, compassion, and consistency.
Shayna Cohen
Founder, Owner & Coach
Shayna created Fit For You to offer women a refined, supportive environment to learn strength training, because while our bodies need it, most women were never taught how to lift or where to start. NASM-certified and backed by nearly three decades of coaching experience, she brings the perspective of a former collegiate athlete and a Division I women’s lacrosse coach, paired with a deep understanding of how women move and build strength over a lifetime.
After years of relying on cardio and “light weights,” she eventually discovered that intentional strength training was the key to the physical, emotional, and mental resilience she’d been striving for. That personal transformation shaped the foundation of Fit For You: a space where women can learn to lift with purpose, move with precision, and build strength that carries into every aspect of their lives.
Today, Shayna blends her athletic background with a calm, direct, and highly technical coaching style, creating an experience that feels both confidence-building and deeply empowering. Outside the gym, she’s a mom to four grown kids and three dramatic fur babies.
Erin Brallier
Coach
Erin is a NASM Certified Personal Trainer and lifelong athlete who knows firsthand that strength changes everything, especially for women ready to feel their best at any age. She’s passionate about helping women feel strong, confident, and unstoppable in and out of the gym.
Erin’s the coach who’ll make you laugh mid-squat, push you when you need it, and remind you that you’re capable of way more than you think.
Outside the gym, you’ll find her hiking, cycling, hanging with her son, or wrangling her two fur babies.
Alyssa Peterson
Coach
Alyssa is a former competitive powerlifter turned recreational weightlifter with a passion for functional movement and long-term strength. As a coach, she focuses on building strong mind-muscle connections and prioritizing movement patterns that support longevity, joint health, and sustainable progress.
Outside of the gym, Alyssa is completing her MD at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine with the goal of becoming an orthopedic surgeon. Her medical training fuels her commitment to helping women build strength, improve bone health, and move confidently for life.
When she’s not in the gym or studying, you can find her hiking, traveling, cooking, or spending time with friends.
Monica Ybarra
Coach
Mónica is a certified Pilates instructor and mom of two who brings a thoughtful, grounded approach to every class. Her style blends intentional movement with a strong, dynamic flow, focusing on control, connection, and building strength in a way that feels sustainable in real life.
After returning to teaching following the birth of her second child, Mónica brings an even deeper appreciation for balance, strength, and supporting the body through every stage.
Her classes are designed to challenge you while still meeting you where you’re at, so you leave feeling stronger, more centered, and more in tune with your body.
Lauren Deus
Coach
Lauren is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) with a master’s in kinesiology—aka, the science of how we move. She’s coached everyone from youth athletes to older adults, and is now earning her occupational therapy degree at the University of Hartford.
Lauren’s all about helping people feel strong, confident, and capable, both in and out of the gym. She’s the kind of coach who’ll fix your form, fire you up mid-set, and send you home believing you can do hard things.
Off the clock, she’s playing soccer, running, reading, or with friends and family.
Madison White
Coach
Maddie is a lifelong athlete and University of New Hampshire grad who’s been in the gym long enough to know that strength changes everything.
She’s passionate about helping people feel strong, confident, and capable, whether they’re picking up a dumbbell for the first time or chasing their next PR. Maddie’s the coach who’ll push you when you need it, cheer when you nail it, and remind you that progress is the goal.
Outside the gym, she’s usually staying active, soaking up time with friends, or plotting her next adventure.
Stacy Phillips
Coach
Stacy Phillips began her fitness journey in her twenties with a focus on aesthetics, but after a back injury and becoming a mom to two energetic boys, her perspective shifted entirely.
She now prioritizes functional strength and endurance—training that helps her keep up with her kids while empowering the women she coaches. With safety as her foundation, Stacy’s style is all about building strength and confidence that carries into real life.
Outside the gym, she works full-time as an ICU APRN, but one of the most rewarding parts of her day is helping women discover just how strong, capable, and confident they can be.
Zoey Salgado
Coach
Zoey is a certified personal trainer with certifications in Pilates, nutrition, and trauma-informed weightlifting. Her approach to coaching is rooted in helping women feel strong, safe, and confident in their bodies, while building real strength through intentional movement.
With a background in competitive dance and cheerleading, Zoey developed a strong foundation in movement, discipline, and body awareness early on. She now combines strength training and Pilates to create a balanced, effective approach that supports both performance and longevity.
Outside of the gym, Zoey runs her own baking business, @zozobakingco, where she donates half of her proceeds each month to different foundations, blending her love for baking with giving back to the community.
Liz Lutz
Strategic Brand & Social Media
Director
Liz leads brand strategy and digital storytelling for Fit For You, translating Shayna’s coaching philosophy into clear, compelling communication across social media and email.
With over a decade of experience in advertising and brand strategy — working with national brands including PEOPLE, Ulta Beauty, and mindbodygreen — Liz brings elevated positioning and growth-focused systems to the studio’s digital presence.
Her approach blends education, authority, and emotional resonance, ensuring every piece of content reinforces the mission: helping women train strong, confidently, and intelligently at every stage of life.
Alexis Anderson
Member Experience & Operations Coordinator
Alexis is the Member Experience & Operations Coordinator at Fit For You, supporting daily operations, scheduling, and communication to ensure everything runs smoothly for our members.
As the first point of contact for new and existing members, Alexis is the go-to for membership questions, changes, pauses, and general inquiries.
A mom of three who homeschools her children, Alexis brings strong organizational and time-management skills to her role. Her own long-term health and strength journey sparked a deep appreciation for sustainable training, body composition, and feeling strong for life. She’s proud to support a women-only space where members feel supported, confident, and empowered.
Tracey Staehle
Coach
A Connecticut native from the Farmington Valley, Tracey brings decades of experience in fitness and movement to Fit For You Reformer Pilates. With over 30 years as a Pilates instructor and NASM Certified Personal Trainer, she combines deep technical knowledge with an approachable coaching style that helps women feel strong, confident, and capable.
A former gymnast and field hockey player, Tracey’s background includes teaching at Yale University, appearing in more than 30 fitness DVDs, and being featured in Oxygen and Fitness magazines. Her workouts have also been published in Self, Good Housekeeping, and Reader’s Digest.
From Master-level Pilates instruction to strength and conditioning,
Outside of FFY, Tracey coaches field hockey at Simsbury High School and spends time with her two teenagers and four rescue dogs.