Meet the Studio Fit U team

At Studio Fit U in Montreal, QC, we are dedicated to creating a fitness community where everyone can thrive. Our studio combines expert coaching, cutting-edge facilities, and a supportive environment to help you reach your fitness goals. Discover a place where your fitness journey is guided by passion and professionalism.

Our Coaches

Our coaches at Studio Fit U in Montreal, QC, are more than just trainers; they are passionate professionals committed to your success. Each member of our team brings a wealth of experience and a personalized approach to help you achieve your fitness objectives. With diverse specialties ranging from strength training to wellness, our coaches are here to support and inspire you every step of the way.

Maxim Desnoyers

Kinesiologist and Personal Trainer B.Sc. Kin,

Maxim holds a Bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology from the Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières. Passionate about human movement and performance, he combines evidence-based knowledge with a practical, approachable, and client-centered coaching style.

His athletic background began with 12 years of competitive hockey and later expanded to include golf, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, CrossFit, Olympic weightlifting, and bodybuilding. He has been strength training for more than eight years and further developed his expertise through an internship as a strength and conditioning coach working with university hockey and tennis teams.

Maxim’s mission is to make high-quality training accessible to everyone. By emphasizing biomechanics, movement quality, and proper technique, he helps clients achieve their goals safely and sustainably. Whether the objective is body recomposition, improved fitness, or enhanced athletic performance, he focuses on creating individualized progress based on each person’s needs, experience, and goals.

His coaching philosophy is built on communication, listening, and collaboration. He believes that every client-coach relationship is a partnership founded on trust, support, and personal growth.

With Maxim, the goal is not simply to follow a training program, but to better understand your body, build confidence, and develop lasting habits that support long-term health and performance.

“It’s not how much you lift; it’s how you lift it.”

Mariangela Pereira

Kinesiologist, Adapted Fitness and Personal Trainer B.Sc. Kin, CEP

Mariangela has a Bachelor of Exercise Science with a Specialization in Clinical Exercise Physiology (Kinesiology) from Concordia University. Her knowledge and experience working in functional fitness and health fitness rehabilitation have allowed her to use therapeutic and restorative exercises, conditioning programs, and exercise education to help both healthy and symptomatic populations — to treat and prevent injury and disease, improve movement and performance, but more importantly, to help them live actively, energetically, and fully.

She is passionate about real, attainable wellness and educating as many people as she can about the importance of functional mobility training and multi-joint exercises to achieve and maximize overall health, pain-free movement, and self-understanding of the body.

Whether your fitness goals are sports-driven, weight-related, or striving for wellness, one-on-one interaction with Mariangela will take you to get your results as efficiently and effectively as possible by providing structure, support, and mindset guidance which will be unique and specific to your needs and current capabilities. She will be fully committed and motivated in your fitness journey and continuous progress while safely pushing you to go beyond what you think you are capable of.

Gabriel Joby

Personal Trainer ISSA

Gabriel holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from the University of Montreal and is a certified Nutrition Coach and Personal Trainer through ISSA. After trying different sports, he found his passion for fitness in the gym and has been training for five years. He specializes in weight loss and muscle building, using a holistic approach that combines resistance training, nutrition, and health psychology. Gabriel creates sustainable, science-backed programs that address both the body and mind. He helps clients overcome mental barriers as well as physical challenges by integrating aspects of psychology into fitness. His empathetic style tailors each program to the client’s reality, focusing on motivation, self-discipline, and autonomy. Clients can expect to feel heard, supported, and to make real progress toward their goals.

Sami Brochu

Founder, Certified Athletic Therapist & Naturopath CAT(C), ANQ, CSCS

Studio Fit U was created with one goal in mind: to make fitness feel possible – even if you don’t know where to start, or if pain and injury have made movement feel out of reach. Our founder, Sami, knows that everyone’s starting point is different. His journey began on the baseball field, where he spent over 15 years playing semi-professionally across North America. Training with high-level athletes gave him a deep understanding of how the body moves, how it heals, and what it takes to reach peak performance – but more importantly, it taught him that progress looks different for everyone. After earning his degree in Athletic Therapy from Concordia University, Sami dedicated himself to helping everyday people – not just athletes – feel strong, mobile, and confident in their bodies. Over the last 10 years, he’s worked as a coach and therapist, specializing in rehabilitation and injury prevention. Whether you’re recovering from an injury, managing chronic pain, or just trying to find the motivation to move again, Sami’s approach is rooted in meeting you where you are. At Studio Fit U, you won’t find a one-size-fits-all program. You’ll find support. You’ll find a coach who listens. And you’ll find a plan that’s built around you – one that focuses on strength, mobility, and stability, so you can move better, feel better, and stay injury-free. Sami’s mission is simple: to guide you toward better physical and mental health, at your pace, and in a way that feels sustainable and empowering. Whether your goal is to reduce pain, feel stronger, or just get started, he’s here to help you take that first step – and every step after.

Nicolas Charbonneau

Kinesiologist, Naturopath, B.Sc. Kin, ANQ

Nicolas is a graduate of Université du Québec à Montréal’s kinesiology program. From a young age, he’s been gravitating in sports and training. From training to gain a spot on the football team in highschool to preparing for multiple national powerlifting championships, working out has always been part of his life and helped him reach many of his goals. Since then Nicolas has worked relentlessly to help his client discover the feeling of suprassement and self-improvement that comes from training. Passionated by movement, Nicolas brings to his clients adapted workouts that will enable them to feel strong, functional, and ready to face whichever challenge they have. Nicolas’ knowledge of athletic training combined with his practical experience will give his clients a unique experience that will push them to new heights of physical well-being.

“The only workout you’ll regret is the one you didn’t do.”

Catherine-Ann Blenkhorn

Personal Trainer & B.Sc. Athletic Therapy (In-progress)

Catherine-Ann is finishing her Exercise Science Bsc. with a Specialization in Athletic Therapy at Concordia University.
As a varsity rugby player for the Concordia Stingers and a provincial-level athlete, she has worked through her fair share of injuries and rehab, giving her a strong understanding of the physical and mental challenges that come with training when your body isn’t feeling its best. This firsthand experience, paired with her ongoing Specialization in Athletic Therapy at Concordia, allows her to coach from a place of empathy and science-based expertise.

Catherine-Ann believes that looking your best starts with feeling your best. She provides a particular focus on rehabilitation and building confidence. Looking to bridge the gap between rehabilitation and fitness results, she is passionate about helping clients return from musculoskeletal injury, build strength safely, and develop confidence in their movements.

Her coaching approach is centered around creating a positive and enjoyable training environment, as well as building sustainable habits. She is passionate about helping clients not only feel good in the gym, but also carry strength and confidence into their everyday lives. With Catherine-Ann you can expect a positive and motivating environment, personalized guidance, and to most importantly enjoy the process!

Jimi Audain

Kinesiologist & Personal Trainer B.Sc. Kin, ANQ

James holds a degree in kinesiology from Concordia University. From a young age, he played recreational sports and has always been passionate about physical activity. He played competitive baseball throughout his teenage years, even spending two years competing at the collegiate level in New York. It was in high school that he discovered resistance training and quickly developed a genuine passion for it.

With his years of experience as an athlete and the countless hours spent pushing his limits at the gym, James understands the importance of physical activity and the positive impact it can have on health and well-being.

His training approach is built around developing functional movement, while incorporating joint mobility and core stability into his sessions. If you suffer from chronic joint pain or your posture has declined over time, James can help you improve your situation through a functional, performance-focused approach. He’ll help you reach your goals by building an exercise routine tailored to your needs and limitations, while ensuring steady progression and optimized results.

His goal isn’t only to help people improve their physical and mental health, but also to create a positive learning environment so that his clients gradually develop full independence and can take back complete control of their health.

A couple of notes: I kept “you/your” throughout to match the informal tu of the original, which reads naturally for a trainer bio on a website. If this is going on the Studio Fit U site alongside other staff bios, let me know and I can match the tone and sentence rhythm to your existing English bios so they feel like a set.

Ianis Cherdieu

Kinesiologist, Personal Trainer B.Sc. Sports Studies, CSCS

Ianis holds a Bachelor’s degree in Sport Studies from Bishop’s University, along with the CSCS certification issued by the NSCA. His work ethic and determination have allowed him to develop physically and establish himself as a competitive American football player for six years. It is precisely his journey as an athlete that shaped his vision of strength training, a passion he has been nurturing since the age of 16.

Passionate about body recomposition, Ianis specializes in weight loss and muscle gain. As a coach, he is committed to guiding each client toward their goals, while promoting better movement quality and a sustainable approach to physical fitness. His method is built around his clients’ progress and feedback, allowing him to design programs that are both optimal and fully tailored to each individual.

He firmly believes that his leadership, listening skills, and attention to detail are the pillars of his coaching method — and it is these qualities that will empower his clients to achieve concrete, lasting results.

Unique Features and Facilities

Our private trainers are Kinesiologists, Athletic Therapists & Naturopaths experts in physical activity and accompany you in your transformation. They specialize in human movement for rehabilitation, prevention and lifestyle habits. Our kinesiologists plan your consultations and private training sessions to guide you to success. In addition, they can support you on the nutritional side and help you make the right choices. Whether you have a chronic condition, want to lose weight/gain mass or want to recover from an injury, our private trainers are here for you regardless of which parts of town you are in (Côte-des-Neiges, NDG, Notre-Dame-De-Grâce, Westmount, Outremont, etc.)

Studio Fit U, Personal trainer doing a landmine deadlift

Top-Notch Fitness Equipment

Our mission is to innovate personalized training and rehabilitation in Montreal by helping our community transform painlessly through movement and exercise. We are committed to have an impact in the lives of our members in the (CDN) Côte-des-Neiges-Notre-Dame-de-Grâce (NDG), Westmount and Outremont neighbourhoods by helping everyone become more active and by adopting a healthier lifestyle through an holistic approach.

Book Your Free Consultation Today

Take the first step towards a healthier lifestyle with a free consultation session at Studio Fit U in Montreal, QC! Our team will provide a personalized tour of our facilities, introduce you to our services, and help you start your fitness journey. Schedule your session now and experience firsthand how Studio Fit U can support your goals.