THE REACTIVE TRAINING SYSTEMS POWERLIFTING SUMMIT
SPEAKERS
The summit for powerliftering coaches and athletes to raise excellence in performance and education.
THE ROSTER OF POWERLIFTING EXPERTS
TOPIC: To Be Determined
Peter is currently based in Bangkok, Thailand and has been the head coach for the National Team since 2018. He has worked with a diverse range of athletes from Sub Juniors to Masters on a local, regional and international level. He specializes in working with Powerlifters and in helping them to develop as lifters, and progress towards achieving their specific goals. Peter has worked with lifters of all levels, from beginners to international medallists at the IPF World Championships. Peter is also the course instructor for the TPF Powerlifting coaching certification program and also has experience in the capacity of being a referee and official/meet director. He has a passion for training, travel, and continuous professional development. Peter comes from Ireland and is the co-owner/founder of the Cork Strength and Performance Center. He has been living abroad for 5 years and has had the opportunity to visit many countries for competitions, workshops, etc. He believes that fostering a strong and positive coach/athlete relationship is very important and enjoys working closely with his athletes in the pursuit of their goals.
Adam is passionate about Powerlifting, both as a Coach and as an Athlete. Adam has been coaching since 2013 and has been involved in powerlifting since 2014. He has represented both Australia and Singapore at IPF Worlds in the 83kg opens weight class. Adam has also been a part of the coaching team at each IPF World’s appearance ranging from assistant coach to head coach. Adam has been lifting weights for over 10 years; his background was strength and GPP training before he started powerlifting which has given him some unique skills when implementing GPP training for Powerlifting. Before Adam started pursuing his career as a coach he worked for over 10 years in the Mining and Construction Industry. Through this experience, Adam worked long hours with shift work and this process has taught him ways to manage fatigue and structure appropriate training to a tough schedule. These experiences have helped Adam develop effective training strategies for athletes in similar situations.
John joined RTS in 2018. Prior to that, he coached athletes through Strength is Life, LLC. which specialized in working with powerlifters and bodybuilders. He has worked with athletes at the local, state, regional, and national level from Collegiate to Masters 3. He also competes in USA powerlifting as a 75kg lifter, is a professional natural bodybuilder in the NGA, DFAC, and ANBF, and serves on the board of the ANBF as a drug test advisor. John is also a certified Club Coach with USA Powerlifting. John has an affinity for science and evidenced based fitness. One of his favorite past times (besides training) is reading research on strength training, nutrition, and all things health-related. John's coaching passion is to help his athletes achieve their goals in life. John is also the Director of Operations for RTS. He oversees all operational policies, eCommerce store, payment processing and order fulfillment, Training Lab, customer support activities, quality controls, monitors company revenue, and manages the coaching operation. John is married with four children and understands the challenges of work/life/fitness balance. He is a creative problem solver and genuinely cares about his athletes.
Mike began coaching in 2004 when he took over as Cadet-in-Charge of the USAFA Powerlifting club. After he graduated in 2007, he wrote about what he had learned in his first book, "The Reactive Training Manual". The book taught lifters how the concept of RPE could be adapted to lifting. It went on to shape Powerlifting and popularize the notion of autoregulated training. Mike was an early adopter of online coaching for Powerlifting and helped to develop that industry. He coached and handled lifters all over the world for the next several years. In 2016, he began developing his "Emerging Strategies" framework - a planning style that systematically determines what a lifter responds best to. Over the 15+ years Mike has been coaching, he has coached over 400 lifters. Sixteen of those lifters went on to earn a medal at the IPF Classic World Championships under his guidance. Fourteen lifters have earned World Records. As part of RTS Classroom, Mike has taught more than 500 athletes and coaches how to make better training decisions. Whether through innovative concepts or ground-level coaching, through free online systems or direct teaching, through his own lifting or the coaching of others, Mike has inspired countless other powerlifters to individualize their training so that it works best for them.
Ross came on board with RTS full time as a coach and the operations manager in September 2017. Prior to that, he was a professional civil/structural engineer for 12 years in the state of Alaska. In 2012, Ross began coaching clients, applying his engineering knowledge of force production and transfer to developing powerlifting programs. While the systems of static structures are considerably different to that of dynamic structures, the applications of physics remain much the same. His unique approach to coaching doesn't stop there. Ross' coaching experience has brought him many places to work with lifters of varying capacities. Ross has experience working with everyone from state level lifters to IPF and WPC world champions. Ross believes while physical preparations for training are paramount to a lifter's success, he has found that working on the mental game with lifters is just as important as time spent in the gym. Having been in the weight room since he was 12, he's worked with many different coaches across varying sport disciplines that have influenced his approach to coaching. From a multi-sport high school athlete, a collegiate football player, and now a nationally competitive 83kg powerlifter, mental training for powerlifting is an aspect of his coaching he is extremely passionate about.
Kenny graduated in May 2023 with a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from the University of Wisconsin – Madison. He has been Head Coach for the UW - Madison Powerlifting Club since 2022 and was an assistant coach from 2019-2022. He has worked with a variety of lifters from teen to open age groups and from complete beginner to nationally competitive. Kenny earned a B.S. in Kinesiology from UW – Madison in 2020 which spawned a passion for reading, interpreting, and applying literature to each athlete. He also specializes in adapting training to each lifters unique situation and keeping his athletes healthy thanks to his background in physical therapy. Kenny is also a competitive 90kg powerlifter in the USAPL. He is a USAPL State Referee and a certified USAPL Club Coach. .
Andrew is based in Boston, USA, and brings coaching experience from a collegiate background at Utah State University. He has competed and coached lifters at a local and national level and excels at preparing lifters to showcase their skills on the platform. Andrew has worked with a large spectrum of athletes, from complete beginners to nationally competitive lifters. Beyond powerlifting, Andrew stays up to date with the most recent hypertrophy research to make the most individualized evidence-based solutions to help athletes achieve powerlifting and physique goals. Andrew is currently a 125kg lifter in the USAPL. “To me, coaching is more about helping lifters learn how to make decisions in and out of the gym that facilitates the most change. As a coach, I see myself as a mentor to help athletes step into what they are capable of at the highest level.”
Matt Gary is a 31-year powerlifting veteran whose experience spans competing, officiating as an IPF Category II referee, and, most notably, serving as an eight-time National Team Head Coach for both the United States and Great Britain. His passion is game-day coaching at the highest levels of the sport, where preparation, strategy, and split-second decision-making can determine outcomes. Matt brings that same passion and experience to mentoring the next generation of powerlifting coaches, with an emphasis on developing the judgment, leadership, and practical skills required to excel on the competition platform.
I’ve been a full-time Powerlifting Coach for 15 years in my role as Co-Founder and President of The Strength Guys. I’ve led our coach ducation program since 2023 as well. Throughout my career I’ve been fortunate to explore learning opportunities in professional sports (NFL, UFC, NHL) and receive mentorship from brilliant minds that have come before me in this profession. My passions include translating theoretical understanding of exercise science into practical application, designing sports science systems, and collaborating with other professionals to help athletes manage injury. My presentation will be on the crux of the problem which every athlete and coach eventually faces: how to get stronger and reduce injury risk.
Bryce Krawczyk is a competitive powerlifter and coach, and the owner and head coach of Calgary Barbell. Since 2014, Calgary Barbell has been working in powerlifting education and coaching, and to and raise the bar in the quality of knowledge in the online powerlifting space. As an athlete, Bryce has competed at multiple World Championships, both raw and equipped, and has held multiple national and world records, both raw and equipped. As a coach, Bryce has developed athletes as well as coached on gameday for the most competitive meets in powerlifting; Classic and Equipped World Championships, Sheffield, and even the World Games.
Peter comes from Ireland and is the co-owner/founder of the Cork Strength and Performance Center. He has been living abroad for 5 years and has had the opportunity to visit many countries for competitions, workshops, etc. He believes that fostering a strong and positive coach/athlete relationship is very important and enjoys working closely with his athletes in the pursuit of their goals.
Peter comes from Ireland and is the co-owner/founder of the Cork Strength and Performance Center. He has been living abroad for 5 years and has had the opportunity to visit many countries for competitions, workshops, etc. He believes that fostering a strong and positive coach/athlete relationship is very important and enjoys working closely with his athletes in the pursuit of their goals.