Rory Lynch
Powerlifting & Nutrition Coach
Mission
To empower all powerlifters to reach the limits of their potential through evidence-lead training, personalised programming, and thoughtful communication. Whether you’re stepping onto the platform for the first time or aiming for a medal at worlds, I’m here to guide you every step of the way—combining scientific principles with real-world experience.
Together, we’ll build strength and confidence to perform at your peak.
Bio
Rory's first foray into coaching was as an aspiring black belt in Taekwondo in 2010, where he started taking over the conditioning components of his classes. After being bitten by the iron bug in 2014, Rory started experimenting with programming for powerlifting in 2015 (primarily on himself, for better or worse), and then in 2016 he started programming for other athletes. He now coaches a stable of regular powerlifters of all levels.
Outside of powerlifting, Rory completed a Bachelors of Engineering (Honours) in Biomedical Engineering in 2016, and is an avid reader of fantasy novels (currently reading - Malazan, Book of the Fallen), as well as Dungeons and Dragons player.
Notable Achievements
Head Coach of the New Zealand Powerlifting Worlds team (2020-2022), Commonwealth Champs (2022), Oceania Championships (2025), Asia Pacific African Championships (2025), Bench Press Worlds Team (2026)
Manager of the New Zealand Powerlifting Worlds team (2019, 2022-2025)
Coach on the New Zealand Powerlifting Worlds team (2017-2026)
Coached the University of Auckland 2018 Sportswoman of the Year and 2021 and 2023 Blues Award winner
Co-host of top international powerlifting podcast, King of the Lifts
Given seminars on powerlifting programming and gameday strategy to audiences of up to 50 people, and lifting workshops to audiences of up to 30
Category 1 IPF Referee
Level 2 IPF Coach License
Precision Nutrition Level 1 & Sleep, Stress, and Recovery Level 1 Certified Coach, Advanced Certificated in Coaching Dietary Strategies
Australian Powerlifting Association Level 1 Powerlifting Coach
Jack Cullen
Assistant Powerlifting Coach
Mission
To build something truly holistic for athletes of all sports, where training, nutrition, and recovery aren't treated as separate boxes to tick, but as one integrated system. Science-based, experience-informed, and built around the whole athlete.
Bio
Jack's introduction to lifting started where a lot of good powerlifting stories do — rugby. But it didn't take long before the weights became the main event. After a sports academy teacher noticed his passion for the platform (squats - always squats), he suggested finding a coach. That night Jack searched "powerlifting coaching Wellington," clicked the first link, signed up, and only realised a week later that he'd just hired Brett Gibbs. Not a bad start.
From there, Jack got hooked — first on competing, then on coaching. His first real taste of handling came at Nationals 2023, where he was involved in the 83kg junior battle for gold and realised he loved being on that side of the sport just as much as being on the platform. From there his passion for coaching evolved through meet day coaching and now coaching his own athletes.
He is currently in his third year of a Physiotherapy degree — a direction driven directly by his obsession with strength and human performance. Outside of powerlifting and physio, Jack is probably thinking about squats.
Notable Achievements
Assistant Coach, New Zealand Powerlifting Junior Worlds team (2025)
Competitor, Sub-Junior and Junior Worlds (2024)
Fourth year Physiotherapy student
The Story of Sisyphus
“The struggle itself toward the heights is enough to fill a man’s heart. One must imagine Sisyphus happy.”
The Punishment of Sisyphus (Public Domain)
Sisyphus was the brilliant King of Ephyra in Ancient Greece - under his rule, Ephyra flourished. Unfortunately, Sisyphus was greedy and prideful, and for his hubris Zeus sentenced Sisyphus to spend eternity rolling a boulder up a mountain in Tartarus.
Many take Sisyphus' story as a tale of futility - it's a story meant to scare children away from hubris, or a story to entertain guests where the unfortunate protagonist ends up regretting his actions, but the myth of Sisyphus can be read another way. Camus talks about the absurdity of life; he says there is no inherent meaning, but that we can either choose to be disappointed in the meaninglessness, or to accept it and to find happiness and contentment in what we do find.
That is the perfect metaphor for powerlifting. Like Sisyphus and his boulder, powerlifting doesn't have implicit meaning. We're not changing the world, and we're not exactly finding money and glory, even when we win! That doesn't mean that we should just let our boulder roll back down the mountain, quite the opposite. What that means, is that we need to learn to take pride and contentment from the process, and that the journey is as important (or even more important) than the conclusion.