The Team
Meet Our Coaches
Over 20 years of combined experience developing athletes at every level — from youth to professional.
Tim Griesser
Head Coach & Founder
Tim has been involved in Strength and Conditioning for over 20 years and in the Western PA region since 2005. Tim played basketball at the University of Iowa, Ocean County College, and Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, FL.
In the summer of 1999 he drove from his hometown outside of Philadelphia to Chicago to complete an internship for Al Vermeil, Hall of Fame Strength Coach of the World Champion Chicago Bulls. While in Chicago he learned under Coach Vermeil as well as renowned assistants Mike Gattone and Erik Helland.
After his time at Florida Atlantic, Tim journeyed to Pittsburgh to work at UPMC Sports Performance as the Assistant Director under former Toronto Raptors strength coach Ron DeAngelo. Tim spent nearly a decade at UPMC working with athletes of all ages and abilities — from 9-year-olds to professionals.
In 2013, Tim started Country Strong in a 1,500 sq ft pole building at his home in Industry, PA. His programming has led to multiple athletes going on to college, national champions, and national medalists in the sport of weightlifting at the youth level.
Career Highlights
- 74 National Medals (62 Youth / 6 Junior / 6 U23)
- 8 National Champions (5 Weightlifting, 2 Powerlifting, 1 Motocross)
- 3 World Records Coached in Powerlifting
- Owner of Country Strong, Inc. (2013)
- Former NCAA Division I Athlete
- Former NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Coach — Florida Atlantic
- Former NCAA Division I Assistant Strength Coach — Florida Atlantic ('03–'05)
- UPMC Assistant Director of Sports Performance ('05–'12)
- Intern for Super Bowl & NBA Championship Coach Al Vermeil — Chicago Bulls ('99)
- Worked under Super Bowl & NCAA National Championship Coach Howard Schnellenberger — FAU ('03–'05)
- Worked under former Toronto Raptors Strength Coach Ron DeAngelo — UPMC ('05–'12)
Raechel Griesser
Assistant Coach
Raechel was the captain of the Dance Team at Florida Atlantic University. Her dance experience included time in a pre-professional dance company. She came to Western PA in the fall of 2006 and soon started teaching dance to gymnasts at Arcadia and Tumbleweeds gymnastic facilities.
She also taught Pilates at the Beaver County YMCA. Raechel then worked in the legal field and took a break from the fitness realm before returning to take her USAW Level 1 certification to help Tim with the weightlifting team.
In the spring of 2019, Tim and Raechel both took the Level 2 certification under the tutelage of Leo Totten, founder of East Coast Gold weightlifting. She also fills in teaching Kettlebell Cross and Sports Performance.