Owner and head coach of Grizzly Weightlifting — a USA Weightlifting Level 2 coach who learned the sport from Olympians and Olympic champions, now bringing that lineage home to the Seacoast.
Our Story
Grizzly Weightlifting exists because the Seacoast deserved a real barbell gym — a place where coaching comes first, every level is welcome, and strength is treated as a skill worth mastering.
Grizzly opened at 33 Emery St in Portsmouth, New Hampshire with a simple idea: the area had plenty of fitness centers, but nowhere dedicated to the craft of lifting. No platforms. No coaching eyes on the classic lifts. Nowhere for a beginner to safely learn a snatch, or for a competitor to find a club.
Today Grizzly is that place — a coaching-first strength facility serving Portsmouth and the whole Seacoast, from Kittery and New Castle to Dover, Rye, Greenland, and Newington. Members range from first-time lifters to competitive Olympic weightlifters, all training on the same floor and pushing each other forward.
The Head Coach
Stan built Grizzly Weightlifting to bring world-class barbell coaching to the Seacoast. He learned the sport of weightlifting directly from Olympians and Olympic champions, and brings that lineage to every lifter he coaches — from first-day beginners to competitive athletes.
That lineage shapes how everything is taught here: patiently, precisely, and one rep at a time. Whether you're learning your very first squat or chasing a competition total, you get a coach who's watching every rep.
What We Believe
Inside the gym
Common Questions
Stanislav Babenko — owner and head coach. He's a USA Weightlifting Level 2 coach, CrossFit Level 2 trainer, and CPR certified, and learned weightlifting from Olympians and Olympic champions.
A coaching-first strength and Olympic weightlifting gym in Portsmouth, NH — real barbells, small groups, and a welcoming community for every level.
Always. Most of our members started as beginners. Everyone begins with a free intro so we can build the right plan.
33 Emery St #001, Portsmouth, NH 03801 — serving Portsmouth, Kittery, New Castle, Dover, Rye, Greenland, Newington and the wider NH & Southern Maine Seacoast.
The best way to know if Grizzly is your gym is to walk in. Book a free intro and tour.
Book Your Free Intro
