News

Meet the Coach: Anthony “Ant” MacKinnon

By Annie Barrow

Aug 16, 2026

At the heart of Avalanche Strength and Conditioning in Benalla, is owner and Head Coach, Anthony “Ant” MacKinnon. Since beginning his professional career as a Personal Trainer in 2021, Ant has been deeply committed to helping people unlock their physical potential and achieve goals they may not have thought possible.

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Ant holds a Certificate IV in Personal Training, an Australian Weightlifting Federation (AWF) Level 1 Weightlifting Coach certification and an Australian Strength and Conditioning Association (ASCA) Level 1 Strength and Conditioning Coach certification.

His extensive practical experience spans a diverse range of clients, from dedicated athletes to general population clients aged from 10 through to 65 and older. This experience has given Ant a strong understanding of the different physiological and developmental needs of people at every stage of life, allowing him to create safe, effective and highly individualised training programs.

At Avalanche, Ant’s coaching philosophy is built around evidence-based practice, with a focus on sustainable strength development, functional movement and long-term health and wellbeing. His methods are based on research with the goal to build strength gradually and consistently, rather than pushing for quick results that may lead to injury or burnout.

While Ant’s passion lies in Olympic weightlifting and functional fitness, his real enjoyment comes from helping people become stronger and reach their goals. His dynamic coaching style allows him to adapt his approach to suit everyone from complete beginners through to advanced athletes.

With a combination of firmness, humour and a relaxed approach, Ant aims to make training enjoyable while still delivering results. He doesn’t take himself too seriously, but he takes his role as a coach very seriously, firmly believing in training methods that help clients and members become stronger, move better and achieve lasting results.

Come meet the coach today!