The Beast Strong Story
Rafe and Melissa opened Beast Strong Powerhouse in December 2016 on the east side of Tucson, Arizona. What started as the need for a facility with 24/7 access and the best equipment to train heavy and train hard quickly grew into something more. With a small crew of about 25 original members, the Strength Starts Here culture was born and the original Beast Strong Powerhouse opened its doors.
As the community grew, the gym expanded in 2018 with additional equipment and space to better serve its members. Around that same time, Rafe stepped away from his full-time work as a contractor and went all in on the gym. As coaching and personal training continued to grow, it became clear that another expansion was needed.
In May 2020, Beast Strong Powerhouse opened its second location, Beast Strong Powerhouse West. With demand for coaching and personal training increasing, the team brought on coaches who had already been part of the Beast Strong community. These coaches continue to support and build the culture through high-level training and a shared commitment to helping members get stronger.
Rafe leads the direction of the Beast Strong Powerhouse culture and shares his passion for strength training with every client and member who walks through the doors.
Melissa, a registered nurse, is the namesake behind “Beast.” She embodies the gym’s non-stop, no excuses, put in the work mentality. Her passion for lifting and her competitive nature continue to set the standard and serve as a constant example of mental, emotional, and physical strength.
IFBB Pro Raphael “Rafe” Teich
Rafe’s journey in strength training started at just 12 years old in his parents’ basement. With a small bench, a 1-inch barbell, loadable dumbbells, and a little over 100 pounds of plastic-coated concrete plates, he began lifting with a simple goal in mind: get stronger so he could work for his uncle’s concrete curbing company. Along the way he adopted the classic “meat and potatoes” approach to training and nutrition, fully committing himself to getting bigger, faster, and stronger.
That early passion led him into bodybuilding, where he quickly made his mark by winning the NPC Teen National Championship. What began as a teenage pursuit of strength turned into a lifelong commitment to training, competing, and continually improving. Years of dedication to the sport eventually culminated in November 2024 when Rafe earned his IFBB Pro Card.
Over the years, Rafe expanded his knowledge beyond bodybuilding to include multiple disciplines of strength training. He is certified as a USA Olympic Weightlifting coach and a USPA powerlifting coach, allowing him to apply a wide range of proven training methods when working with clients.
Today, Rafe leads the training culture at Beast Strong Powerhouse. He works with lifters across powerlifting, strongman, bodybuilding, and general strength training, as well as individuals focused on weight loss and overall fitness. His approach is built on experience, discipline, and a genuine passion for helping others discover what they are capable of achieving through strength training.
Strength Starts Here!
IFBB Pro Melissa Teich
With an incredible drive to go “All In” with everything she does, Melissa has been competitive in sports most of her life. She began as a competitive swimmer in high school and later competed in triathlons during college. While she enjoyed endurance sports, she quickly discovered that her true passion was lifting weights and building strength.
In 2012, Melissa entered her first NPC competition in the Figure division and immediately qualified for Nationals. Realizing she loved the training and competition but not the tall heels required for Figure, she transitioned to the Women’s Physique Division. In 2014, she stepped on stage at the NPC USA Championships and earned 1st place along with her IFBB Pro Card.
Melissa competed in several IFBB Pro shows before shifting her focus to powerlifting for several years. During that time, she built a strong presence in the sport, highlighted by a 1st place finish at the 2019 KERN US Open in the women’s 67.5 kg class.
Returning to the IFBB stage in 2020, Melissa won the Wings of Strength Arizona Women’s Pro Show with a perfect score, qualifying for the Ms. Physique Olympia where she finished 6th in the world. She continued her success with another win at the Arizona Women’s Pro Show in 2021 and a victory at the 2022 Texas Pro, earning additional Olympia appearances and first callout finishes.
Continuing to challenge herself, Melissa moved into Women’s Open Bodybuilding, placing 3rd at the Chicago Pro and finishing 6th in the world at the Rising Phoenix World Championships.
In 2025, Melissa won the Chicago Pro, qualifying once again for the Olympia where she finished in the top six in the world.
Now shifting her focus fully back to powerlifting, Melissa is preparing for the Bar Showdown on March 14, 2026. Her goal is to achieve a 600 DOTS score and place in the top three overall in this pro-level event.
Melissa’s relentless work ethic, competitive drive, and “no excuses” mindset embody the Beast Strong mentality.