aps Coaching

Fantastic experience: Working with APS and Ross has been the best thing I’ve done for my training in years. Or maybe ever! If you’re after a coach who will understand where you’re at, where you want to get to and how best to get you there then you can stop your search now and start working with these guys! My starting point was someone with a busy schedule, trying to balance work, family and training - often winging it on the latter and invariably losing the gamble with injury or niggles. After 10 months or so of working with Ross (on the monthly checking in sessions), I am now stronger and feeling more robust than I ever have before, with a knowledge and confidence in strength, training, conditioning and recovery principles that are leaps and bounds ahead from when I started. Ross really understands the nuances of the body, movement and all the other stuff that surrounds a training plan and busy life. I will for sure be returning to Ross in the months and years ahead as my guiding hand in staying fit, strong and healthy. I really appreciate it. Thank you!

Fantastic experience: I was lucky enough to be the winner of a competition for a free month of training with Ross at aps Coaching. From the start Ross was super flexible and let me delay my start date to accommodate the summer holidays. I've been in and out of the gym for years and up and down with my fitness levels. I was definitely at a fitness low point and felt a bit nervous going to a PT but Ross was excellent at figuring out my goals, strengths and (many!) weaknesses and explaining what exercises to do and why. He was very patient with me and encouraged me to get out of my comfort zone - especially when it came to kneeling on swiss balls! I enjoyed the sessions so much that I carried on after the free month, and would wholeheartedly recommend aps Coaching to anyone (even if, like me, you're not a "sporty" or even ex-sporty person)

Fantastic experience: Highly recommend! Ross Helped me immensely with my shoulder strain. He provided me with plenty of great exercises and clear guidance on exactly how to use them. I also got valuable advice on how to improve my overall endurance. A fantastic experience!

Fantastic experience: Matt is brilliant. When I first met him 2 years ago I was riddled with knee and back issues and working together each week I am now mostly pain free. I’d seen Physios, Chiropractors and Osteopaths, none of whom were able to get to the bottom of my complex issues. I had only planned to see him until I was well but have found the regular training so transformative that I still seem him every week. He’s a magician!

Fantastic experience: "I really enjoyed my coaching sessions with Ross. I feel so much more confident in my movement. You're a great motivator, and I really appreciate how you tailored the exercises to my level. Thanks for everything!"

Fantastic experience: Since Ross has been my personal trainer he's helped me go from constant back pain and other aches & sprains to regular exercise, a better diet, and more energy. Highly professional and knowledgeable. Takes the time to create a personalised plan after every session tailored to my needs and goals. I'll be running another marathon in no time!

Fantastic experience: I've worked with Ross at first for some shoulder rehab and then later as personal trainer. This has been great as Ross has taken me through a structured plan rather than me just making stuff up. Having a plan that was specific to me and tailored around my previous experience and limited time availability with a new baby at home has been fantastic.

Fantastic experience: As soon as I heard the word "rehabilitation" I realised that that was exactly what I needed. I did not need osteo or physio or chiro and I was recommended (during a chiropractic assessment) to see a coach-mentor for rehabilitation and that person was Matt at APS Coaching. I had struggled with what I now know to be posture stress both in relation to my day-to-day work as well as sleep posture. I'd had chronic shoulder and neck strain for two to three years and within three months of seeing Matt that that had all but gone away. Matt provides not just a well planned set of exercises but also a well-tuned ear to listen to my mental and physical updates and changes. Matt offers pragmatic suggestions on when to stretch and exercise to fit with what I do day to day. This includes floor exercises whilst watching TV in the evening and pre-bed relaxation. Matt talks with great empathy, making a lot of sense by explaining things in a way that has you constantly nodding your head. His favourite phrase which is also now mine is "motion is lotion". I highly recommend Matt and his approach if you are seeking help and guided assistance with your aches and pains.

Fantastic experience: I’m so grateful to Matt for getting me back running after various problems with my knee / hip. I love that I’m now able to go out running with my son, which I never thought I would be able to do. Both me and my husband see him for personal training, and he now also works with our son who is hyper-mobile. He’s not just an excellent rehab personal trainer, but has incredible knowledge around mindset and performance training. I get so much more out of a session with Matt than just personal training. I learn something new every session.

Fantastic experience: Ross has given me a great introduction to all aspects of personal training, helping me overcome injury and setting a course for better strength. he is approachable and is able to explain complex things in simple terms, giving me easy-to-follow plans which have measurable outcomes. highly recommend.

Fantastic experience: I have been seeing Ross at APS for a few months now for Personal Training. My target was to alleviate the knee pain and inflammation I had been experiencing. We have a targeted programme to strengthen the supporting structures around my knees and it has really worked! I will not be running a marathon any time soon but I can function normally and run for the bus if I need to thanks to my regular programme. Big thumbs up and highly recommended.

Fantastic experience: I started training with Matt at APS in 2017 and over the years he has developed in-person and at home plans to help me with my goals - becoming stronger, climbing Kilimanjaro, playing netball, general movement to adapt to working from home life. Matt is friendly, extremely knowledgable and great at adapting sessions to meet short-term needs and mid/long-term goals.

Fantastic experience: Ross was excellent, good communication, listened to my needs and goals. Built a plan to get me to my destination. Video links to exercises, fast response to emails. Very knowledgeable and I learnt lots. Thank you.

Fantastic experience: When I first met Ross, my ankle mobility was very limited due to a rock climbing accident that resulted to surgery. The ankle rehab sessions with Ross helped me massively to build back my mobility, flexibility and confidence and now I'm getting back to my normal activities. I totally recommend Ross and aps Coaching; well experienced, always caring and dedicated to help you realise your potential.

Fantastic experience: I fractured my ankle in August and was keen to move normally and confidently as well as get back to climbing as soon as possible. Apart from the exercises which were super helpful and brought quick progress, what helped me most was getting frameworks, goals and background information from Ross which helped me not only judge my own progression a lot better but also stay more focused and motivated to stick with the rehab.

Fantastic experience: I’ve been really impressed by Ross’ holistic approach to training in the 6 months I’ve worked with him. I initially approached APS seeking help to train more efficiently for the outdoor sports I enjoy (mountain biking, climbing, paddling, hillwalking) and to address a niggling injury that had been “fixed” through physio, but left me reluctant to push too hard in strength training. Ross developed a tailored physical plan for me and also taught me ways of interpreting my pain signals so I could identify when I could safely do more and when I needed to back off. What I’ve found most valuable, however, is being introduced to a more nuanced way of training. Before APS, my attitude towards training sessions was very “all or nothing.” I felt my workouts had to be completed exactly as laid out in a pre-determined plan and I often skipped sessions when I didn’t have the time or energy to do this. Working with Ross, I’ve learned ways to adapt workouts on the fly, tailoring them to my energy levels and time available. As a result, I’ve become much more consistent in training and have made significantly more progress than I expected.

Fantastic experience: I have the pleasure of working with Ross, after chatting at Oakwood about my struggles to recover and perform while juggling multiple sports. Not only is Ross extremely well-informed about nutrition and recovery, but he also has a great ability to communicate his ideas and recommendations in a clear and easy-to-understand manner. He has shown me how to optimise my recovery and fuel my body in a way that maximises my performance. One of the things I appreciate most about Ross’ approach to nutrition is how to calculate food intake. It’s so straightforward to follow, and it has completely changed the way I think about food. Rather than just counting calories, Ross’ guide focuses on making healthy choices and realising why you are making that choice. Not only has Ross blown my mind with his knowledge on nutrition he's also opened my eyes to a more effective way to train for the sports I participate in. My workouts are now quicker are a lot more enjoyable to perform. Overall, I couldn’t be happier with my experience working with Ross at APS. His knowledge, insights, and simple approach to nutrition and recovery have helped me to take my sports performance to the next level, and I would highly recommend him to anyone looking to optimise their athletic performance.

Fantastic experience: Review for Xian I have worked with Xian for over a year now and can say I see the benefits every time I pull onto the wall. Her understanding of climbing movement is second to none and her ability to communicate this and make it relevant to you is why I see myself working with her for many years to come! Xian was able to help identify areas were I could improve my climbing, meaning I now feel like I have the tools to push myself and try harder, wether that be outside or in the gym Xian makes coaching specific to you and doesn’t just use a one fits all approach. Movement, project/trip tactics, mental game, she does it all! Review for Ross: I’ve known Ross personally and worked with him for several years now. His knowledge and expertise has helped me overcome and manage numerous injuries including golfers elbow and Rotator cuff related issues. We also worked together to come up with a training plan which helped me to better understand load, volume and how much. I now feel more confident on the wall and like I have the tools to better manage my body and climbing.

Fantastic experience: I had monthly coaching sessions with Matt to help me train and prepare mentally for a marathon and what I have learned is just invaluable. Personalised warm-ups and stretches, mental performance and mindset, nutrition, recovery tactics and strategizing how to get the most out my training alongside being a parent of two kids under 5. I completed the marathon! Am injury free and have so learned so much I can apply to other areas of my life. Highly recommend.

Fantastic experience: As others have commented, I really cannot recommend these guys highly enough. I got in contact with Ross after an extremely positive recommendation from a friend. I'd been in pain, in my back and legs, for nearly two months. It really was badly affecting my quality of life, and of those around me. I must admit I was sceptical, I'd been to physios before and not had the best results. I've worked with Ross for about six weeks now and I've been pain free for about three or four of those. The exercise programs he devises are simple, effective and tailored specifically for your needs (and pain levels). He also takes into account the equipment you have (or don't have) at home, so that you can be just as effective when exercising away from the gym. I think that maybe the biggest surprise for me, was the education I have received along the way. You come away knowing what you need to do and exactly why you need to do it. It's been a fascinating experience. I couldn't be happier with the results from my time spent with Ross.

Fantastic experience: Update Jan '23: I threw everything at these guys in 2022. Stuck at V2, stuck at 6a lead, terror of falling, terrible technique, persistent shoulder pain...but then in Dec I led my first clean proper 7a, I came 3rd at HarroWall Blockfest Masters competition, and today I climbed my nemesis, the roof at Parthian Reading. Blood, sweat and tears, but a lot of laughs, mental and physical resiliance building and it feels great. Can't thank them enough. If you are considering going, I would say just do it!

Fantastic experience: I worked with Ross for about 7 months with monthly sessions and then having a plan set to follow over that month. Initially I started due to wanting to get past a long returning injury. Ross helped me get past this with both some movement/strength based ideas and by reframing how I viewed my "injury". Ross was able to support me to the point of climbing again without pain or concern. I decided to continue with the sessions as they were helping my performance but also challenging my outlook on sport. It was clear from the start that Ross is very knowledgeable about what he does and puts in the time to stay up to date and have a proven baseis for his input. Apart from all of Ross's evident knowledge he is also a lovely person to work with and I really is interested in the whole person not just the sports specific side. I couldn't recommend APS enough definitely give them a go!

Fantastic experience: I had 121 coaching with Ross - my shoulder had been playing up for years. After going to a few phisyos, I went to see Ross. Ross watched how I trained and with a few alinements I was cured and now get no more pain in that shoulder. Couldn’t recommend enough.

Fantastic experience: I cannot recommend aps Coaching highly enough! - Matt has been amazing at helping me with my recovery after 2 major surgeries on my knee - recovery and progress has improved significantly, even though I have such limited free time due to work/kids/life/etc - Matt has helped with multiple programs (so I can recover no matter what time/location/equipment I have available) and I am so happy to be free of pain and getting back to all the things that are important to me - like family activities on weekends and playing football with my son.

Fantastic experience: I came to APS Coaching when I needed to get in shape to reach my goals as a police officer. I was training without guidance and ended up with terrible shin splints. One session from Matt at APS Coaching and I was already feeling more confident and in less pain while training. Not only did Matt create a custom plan to improve my training and help me reach my fitness goals for work; he also created a plan for rest and recovery which meant I wasn’t over working myself. Training became fun and not a chore and my confidence soared when I began to see the fitness results I was looking for! I cannot praise Matt and APS Coaching enough. He was attentive and regularly checked in with me not only to see how training was going but also to check in on my mental health to ensure I wasn’t being too hard on myself. Recovery and mental fitness was a big part of the training Matt provided and I know, without a doubt, I would not be where I am without Matt’s help. Thank you so much Matt!

Fantastic experience: I have been doing climbing coaching with Xian in aps Coaching for 6 months now and seen big improvements in my climbing skills and ability. She is a great coach with a talent to break things down into consumable chunks for me to understand. She listens carefully to my questions and explain things in a way that will make sense to me. I always feel comfortable to discuss any climbing topic and she always shows a genuine care about sharing information. Over the last 6 months I have seen great improvements in my footwork, movement on the wall and the way of thinking about climbing which definitely brings me closer to my goals!

Fantastic experience: Ross at APS Coaching singlehandedly changed my life. I had previously seen so many different specialists both privately and on the NHS. His understanding of not only our bodies systems but also our mindset made a huge difference in getting me back to me again. He is honest, practical and says it how it is. I can not praise this guy enough. Thank you so much APS!

Fantastic experience: Been training with Matt for the best part of 10 years, and what a fantastic trainer he is. All my plans are perfectly aligned to help me reach whatever goals I have at the time. They also factor in other life commitments so I can easily balance training with all aspects of my life. Also, great to benefit from all his knowledge when dealing with any type of injuries. Matt is more than conventional personal trainer, he is a physio, trainer, nutritionist, and mental well-being coach. Anyone looking for a trusted, knowledgeable and safe place to train, APS Coaching will not let you down. I couldn’t recommend him or his company more.

Fantastic experience: Matt helped me regain mobility after my knee injury, specifically in my ankles and hips but the rest of the body as well. Good facilities with 121 coaching, definitely recommend!

Fantastic experience: Ross has helped me recover from three separate injuries and each time I’ve been able to progress both physically and psychologically, to come back with renewed confidence. I can’t praise his knowledge and coaching style highly enough and would recommend APS to anyone looking to progress or return to sport following an injury.

Fantastic experience: Ross has totally changed the way that I think about pain - there was so much more to learn than I expected, and mindset was a big (and effective) part. If you’re struggling to see results with more conventional medical approaches to relieving chronic pain, definitely look APS up.

Fantastic experience: Can’t recommend aps more highly. They are much more than a coaching company. Their expertise is second to none, offering bespoke, research driven practices to meet their clients needs. I have tried many trainers over the years and the approach taken by aps is so refreshing. Client centred, sustainable and educational. Their contagious enthusiasm for life and health is a wonderful thing! Much much more than a newly qualified PT in a leisure centre/health club. No comparison and so happy to have found them.

Fantastic experience: Ross is a very friendly, capable, and knowledgeable personal trainer. He has helped me become fitter, more flexible, and to overcome several sports, and work life injuries with his friendly, and personalised coaching style. He takes the time to analyse, and diagnose what I want to achieve, and then to discuss, and help me set realistic, and achievable goals. He encourages me to think about how I move, and do things, always offering constructive advice. Especially when a particular exercise is currently too hard to achieve he comes up with an alternative way to allow me to make progress towards that particular goal. Ross's professional and friendly demeanor helps keep me motivated and improving my performance level. Highly recommended.

Fantastic experience: Having worked with Ross I can vouch for the quality of service and the depth of knowledge within the APS team. This has only improved since they moved facilities and have grown their coaching staff. Highly recommended.

Fantastic experience: I had been in and out of NHS and private physio for about 3 years to manage a spine injury before I started with Ross at aps. Ross really took my rehab in a different direction than I had experienced before, whilst also focusing on my mental approach to pain. The progress I've made here has been massive compared to my past and has also had benefits in my climbing, helping me get back my confidence to tackle old pre-injury projects.

Fantastic experience: I'd picked up a shoulder injury that just wouldn't go away and was preventing my aim to get strong and improve my climbing. A personal recommendation led me to Ross whose holistic approach has shown me that I can progress my strength and climbing goals at the same time as sorting my shoulder problem. It's a complete change of mindset that continues to evolve through the personalised program. Many thanks Ross.

Fantastic experience: Matt came along to show my running group some warm up and warm down exercises and to explain the importance of doing these. Matt was extremely helpful and friendly and was able to answer questions raised by the group. We continue to do these exercises each week and I am sure that this has made all the difference to our running. I would recommend Matt and the company.

Fantastic experience: Matt delivered a great training session for the Running Sisters on how to warm up, cool down and stay safe, the session was fun and engaging with just the right amount of theory and practice. Matt is very personable, great fun to work with and I'd definitely recommend him.

Fantastic experience: Aps coaching helped me gain confidence in the gym and finding the right foods to eat. The atmosphere was amazing every time i went in there to have a pt session and all of the staff were friendly and helpful.

Fantastic experience: I've had the privilege of working with Xian via remote coaching since winter last year and I'm super pleased with our progress. Xian has a way of breaking down climbing movement into digestible chunks which, in effect, makes climbing less daunting and presents surprising results when it's all put together. Xian really cares about your climbing progress and her attitude toward the sport is enough to inspire you to work just as hard to achieve your goals. Thanks again for all your help Xian! :)

Fantastic experience: Nice gym and great people. I worked with Ross for around 6 months. Really liked his holistic and flexible approach to training. Would recommend.

Fantastic experience: Matt at APS is a fantastic coach. His knowledge of all aspects of training and dedication to me as a client is second to none. I thoroughly recommend Matt and all of the APS staff.

Fantastic experience: I’ve been working with Ross for over 10 years now and at 52, I’ve never been stronger or fitter. My goals constantly change, from getting fit for a sprint triathlon, to looking good in my wedding dress, to sorting out a pain in my shoulder, or just working through the stress of a busy daily work schedule. Ross always guides me through with a smile.

Fantastic experience: I went to see Xian to help me become a better climber, focusing on correcting gaps in my climbing technique and movement repertoire. Very quickly, I started seeing Ross to help with strength and conditioning. Their unique individual and combined approach has been revelatory. While I could possibly (but doubtfully) progress on my own over time, the coaching has compressed and accelerated my learning process. As coaches, Xian and Ross design the programme to fit my personal goals and based on 1:1 detailed assessments. They then further adjust it based on what they observe in each session. Essentially, they take the whole body approach while honing in specific strengthening needs. I’m now climbing boulder problems with higher efficiency and with fewer attempts; identifying crux sequences more quickly; and moving with greater ease. Overall, improvements have been tangible. I can’t wait to build on what I’ve learned so far in the coming months, continuing this fruitful partnership for a long while.

Fantastic experience: Highly informative, organized, extremely friendly and personable (which translates through her presence on youtube which was nice). I'm much shorter than average, and she has a system that helped to assess and identify issues, as well as provide an appropriate training plan. I feel like I walked away with information that I can utilize to become a better climber.

Fantastic experience: When things seemed really bleak with the medical profession in terms of making progress after my accident, Matt always had new perspectives and tools that have consistently led to improvement that have made my life so much better, enjoyable and opened up ability to do things that make everyday living less painful and with more possibilities. And he has taught me so much that I can use to support myself through setbacks and challenges when they crop up.

Fantastic experience: Great way to improve your fitness and well being with excellent personal trainer. I can only recommend it.

Fantastic experience: I have used the services of Matt at aps Coaching for a few years now, and it would be hard to find anyone more knowledgeable or dedicated to his clients than him. I have used him for rehabilitation and mobility, especially as arthritis is a problem in my joints. I have never been the most flexible human on the planet, but I would not have made the progress I have without his guidance and inspiration. Highly recommended for any rehab process, plus increasing your mobility - whether you have an issue at present, or just want to prevent one in the future.

Fantastic experience: Xian is both a great climber and great coach. I would strongly recommend Xian to anybody looking to improve their climbing. Whilst working with Xian I have also worked with Ross (also of APS Coaching) who has been brilliant at helping me become a stronger, healthier and pain free climber. But to keep it brief, I will focus this review on Xian and review Ross seperately. I have climbed for 7 years (trad, sport and boulder) and now focus on bouldering. When I met Xian early last year I was lucky to climb V6 and was struggling to improve. I now frequently climb V6 and have climbed V8. Xian has had a profound effect on all areas of my climbing including: movement, tactics, training, fear management and problem solving. Xian has a great understanding of climbing movement and is able to clearly communicate and demonstrate this. Xian will not only point out beta that you may have missed, she will analyse your fundamental movement patterns and work with you to improve it. In my first session Xian observed my climbing on a variety of route types. She then gave me feedback on what she liked about my climbing and areas she thought I could improve. In my case the major aspect to improve was not any of the obvious issues we typically look to improve (footwork, finger strength, route reading etc). It was a movement pattern that I did not realise was holding me back and one I would have never considered looking to improve. Xian was able to remedy this flaw by first teaching me the fundamentals of climbing movement and then guiding me to apply the principles in a variety of situations. With this new understanding of the particular movement pattern I went from struggling my way through particular boulder problems to being able to lap them in a single session. In subsequent coaching sessions Xian has continued to help me build upon my weaknesses and further exploit my strengths. She has also guided me to help me become a more intelligent climber; one who is able to learn by themselves. Xian has been invaluable in my climbing progression. Xian is a friendly and outgoing person who makes her sessions both beneficial to ability and enjoyable. She is a great climber (she often flashes my projects!) and a great coach who I would recommend to climbers of all abilities. In addition, Xian is always looking to improve her coaching. An example of this is with her collaboration with Ross and Matt at APS Coaching. Ross and Matt bring invaluable experience with pain and injury rehab, strength and conditioning, nutrition and sports coaching. Their skills and expertise are a great match up and I am excited to see what the future holds.

Fantastic experience: We had a 2:1 session of climbing coaching with Xian and would really recommend! She was super attentive and helpful, tailoring the coaching to each of us individually. You can tell she really cares about helping you to improve. We both really enjoyed the session and took away some pointers that we were able to implement when we were back in the climbing gym. Looking forward to another session!

Fantastic experience: Xian is definitely a great and experienced instructor who has abundant knowledge of climbing and can explain everything in an easy way. She is very supportive and encouraging. I really like how she is very focused on movement, and drills down into clear detail to help me improve my climbing; I am very amazed at her ability to pick apart the issues in movement and pick apart cause from symptom, which helped me massively in improving my technique. Across the sessions, we worked on footwork, body position and pacing and I have made clear gains from the lessons with Xian and am able to do the moves that I failed to do in the past. Although the climbing studio may seem small, the setup is extremely versatile and with Xian's coaching experiences, she can always think of routes to work on my weaknesses. Highly recommend Xian and hope I can have more sessions with her in the future!

Fantastic experience: Strongly recommend aps. Matt's coaching is all about personalised programmes: his expertise - coaching style has been invaluable for me and other members of the family.

Fantastic experience: Matt was great when I worked with him on a fitness and weight loss programme over a number of months - he pushed my gently to achieve my goals which I am sure would not have been possible without his support.

Fantastic experience: I have got the opportunity to work with Xian for over one and a half years and I'm still enjoying every session. I value her comprehensive understanding and knowledge about the various aspects of climbing and also her ablity to communicate it in an easy to understand manner. That being said it isn't really suprising that my climbing improved massively over the last year. Before I started working with her I was stumbeling through the routes and now I actually feel like I know what I'm doing and can also visualize what I want to do. It is a pleasure to have such an amazing coach and I hope there will still be many months of training with her.

Fantastic experience: Ross + Xian have helped me make massive strides with my climbing - they've helped me stay motivated to train through the lockdowns, while also teaching me how to *think* about training, how to improve my diet, and how to get back to the walls stronger than when I left!

Negative experience: Não gostei do atendimento