Why follow a programme that wasn't built for you?

I've always used team sports to keep fit and used the gym sporadically with mixed results. As family and work commitments had started to take priority I was feeling sluggish and niggling injuries were taking their toll when wanting to play sports with my children. I knew I needed to change something to keep up with my active family!

Having Mark coach me has given me direction and made me accountable for my actions. It's given me purpose and a drive to improve. The small details matter; Mark is always extremely supportive and makes the programs unique to fit in with my weekly commitments while always pushing you to maximise your potential.

Having a structured plan is vital to hitting goals. The fitness app along with the demo videos gives me confidence in every set so I'm maximising my time in the gym.

I'm lifting more and hitting more reps. However it's not just about that. I feel more confident in the gym environment and my understanding of how I need to train has massively improved. Marks guidance and education has transformed how I approach fitness and my technique has completely changed. This should result in better results and less injuries.

Mark has a unique skill in making you want to work hard for yourself without realising it. With his background in professional sport his knowledge is incredible in all aspects of fitness, S & C and nutrition. He is supportive, understanding, attentive and always available to answer any questions. No matter what stage of fitness you are at he will make you into a better person.

A lot of my work with Robbo was around becoming more explosive and powerful in the areas that actually mattered to me as a prop.

We worked on speed and acceleration, but always with an understanding of how that transferred into rugby getting into contact, scrum shape, mauling, tackle work and being able to produce force quickly from positions that aren't always perfect.

There was also a big focus on mobility, prehab and rehab. As a prop you're constantly carrying knocks and dealing with stiffness or fatigue somewhere, so it wasn't just about getting stronger or lifting more weight. It was about keeping my body moving well, staying robust and making sure I could keep performing through a long season.

For me, it was the variety and the thought behind the work.

Robbo wasn't afraid to make you work hard there were definitely some horrible sessions! but it was never hard work just for the sake of saying we'd trained hard.

There were always different variations, movements and challenges that kept you interested and made you think about what you were doing. As a player, that makes a massive difference. When you've been training professionally for years, it's easy for the gym to become repetitive. With Robbo I was constantly being challenged in slightly different ways, and you could actually feel how those things were improving you.

I think that's an important part of coaching experienced professional players. You can't just hand everyone the same programme and expect them to buy into it. Robbo understood me as an athlete, what motivated me and what I actually needed from the work.

This is probably the area I appreciated most, especially as I got further into my career.

Robbo knew when to push me. If I was in a good place and there was an opportunity to really attack a session, we'd go for it big efforts, max sets, reps, whatever was needed.

But he was equally good at recognising when that wasn't what I needed.

Professional rugby takes a lot out of you that isn't always obvious from looking at numbers on a programme. There's the physical fatigue, but there's also the mental and emotional side of playing, selection, travel, pressure, injuries and just getting yourself through a long season.

Robbo understood all of that.

He could read where I was at and adapt the work without making you feel like you'd somehow failed because you weren't smashing yourself in the gym that day. Sometimes the best session was pushing hard; other times it was getting enough quality work in, recovering and being ready to perform at the weekend.

I had some of my best games during long, demanding seasons while working with Robbo. Looking back, I think a big part of that was getting that balance right. I wasn't training just to be good in the gym I was training to be at my best when I went onto the pitch.

Robbo obviously has a huge amount of knowledge around strength, power, speed, movement, recovery and performance, but plenty of people can learn the science or write a good-looking programme.

What I think separates the really good coaches is knowing how and when to apply that knowledge to the person standing in front of them.

That's where Robbo's experience shows.

He understands that two professional athletes can have completely different needs, even if they play the same sport or position. He takes the time to understand the athlete, what their body needs, where they are in their season or career and what is actually going to make a difference to their performance.

There's a trust that comes with that as a player. You know you're going to be challenged and held to a high standard, but you also know he's looking at the bigger picture and has your performance and longevity in mind.

That's why I'd have no hesitation recommending Robbo to other professional athletes. Whether you're trying to become quicker, stronger and more explosive, get more out of your body, stay available through a season or find those extra percentages when you're already performing at a high level, he has the knowledge and experience to help.

More importantly, he understands that coaching isn't just about sets, reps and numbers on a page. It's about understanding the person, earning their trust and knowing what they need at the right time.

That's what I valued most from working with him.

When we started, I wanted to feel physically capable again. I've always been naturally strong and have trained for most of my life, but ongoing problems with my knee had created a frustrating cycle: I'd build some momentum, the knee would flare up, and I'd either have to stop or lose confidence in what I could safely do.

My ambition was to return to rugby. I wanted to get stronger, improve my body composition and build the fitness and robustness needed to play again. The challenge was finding a way to pursue that goal without constantly being derailed by my knee.

The biggest difference has been how genuinely individual and responsive the coaching has been. This hasn't felt like being handed a generic programme and being expected to follow it regardless of how my body is responding.

Mark has been incredibly willing and able to adapt the plan—sometimes on an almost daily basis—depending on what was happening with my knee. If a movement wasn't right, he would find another way to achieve the intended outcome rather than simply removing the work altogether. That meant I could keep progressing even when the knee wasn't completely predictable.

There has also been a real purpose behind everything. Mark has helped me understand what we're trying to develop and how each exercise contributes to the bigger picture. I've felt coached throughout the process, not just programmed.

My strength has improved significantly, but the biggest change has been my confidence in my body. I'm moving better, tolerating more training and doing things with my knee that I had become reluctant to attempt.

The difference between my two sides has reduced, my range and control have improved, and I'm much better at understanding what my knee can handle. I no longer treat every uncomfortable sensation as a sign that I need to stop.

Just as importantly, I've been able to train consistently and return to playing rugby. For someone with that goal and a knee that could change from one day to the next, that has been a huge win.

I would recommend Mark without hesitation, particularly to someone who has a clear goal but also has injuries, limitations or a slightly complicated training history.

He brings an elite level of knowledge and experience, but delivers it in a way that feels practical, personal and completely relevant to you. He listens, pays attention to how you're responding and isn't precious about changing the plan when something needs to change.

You'll work hard and you'll be challenged, but you'll also feel that there is real thought behind every decision. Mark meets you where you are while continuing to move you towards where you want to be. That ability to balance ambition with intelligent adaptation has been the most valuable part of the experience for me.

Robbo was outstanding for me personally, troubles with a lot of injuries Robbo really helped me and gave me a lot of time and effort especially in his last year with the club, with a high level of individualisation with me and many others which is very challenging when managing 50 odd players.

A lot of individual specific gym work and monitoring to control what I was doing on the field to reduce risk of injury. Robbo was outstanding for me. He also stood up for me at times if I was doing too much.

A major strength of Robbo's is understanding how players feel based on his playing experience and listening to them and combining that with knowledge makes a very good s&c coach.

Robbo's energy and chat in a team environment was fantastic and very important especially deep in the season keeping the group going.

When I first started with Mark, I was struggling for routine and didn't really have a clear goal when it came to going to the gym. I was ultimately a little lost and therefore losing motivation.

Marks attention to detail is second to none and this is what really sets him apart. He takes time to understand the individual/athlete behind the programme and tailors the entire experience to them. His knowledge and experience continually blew me away and as much as it was a programme that had huge physical benefits, there was also massive educational benefits as well.

Literally everything has improved. I had knee surgery and following that I couldn't sit on my heel, after working with Mark I can do that again. My functional movement and strength has increased immensely and given me a new lease of life, performing exercises in the gym that id never done before or just avoid because they didn't feel comfortable are a thing of the past.

If you're considering working with Mark, DO IT. You won't regret it. I cannot thank him enough for the journey he has taken me on and he has been there every step of the way with me.