Meet the Coaches
Strength & Conditioning and Personal Training
At Train Body Smart, we bridge the gap between Strength and Conditioning and Personal Training, allowing clients utilise the most effective research-backed training tools to improve athletic performance, quality of movement, overall health, and body composition.
Our job is to ensure these training methods can be utilised by everyone, from high-level athletes to complete beginners embarking on their fitness journey.
The Train Body Smart Coaches Collaboration
Life as Personal Trainers or Strength and Conditioning Coaches in the private sector can be professionally isolating, as the primary focus of coaches is to optimise their own business and their own client’s fitness goals. Across the industry there is little incentive for personal trainers to seek supervision or mentorship programs, while in most cases the efforts to collaborate and share resources are rare because of the competitive nature of the industry. We believe this is a problem, the sharing of quality information across coaches helps raise the quality of personal training sessions across the entire industry.
Train Body Smart has started a Coaches Collaboration with other reputable personal trainers to broaden the range of available services we can provide, while promoting a culture of continued learning and optimising the service that we provide to the highest level possible.
Meet the Coaches
Together our coaches collaborate to offer a broad range of specialisms related to strength and conditioning, personal training, and nutrition. Combined, the team have amassed close to 25,000 coaching hours. While each coach applies training differently to suit their clientele and specialisms, we all share core beliefs and philosophies about exercise science and training optimisation.
Coach Overview
Rupe is a former professional Ice Hockey player turned Personal Trainer, that has committed himself to sports science education since embarking on his coaching career in 2014. He holds an MSc in Strength and Conditioning and a BSc in Sports Science (Human Performance), completing both with Distinction and First Class Honours. He currently serves as Strength and Conditioning Coach for the Guildford Flames, Regional Strength and Conditioning Lead for the English Ice Hockey Association, and Healthy Living Instructor for the Halow Project’s Building Futures program. Now personal training for 8 years, he has amassed over 5000 coaching hours and is passionate about adapting strength and conditioning practices to suit all populations.
“I started Train Body Smart because I believe Strength and Conditioning practices should be accessible for all individuals, no matter training experience or limitations. It’s becoming evident within research that optimising training, nutrition and lifestyle can drastically improve longevity and quality of life. I want to help Train Body Smart clients take ownership of their own health and wellbeing through proper training, with the confidence they aren’t going to break when they take on a new challenge or activity.“
Qualifications
MSc Strength and Conditioning from the University of Chichester – Distinction
BSc Sports Science (Human Performance) from University Centre Farnborough – First Class Honours
Active IQ – Level 3 Certificate in Personal Training (QCF)
Active IQ – Level 3 Certificate in Exercise Referral
Active IQ – Level 2 Award in Adapting Fitness Instruction for Adolescents
Active IQ – Level 2 Certificate in Fitness Instructing (QCF) (Gym)
Rupe’s Full Story
Exercise science has been an integral part of Rupe’s background prior to coaching through his experience playing professional ice hockey from 2009 to 2016. He played in Canada for three years before returning to the UK to play in Cardiff, Telford, and Guildford. Having spent many hours in gym environment training for competitive sport, his interests led to Rupe completing his Level 3 certificate in Personal Training in 2014, primarily coaching part-time while playing Ice Hockey in Cardiff and Telford. Ice Hockey brought him to Guildford in 2015, but that’s when the opportunity presented to start Personal Training full-time, and since then building a career as a Personal Trainer in Guildford has been his primary focus.
After a year personal training full-time at Guildford Spectrum, Rupert went out on his own in 2016 and started Train Body Smart, allowing him greater freedom to study and train a broader range of clientele. It was during this time that Rupe sustained injuries that threatened his future in Ice Hockey, but as a result, learned a great deal around adapting training for those with injuries and chronic limitations. While training clients out of Activzone Gym and at their homes in Guildford and the surrounding areas, Rupe attended University Centre Farnborough from 2016 to 2019 and achieved a BSc first class honours in Sports Science (Human Performance). He then followed the BSc by undertaking an MSc in Strength and Conditioning at the University of Chichester, which he completed with a distinction in 2021.
Since starting Train Bodysmart in 2016, Rupe has now retired from Ice Hockey and is committed to helping others physically prepare for sport performances or an injury free lifestyle. He has had the pleasure of working with a wide range of clients, from 10-year old youth athletes trying to get ahead of the curve, high-level athletes and working professionals in their prime, to over-70 retirees that plan to be strong and fit for years to come. He also works closely with the English Ice Hockey Association serving as Regional Strength and Conditioning Lead for Southern England, helping educate youth ice hockey players, parents and coaches on optimal strength and conditioning.
In 2022, his career in Strength and Conditioning for Ice Hockey took a major leap when he was appointed as Strength and Conditioning Coach for the Guildford Flames of the Elite Ice Hockey League. This has enabled him to start his second company, Train Hockey Smart, which was set-up to help raise the standard of Ice Hockey in the UK through improving Strength and Conditioning education and resources.
Rupe is also a specialist trainer for the disability community, currently working with various special needs personal training clients that have been working towards improving physically in a way that keeps them injury free and more independent. Continued work within the special needs community has led to Rupe's partnering with the Halow Project, a Guildford based charity that supports young people with learning disabilities. Rupe serves as the Healthy Living Instructor for their Building Futures program and has done so since 2020. He hopes to continue to work within the disability community long-term, he grew up with two uncles that suffered from Ataxia and were heavily disabled as a result. Rupe feels compelled to continue helping those within the community as tribute to them.
Coach Overview
Connor has committed himself to learning as much as he can about human performance since he qualified as a personal trainer in 2017. In that time, he has amassed over 4000 hours of in-person coaching, as well as coaching clients and various strength sport athletes online. Connor has experience training a range of individuals including working professionals, youth strength and conditioning clients learning the foundations of training, and young people with learning disabilities. However, Connor’s specialism is training clients that aspire to compete in strength sports such as Strongman and Powerlifting. As a competitive strongman himself, he is officially a member of the 300kg deadlift club. He has a special talent for teaching people how to strength train properly, ranging from beginner lifters to those that aspire to compete.
“We are delighted to have Connor on board as a coach. His in depth understanding of strength training and the nuances within the various lifts provide a useful insight when applied to training the various populations that we provide services to. His combined knowledge of high level strength training and his enthusiasm to help people fits right in line with what we try to provide at Train Body Smart.”
Qualifications
Active IQ – Level 3 Certificate in Personal Training (QCF)
Active IQ – Level 3 Certificate in Exercise Referral
Active IQ – Level 2 Certificate in Fitness Instructing (QCF) (Gym)
Active IQ – Level 2 in Instructing Kettlebells
Strength System International (SSIC) – Level 3 Certification (Clean Health Institute)
Connor’s Full Story
Connor’s love for exercise emerged later in life than most. During his younger years Connor played guitar in a Heavy Metal band up until he was 21, spending his time doing what he loved until the right career path presented itself. After the band broke up, he was unsure what to do in life and went through a patch of time where he batted depression.
It was around this time Connor started to work for Disability Challengers, a charity dedicated to helping young people with disabilities. Connor worked here while also doing private care work for 4 years. While working at challengers, Connor found the gym and fell in love with getting fitter and healthier through exercise, with strength training emerging as his next passion.
After falling in love with the gym and the confidence it gave it him, Connor pursued a career as a Personal Trainer. After qualifying in 2017, he worked at Nuffield Health, Personal Training in Guildford until 2020. After amassing a vast amount of coaching hours and experience, he made the switch to becoming a freelance Personal Trainer to improve his work-life balance and start online coaching.
During his time as a personal trainer Connor has worked with a multitude of people, his eldest client being 78 and his youngest 12. Connor also works with a variety of athletes with different goals including golf, ballet, powerlifting and strongman. Connor has also worked with many people with a variety of disabilities, ranging from Parkinson’s, Autism and Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease.
Connor is very passionate about his own training. He has competed in Powerlifting in the past and currently trains for and competes in Strongman competitions. Connor is a proud member of the 300kg deadlift club, while hoping to continue to increase his personal records across many lifts as he still has a long time left of his prime lifting years.
Connor is very passionate about his work and getting results for his clients. He is a big believer in "practice what you preach" and would never ask a client to do something that he has not experienced himself. He understands the need to stay up to date with exercise science research and is continually trying to learn more, educate himself, and improve the service that he delivers to his clients.
Coach Overview
Katie has been Personal Training in Guildford for over 10 years, accumulating over 9000 coaching hours and is a former Ice Hockey player for the Bracknell Queen Bees and within the Great Britain Woman’s organisation. She has completed a BSc in Sports Science (Human Performance) and an MSc in Human Nutrition, making her a Registered Associate Nutritionist with the Association for Nutrition. Additionally, Katie completed various specialist qualifications such as training for pre and post-natal clients and a level 4 certificate in managing lower back pain and has also spent time in North America training professional athletes at world famous training facilities MBSC in Boston, Endeavour Sports Performance in New Jersey, and Adrenaline Performance Centre in Montreal.
“We are very fortunate to be able to collaborate with Katie. As an accredited nutritionist she can assist us with specific nutrition related services to help maximise client health and progress. We are lucky to have contributions from someone that is educated to such a high level while also possessing such a vast coaching experience.”
Qualifications
MSc Human Nutrition from St Mary’s University – Twickenham
ANutr – Associate Nutritionist with the AfN
BSc Sport Science (Human Performance) from University Centre Farnborough
Active IQ – Level 3 Certificate in Personal Training (QCF)
Active IQ – Level 3 Certificate in Exercise Referral
Active IQ – Level 3 Award Designing Pre/Post Natal Exercise
Active IQ – Level 4 Exercise for the Management of Lower Back Pain
Active IQ – Level 2 Award in Adapting Fitness Instruction for Adolescents
Active IQ – Level 3 Advanced Kettlebell Instructor
katie's Full Story
Katie initially found an interest in training while playing Ice Hockey in the top women’s league in England, leading to her completing her level 3 personal trainer certificate in 2011. After qualifying she started full time coaching by personal training in Guildford Spectrum’s gym, where she worked as an employee of the gym for 4 years. While at the spectrum she completed various specialist CPD courses including pre and post-natal training, GP referral, and level 4 training for lower-back pain management. After building up a strong staple of clientele, she remained at the Spectrum gym, but began functioning under her own business to allowing her greater control over how she could operate as a train and continue her education.
It was at this point Katie embarked on her BSc in Sports Science (Human Performance), finishing with a 2:1 in 2018. During her time studying, she made several trips to Canada and the US to intern at world leading training facilities Mike Boyle Strength and Conditioning, Endeavour Sports Performance and Adrenaline Performance Centre, where she helped train youth and professional athletes in various sports. After a brief break from education, Katie embarked on a MSc in Human Nutrition at St Mary’s University in Twickenham, which she recently completed with a merit standard. The MSc also qualifies her as a Registered Associate Nutritionist from the Association for Nutrition.
Due to Katie’s sporting exploits, she has always had to train at a high level within her own strength and conditioning towards Ice Hockey. Since retiring from the sport, she has also competed in various powerlifting competitions which has been a primary focus of her training in recent years. Within her 10-year experience personal training in Guildford, Katie has worked with general population clients, youth athletes, professional and amateur athletes, pre and post-natal women, and special populations including the elderly. She is passionate about using her vast knowledge and expertise in nutrition and strength and conditioning to help others improve their athleticism while optimising long term health.
Coach Overview
Initially starting her own weight training journey in the 1980’s, in 2015 Lottie turned her knowledge from thousands of hours in gyms towards a coaching career and started working as a Personal Trainer. Since then, she has amassed over 3600 coaching hours and is forever seeking new and is forever seeking improvements in her practices to maximise training effectiveness for her clientele. This is demonstrated through participation in CPD’s from world recognised educators including the Functional Movement Screen, and the NSCA through Gentilcore Training Systems, while also being a qualified specialist for lower back pain management, GP referral and adapting training for adolescents from UK based educators. Through her education and years of experience, Lottie primarily believes in helping clients build strength and mobility foundations, as these factors help improve a broad spectrum of goals including sport performance and athleticism, movement functionality, injury prevention, and general long term health.
“We are excited to be collaborating with Lottie as we believe she possesses a unique view towards exercise that is valuable for anyone that’s able to pick her brain about training. It’s uncommon to find a someone with her years of training experience have such a progressive mindset towards adapting new ideas, while showing a constant willingness to learn and absorb information from any scenario.”
Qualifications
Active IQ – Level 4 in Lower Back Pain Management
Active IQ – Level 3 Certificate in Personal Training
Active IQ – Level 3 Certificate in GP Exercise Referral
Active IQ – Level 2 Award in Fitness Instruction
Active IQ – Level 2 Award in Adapting Fitness Instruction for Adolescents
FMS – Level 1 in Functional Movement Screening
NSCA – Coaching Competency by Gentilcore Training Systems
Lottie's Full Story
Lottie has been passionate about weight training since the 1980’s, initially entering the world of gyms through the popularity boom of that time of aerobics and circuit training. Through her extensive hours in the gym environment, her curiosity with exercise techniques has led to her training for various goals over the years including developing fitness and performance, training for aesthetics, and most recently focussing on strength training for corrective exercise and longevity.
After taking a break from work to raise a family, Lottie turned her passion for exercise into a coaching career when she qualified as a personal trainer in 2015 and began work at the gym in Guildford Spectrum. Working at the Spectrum allowed her to coach a broad array of clientele including working professionals, retirees, members of the special needs community and individuals seeking training specific for weight management. During this time, she also completed specialist UK based CPD courses including Level 4 Award in Lower Back Pain Management, Level 3 Certificate in GP Referral, and Level 2 Award in Adapting Exercise for Adolescents. She also completed various world recognised high level CPD qualifications including the Functional Movement Screen – Level 1 Certification and the NSCA Coaching Competency certified by Gentilcore Training Systems.
After four years at the spectrum, having generated a resoundingly positive reputation as a coach among her clients and peers, in 2020 she decided to leave to embark on her own business called Good Foundations PT. Lottie now primarily works out of Activzone Gym while offering some home visit services for personal training in Guildford and surrounding areas. She currently trains a broad range of clientele with age ranges of 30-72, many of which train for general health with some that train for sports performance.
From her years of exercise experience, she has developed training beliefs that favour programs that help joints function with the movement capacities of which they were designed. For example, the hip is a ball and socket joint designed to be much more mobile compared to the knee which is a hinge joint. Improving strength while maximising joint mobility has tremendous benefits for functionality and injury prevention, which many people lack.