When it comes to elite sport we walk the walk

As elite athletes, coaches and performance directors you’ll be living and breathing your sport every day. You’ll be planning training routines that are anything but routine and motivating your athletes or team to bring their A-Game.

We know the drill, we’ve been there, done that. We know what demanding professionals need in their gym spaces to arrive ready, keep focused and push through the wall so they leave a legacy on the field. Three members of our senior leadership team have performed beyond the apex in their own sporting careers. They draw upon their experiences when designing amazing strength and conditioning facilities for every one of our clients.

Ali, TEAM AP’s sales and marketing manager, was a talented kayaker from his teens. He competed in several disciplines from u14s to seniors and was National Champion on more than one occasion. He reached the elite level of his sport by representing Great Britain at four World Championships as well as 3 European Championships and 20 world cup events. We asked Ali about his experiences:

For me, the hardest part of competing at a high level was balancing access to quality land and water-based training venues alongside the other commitments I had in my life. The kayaking year, like many other sports, is seasonal with a bias to land-based training and longer water-based sessions throughout the winter and shorter faster water-based sessions throughout the summer months. Everyone thinks that kayaking requires massive arm strength, the reality is that it’s a more dynamic whole-body movement which is focused on a strong core, lats and hip rotation derived from leg drive. My favourite exercises included weighted rotations, chins and prone rows (bench pulls). The facilities that are available to modern-day athletes put those used by me in the late 90’s and early 2000’s to shame but the purpose of them and the performance requirements remain the same.

Years of working out, and working in performance gyms, give me an athlete’s insight into how the flow and feel of a gym best suits the users. Combining this with my background as a PT and British Weight Lifting Association instructor gives me a strong understanding of requirements and expectations from both sides of the fence.

My pick from the Absolute Performance product range is the Legend Prone Row Bench, sturdy doesn’t come close with this bit of kit… it’s a monster, awesomely made in Tennessee, USA, with a top-class finish to both the paint and upholstery.

As managing director, Harry is a business leader, and his experiences on the rugby field fuel his drive to succeed. Harry played for Weston Rugby Club from an early age and still does today. Combining a rugby career at National League level and incorporating a rigorous training regime with life off the pitch has its challenges. Determination to keep focus and aim higher is vital and it paid off for Harry when he represented Hungary at u20 and u21 international level, scoring a try against Sweden in the process.

We asked Harry his opinion on what the most versatile product from the Absolute Performance range would be, particularly for Rugby training:

For me it would be a barbell. The number of exercises you can perform with a quality Olympic standard barbell is huge. It is ideal for squats and deadlifts both of which are hugely important for front-row rugby players to build a strong back and legs. My favourite exercise is the chest press, another exercise which the bar is perfect for.

Check out the Absolute Performance range or Werksan, International Weightlifting Federation certified bars which are available in 6ft 15kg and 7ft 20kg sizes. Or the high-performance elite range of Apex Olympic Bars.

Tony has been a rugby fanatic since his early years, his talent was spotted at youth level when he was selected to represent England at u18. Having a flavour of what it takes to play at international level, and with National League teams, drove Tony to embark on a career in creating gym facilities and later to set up Absolute Performance.

When asked about his favourite elite sport project his answer was no surprise!

It was always my dream to play rugby for England which I managed at schools level. The next best thing to running out at Twickenham was being selected to create a gym facility for England RFU in 2014. It’s the ultimate accolade for Absolute Performance to be supplying elite teams with equipment and being able to work with the best in the professional game.

The England facility was fitted with high-performance flooring, custom Werksan racks and plates, custom dumbbells, weight storage and Plyo boxes.

Check out the project case study for England Rugby here.

So now you know we talk your language get in touch to discuss your next gym space development project. Call us on +44 (0) 2920 362 664 or email us at info@aperformance.co.uk.