aps Coaching

aps Coaching Personal Training to help you feel strong, capable and confident to do all the things you love! There are no opening hours, as we are there by appointment only!

“I’m worried my back will go at any moment”. 😯“My shoulder feels fine… until suddenly it isn’t”. 🤦“I don’t think my knee...
15/06/2026

“I’m worried my back will go at any moment”. 😯

“My shoulder feels fine… until suddenly it isn’t”. 🤦

“I don’t think my knees will let me run anymore” 👎

I hear these all the time.

It’s a specific kind of feeling. A mix of confusion, defeat and genuine fear.

Constantly on edge.

Always weighing up the "risk" of the most basic things.

👩‍👦 Picking up your child.
🏋️ A fitness class with friends.
👟 Even just leaning over to tie your laces.

And I’ve been there too.

I’ve stood in front of clients not knowing if my body will actually allow me to demonstrate any exercises. I’ve skipped jiu-jitsu because I feared a flare-up.

Worst of all? I’ve felt that instant flash of regret when playing with my son is cut short by Achilles pain I thought I was finally done with. 😭

It can be an absolute nightmare.

Second-guessing your ability to physically cope with life is exhausting.

So, you start avoiding things. No more cycling on the weekends. No more piggy back rides for the kids.

Relationships get strained—because how many times can you say "no" before they stop asking?

And life can get pretty stressful. Work, hobbies, family… everything gets scaled back because you’re terrified of making things worse.

It’s a crappy place to be.

So, what are we going to do about it?

Over the years, I’ve found that even the most "broken" bodies can find their way back. There are many ways to do it, but two key concepts come up time and time again.:

1️⃣ Find a start point. Not where you think you should be, but where your body actually is today. Through trial and error, and maybe some assessments, you need to find a place your body will allow you to start from.

2️⃣ Now aim for Gradual Progression - Slowly but surely increase the challenge. A bit more weight, a few more reps, an increase in speed or a change to the movement. Something to keep moving things forward

There will be hiccups. There always are.

But with tweaks and persistence, I’ve seen people regain a confidence they’d long thought was behind them.

What’s the one thing you’ve stopped doing because you just don’t trust your body right now?

I injured myself. Emergency doughnuts were required 🍩I was bouldering a couple of weeks back.A pretty standard session f...
11/06/2026

I injured myself. Emergency doughnuts were required 🍩

I was bouldering a couple of weeks back.

A pretty standard session finishing off my warm up, I flicked to a crimp and heard it.

POP!

I immediately dropped off the wall.

Pain and my hand felt stuck somewhere between a high five and not wanting to make a fist.

Finger injury!
Probably partial A2 pulley tear and 12 weeks of rehab ahead.

Not ideal.
But also not my first rodeo 😅
(and, tbh, bit of a rite of passage if you climb hard for long enough)

I taped it and headed home, grabbing some emergency doughnuts on the way to soften the blow and help with the wallowing.

The first couple days are tough.

There's the injury bit...

It’s painful and stiff, movement is limited and suddenly loads of tasks you take-for-granted get difficult…

like squeezing the toothpaste tube or putting on shoes…
which were incredibly frustrating, or kind of funny depending on my mood.

But for me, early on, the harder bit is dealing with all the thoughts.

"F**k my life."

"Why now?"

"What did I do wrong?"

"How long is this going to take?"

I help people navigate pain and injuries for a living, yet my brain still went exactly where you'd expect.

And I actually think that's a good thing.

In the past I would have resisted those thoughts, pretending everything's fine or forcing positivity.

I find it way more helpful to let them flow, even share them with people you trust.

It gets me out of that dark space faster and away from ‘poor me’
to a more genuine, calmer headspace, where I’m more willing to accept where I am, own it and focus on what to do next.

Because honestly, the first part of rehab is usually pretty straightforward.

The finger hurts and the feedback is obvious so my body does a pretty good job of autoregulating.

All I’ve got to really do is just listen…
back off and protect, give it time to calm down, and gradually get some movement back.

Staying patient.. and trying not to do anything too much or too stupid in the meantime 😅

Usually the harder part comes later, when pain is less and things are starting to feel more normal again,

Stuff like:
Getting back to climbing without overdoing it.
Trusting the finger.
Or trusting yourself enough to properly go for it.

I'll keep you posted on how I get on.

When you've been injured, what's usually been harder for you?
The injury itself? Or everything that goes on between your ears?

"The penny has (finally) dropped 😂... shorter gym sessions are way easier to fit in... and way less exhausting."Got this...
09/06/2026

"The penny has (finally) dropped 😂... shorter gym sessions are way easier to fit in... and way less exhausting."

Got this text from a client last week that made me smile…

Olly works hard.
Has a young kid.
Loves climbing.

And for years had a grumpy back that tended to get worse whenever he tried adding more training

Deadlifts especially were always a bit of a minefield.

The thing that shifted for him is training doesn't have to be massive to be worthwhile,

"I only do one main lift (deadlift or squat), then a push or a pull and one supplement."
"and thinking about it in terms of working sets across the week rather than number of sessions."

Now he scales things up on the easier weeks.
Scales things back on the busier ones.
And keeps showing up regularly.

That's it.
Just training that actually fits and flexes around his real life.

And it's working really well!

He’s feeling strong, climbing well and being consistent.

Less feeling overwhelmed by it all.
No exhausting gym sessions
And not trying to force 4 workouts into a week that only has room for 1 or 2.

When you've got a few decades behind you, a career, a family, and a sport you love... trying to do more isn't always the answer.

Quite often more is the thing that gets people into trouble, burnt out or hurt.

It’s funny how often progress starts the moment the plan gets stripped back and easier to repeat.

✋Anyone else found themselves getting better results from doing a bit less?

Ever tried a training plan that looked great on paper, but a few weeks in you were already falling behind and struggling...
08/06/2026

Ever tried a training plan that looked great on paper, but a few weeks in you were already falling behind and struggling to keep up with it?

you know the story...

after searching around, you land on a good plan to help you play well, feel strong and look after your body

Good reviews, maybe it was recommended…

It looked like a lot, but you were excited and went in with good intentions - determined to try and stick with it!

But that much training for most sporty adults was never going to fit

Sport already takes up a couple of evenings or weekend slots.
Work is full on, life is busy and energy isn’t unlimited
And you're probably already squeezing training into gaps that don't fully exist.

On a 4+ x a week plan the cracks soon start to appear for most of us…

You miss some sessions
The weeks start to feel a bit fractured…
Feeling pretty knackered and struggling to find time for other stuff.

On top of that something starts niggling, a stiff back, a grumpy shoulder, a sore knee.

It all sets you up to start thinking you’re not disciplined enough… not motivated enough... wondering if somehow, you've messed it up.

But honestly, all of that is a load of bu****it most of the time.
You didn't mess up. The plan did.

In my experience most sporty adults don't need more training.
They need plans that actually fit and flex with real life.

The people I work with aren't 20, or trying to be pro athletes.

They’re climbers, tennis players, golfers and swimmers. They have jobs, families, and lots of life outside of sport.

The goal isn't squeezing more in—in fact just 2 good sessions a week is plenty to start stacking serious progress.

Drop a 🤚 if you’re keen to stop forcing a 4-day plan into a 2-day life.

05/06/2026

Why was I told to stop sport and exercise at the age of 21? 🤔

And what did I do about it? 🏋️

Join me for some after sprints story time. 📖

“Every time a treatment failed, I ended up in a darker place.” 😟When I first met Emma, the situation was tough.She’s a p...
04/06/2026

“Every time a treatment failed, I ended up in a darker place.” 😟

When I first met Emma, the situation was tough.

She’s a professional gardener—someone used to being active. But the pain had become so bad she couldn't even sit to watch TV or go for a walk, let alone work.

She was “confused by what was going on”. She had pain in her knee and sciatic pain in her back.

And SHE HAD TRIED A LOT OF THINGS to try and resolve it.

None of it had worked. Emma was stuck in a cycle of:
⌛ Short appointments where she felt rushed out the door.
⛔ Advice for her knee that actually made her back worse. Or vice-versa.
🙈 Being "pigeonholed" because of her age, rather than being seen as the fit, active person she is.
🧠 Not having anyone address the mental block being created by her pain.

We had a lot of work to do. And LET’S BE HONEST – it wasn’t a quick fix.

But we made a start.

We collaborated. As a team.

Emma’s feelings, feedback (her intuition proved invaluable!) and journey so far, paired with my experience, curiosity and willingness to soundboard so she could get past the mental blocks and build confidence in herself and her ability to recover.

We found her a start point and aimed to make gradual progress to where we wanted to be. 📈

It wasn’t a straight line.

There were hiccups. There were speed bumps. There were days where we took a step backward.

But we stayed curious. We experimented. We stayed resilient.
Emma never shied away from the hard work, and I couldn't be prouder of where she is today.

Back gardening. Back walking. And now…

Embarking on a new journey of performing in musicals! 💃

Because that’s what life should be. Being able to do the things you love and take on new fun adventures whenever your heart desires.

It can be done. 😊

It isn’t always easy. But with hard work and the right support, you can shake off the restrictions of pain and injury and get back to the life you were hoping to live.

Are you in a similar place to where Emma began?

If you want to chat about it, I’d love to hear from you. Please feel free to drop a comment below or just type “SUPPORT” and I’ll reach out to you.

"I've been rubbed, stretched, cracked and punctured, but I still don't feel like I'm making progress." 🙍“It improves for...
01/06/2026

"I've been rubbed, stretched, cracked and punctured, but I still don't feel like I'm making progress." 🙍

“It improves for a while but then flares up again. I’m just stuck in a loop”

There’s nothing more frustrating than putting effort into your rehab and still feeling like you’re back at square one.

Long-term pain is exhausting. 😩

Not just the physical side, but the mental toll of worry and frustration that occurs when your life feels taken away from you…

❌ Unable to play with the kids
❌ No weekend runs with friends
❌ Missed days of work

When people finally walk through our gym doors, it’s almost a given they’ve been round the houses trying to solve the pain that’s holding them back.

They’re confused, frustrated and tired of being told “what’s wrong” without making progress back to the life they want.

So why does this happen? 🤔

It’s rarely because the other treatments were "bad." We work alongside some incredible Physios, Chiros, Osteopaths and Massage Therapists, who do amazing work.

But sometimes, traditional rehab has a ceiling.

And it can often fall short when:

1️⃣ There’s more going on than just a site-specific problem - Sometimes back pain isn’t just about your back.

2️⃣ You’re low on confidence and exercising on your own feels scary, confusing or a waste of time.

3️⃣ You want to get back to an awesome active life – not just be pain free when you rest.

Rehab exercises can do a great job initially but can fall short of getting people strong and confident enough to get back to running around wild and free with the kids or playing a great game of tennis with friends.

This is where we like to position ourselves. As a bridge between initial rehab and living the life you want. We believe in the importance of:

🟢 A Comprehensive Approach: Focusing on recovery, nutrition, mindset and an overall approach to training, rather than site-specific exercises.

🟢 Time to Listen: Our 60-75 minute sessions allow us to listen to you, communicate with you and guide you through the exercises. Building your confidence to allow you to do things by yourself.

🟢 Combined knowledge: We bring together our understanding of pain and early stage rehab with that of strength and conditioning so we can map out and execute a plan to take you from the treatment table to the active, unrestricted life you want.

So how is your rehab going right now?

Are you making the progress you expected, or do you feel like you’re spinning your wheels?

I’d love to hear where you’re at. Or comment "help" and I'll reach out to you.

A gentle reminder if rehab feels a bit messy right now...Messy doesn't mean it isn't working.A good week.A setback.A ni*...
30/05/2026

A gentle reminder if rehab feels a bit messy right now...

Messy doesn't mean it isn't working.

A good week.
A setback.
A ni**le.

Things finally feeling easier.

Then a random flare up that makes you question everything.

Or a plateau where it feels like absolutely nothing is happening.

Then suddenly...
you realise you're doing things that felt difficult a month ago without really thinking about it.

Maybe that's:
👉 feeling stronger
👉 moving freely with less hesitation
👉 getting back to doing more of the things you enjoy
👉 or simply not thinking about that painful shoulder, knee or back

One frustrating thing about overcoming pain is

looking back, progress often seems obvious.

Living through it feels more chaotic 😅

It's rarely a straight line.

It's more like:

up...
sideways...
back a bit...
up again...
plateau...
small breakthrough...
repeat 😅

Stick with the plan, make small tweaks when needed, back off a touch when life gets busy and gradually build things back up again.

Sometimes the biggest mistake is assuming a few wobbles mean it's not working.

Often they're just part of the process. 🌱

Nice to have the pooch down the gym this week to motivate and inspire working out in this heat 😅
28/05/2026

Nice to have the pooch down the gym this week to motivate and inspire working out in this heat 😅

Ever feel like you’ve spent the last few years bouncing from one ni**le or injury to the next?First it was the knee.Now ...
27/05/2026

Ever feel like you’ve spent the last few years bouncing from one ni**le or injury to the next?

First it was the knee.
Now it’s the shoulder.
Maybe the back gets aggy so it doesn’t feel left out 😅

The frustrating bit is none of them are usually bad enough to stop you…

But they ARE enough to:
limit how you move,
chip away at confidence,
and slowly erode that trust in your body.

and instead of moving freely and properly enjoying your sport
you’re constantly managing something.

Or back on the treatment table again.
Stretching random bits hoping it helps.
Doing the band rehab exercises.

Things gradually improve and you start getting back into things…

Feeling cautious…

But also kind of seeing what you can get away with… when you climb, or play tennis or turn up to jits…

until the next flare up appears.

From working with all sorts of sporty grown ups over the years,
I get the sense loads of people end up stuck in this frustrating grey area of

“I can still do stuff…
…but something never quite feels right.”

And quietly put up with it, for far too long…

genuinely curious how many people relate to this.

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Unit 5, Mill Farm, Sonning Eye
Reading
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