Testimonials

Our team help people like you perform to the best of your ability and we know that we’ll only achieve that if what we do is interesting, varied and fun.

Here’s some case studies from some of our young athletes & personal training clients to give you some more information about what we do.

Charlie Chapman – 12 years old – Rugby Player & Gloucester County No.1 Tennis Player

Our first involvement with the team (now known as The Athlete Academy) goes back to 2007 when Charlie our son started playing tennis. As one of his coaches I knew that as a smaller than average player he needed to move well and develop his strength to compete and minimise the risk of injury. It was during this period that Charlie began to work with Ed Archer and James Baker in small group sessions.

He works at the Academy in both group sessions and on a 1-2-1 basis. The instruction is second to none – from the first time plastic training bars were used to the current performance of Olympic lifts such as power cleans and squats – correct technique and safety are paramount.

Charlie has progressed into a fine athlete – he has played a significant role in a County Cup winning rugby side, made the National Tennis Finals a year early and is the current Gloucestershire County Doubles Champion, County Number 1, and is ranked 31 in the country.

The success to date is through a tremendous amount of hard work on Charlie’s part and specific coaching from rugby and tennis specialists, but at the core of his athletic progress is The Athlete Academy and Ed Archer and James Baker.

Lee & Mina Chapman

Graham Brookhouse – Olympic Bronze Medallist

I have found that the conditioning program that Ed has given me has been invaluable in preparing my body for the demands of training for Ironman. I feel I am in a unique position of experiencing at first hand the benefits of this type of help as a current head coach of Gloucester swimming club, a former Olympic Modern Pentathlon athlete and current athlete in triathlon. My only regret is that I was not exposed to this type of knowledge and training when I was competing internationally in my younger years.

Graham Brookhouse
Olympic Bronze Medallist Modern Penthalon
& Head Coach of Gloucester City Swimming Club

Crypt School – Sports Academy

Hi Ed/James,

I cannot speak highly enough about the impact and experience you have given the students within the Academy. The level of expertise and technical knowledge is second to none and the boys have benefited greatly from the 8 week programme carried out. Speaking with the boys they now appreciate the importance of technique when training and I know a number of them have immediately altered their own training in light of the Athlete Academy sessions. I personally feel the way you interacted with the group also helped the boys feel at ease and developed a strong relationship. I will be making every effort to arrange additional funding so that we can progress the sessions on even further next year.

Ash Bawden

PE Dept & Lead Teacher of G&T

The Crypt Grammar School
Gloucester

Andrew Hazell – Glouceter Rugby

Thirty-two-year-old Andrew Hazell, the longest serving player in the current Gloucester RFC squad, benefited from Ed Archer’s experience as strength and conditioning specialist, when he was a teenager with a dream to become a professional rugby player.

Andrew, who has won seven England caps to date, improved his strength, speed and agility under the watchful eye of Ed at Kingsholm, and is pleased to see Ed coaching young people in the county.

“There are so many boys chasing the dream to become a professional rugby player and I was desperate to be among the select few who actually make it,” said Andrew, who was born and bred in Gloucester.

“I was self-driven but through regular one-to-one sessions with Ed I began to see my overall physical capabilities improve.

“Ed was hugely motivational and, at the same time, very honest and frank about the improvements I needed to make in order to secure a lucrative, professional contract. I do not think I would have made it without his help, support and guidance,” he added.

St. Peter’s R.C. High School & Sixth Form Centre – Sports Academy

The Athlete Academy has been a fantastic source of up to date information which is invaluable in an ever changing arena. The Athlete Academy conditioners deliver high level sessions which will educate and guarantee improvements in performance, empowering the athlete to train much better independently. I would encourage anyone considering the Athlete Academy to try them out, as from personal experience I can say their ideas definately produce excellent results.

Giles Potter
Sports Academy Director
St. Peter’s R.C. High School & Sixth Form Centre
Gloucester

Ben Tegg

Thirteen-year-old Ben Tegg is a sporting all-rounder who excels at almost every sport to which he turns his hand. Having trained with Ed for just over a year he is about to move to a new school where he hopes to continue to develop his footballing and cricketing skills.

Mum Julia explains the difference that training with the Athlete Academy has made to her son.

“We enlisted Ed’s help to support Ben in developing his speed and power and we have really seen a difference in Ben’s performance. His granddad came to watch him play cricket recently and couldn’t believe how different he was running between the wickets.

“Ed has been superb with Ben, treating him like an adult and help to instil an unprecedented sense of self belief in him. He’s the kind of strength and conditioning coach that doesn’t stand on the sidelines shouting orders but he gets involved, running alongside Ben and motivating him every step of the way.

“Through resistance training, speed and ability exercises and the bleep test, Ed has helped to develop the speed and power in Ben’s legs whilst building upon his core strength. He has taken a real interest in Ben’s sporting activities outside the Athlete Academy, enquiring about what he was doing and remembering to ask how his team did in key fixtures.

“Ed has been really flexible and accommodating with us, understanding the various demands on Ben’s time with training for Swindon Town FC and Gloucestershire County Cricket. He’s been a very positive role model and coach for Ben and the whole family has seen what a difference he has made to our son.”

Becky Swanwick

Over the last few years, I’ve had a long time out from keeping fit due to chronic neck and back injuries…
James was great and took a keen interest in every aspect, liaising with my chiropractor about my injuries, advising me on nutrition, and designing suitable exercise programs to first improve my flexibility and then work on a combination of core strengthening, CV and resistance work. We trained twice a week where possible, or just once if that’s all I could fit in that week. In around ten months or so, my injuries improved massively, I became much fitter, stronger and more flexible, I lost over a stone in weight and toned up a lot. Perhaps most importantly, James instilled in me the importance of good technique when exercising, as well as sensible exercise and nutrition habits, all of which I’m still benefitting from now.