Charley Ratcliffe – Centre Manager
Simon Danes – Gym Manager
From an early age I’ve been involved in numerous sports and have always been conscious that I need a well-balanced training schedule to support these activities. I am passionate, enthusiastic, energetic & motivational. Whether your goals are weight loss, toning up, general fitness or aiming towards a specific goal like entering a sporting event. I have the passion to drive and support you to get the optimal results you want. My qualifications include Fitness Instructor L2 and I am also a certified professional tennis coach. My specialities include weight training (for size and strength) core strengthening and general fitness and wellbeing.
Review of Simon Danes, from Nathan Blair (aged 21), 3rd Year Student (Plymouth University)
I have been training with Simon for the past six months. When we first met Simon went about designing a programme that would suite my own unique body type and exercise preference. Simon based this programme on a number of questions about what I wanted to achieve through our sessions so that we could begin working towards my fitness goals. For me this was a lean and muscular physique, with a focus on weight training.
Simon’s style of training allowed me to feel comfortable in my progression at each stage of the way. Over the past six months Simon has taken through full body conditioning, to avoid injury in the early stages of training, to focusing in individual muscle groups for size and definition. Due to the nature of this form of exercise my training routine has changed to adapt with my progress. Simon’s six-day routine has always allowed each muscle group sufficient time for recovery and repair.
Simon has pushed me to achieve my goals. This is very important when training with weights for increasing strength and muscle mass. However, he will always prioritise the safety of the client over progress. Because I am very driven myself, there have been times when I want to push my training further, but when this has meant potential risk of muscle damage, Simon has been quick to advise against it. Ultimately this attention to the welfare of his clients has resulted in me progressing more quickly and effectively than I would have otherwise.
In terms of Simon’s personality, he seems to have an insatiable enthusiasm for his work. Simon maintains a constant line of communication for any queries of concerns that the client might have. Simon goes above and beyond the call of duty, making sure that his experience and knowledge is not exclusive to the time we spend training so that he is available to give support and guidance whenever it is needed. Simon’s own keen interest in fitness and exercise is both encouraging and inspirational. Easy to talk to and approach, Simon gives only constructive criticism that never discourages the client in their efforts. All in all Simon makes training a challenging but very enjoyable experience.
