Rob Blair

HEAD COACH

MILITARY PREP / MOUNTAIN LEADER

PROBLEM SOLVER /  THERAPIST

Rob is a resilience-driven coach and extreme endurance athlete. He’s completed the Marathon des Sables (5 marathons in 6 days across the Sahara) and climbed Mount Toubkal two days later. His feats include solo and team endurance challenges like carrying an 80kg log over 50 miles, a 27-hour hill-climb equivalent to Mount Elbrus during lockdown, and a self-supported 110-mile London to Brighton and back trek in under 40 hours. He’s also conquered the Welsh 3000s in 16 hours, completed the Snowdonia Way in 4 days, and tackled ultra races like The Wall (69 miles) and the Atlantic Coast Challenge (3 marathons in 3 days).

In strength sport, Rob is a multi-time Britain’s and World’s Strongest Hands champion (under 83kg class), capable of a 48kg pull-up, 55kg Turkish get-up, and flipping a 512kg tyre. He’s run sub-18-minute 5Ks and sub-38-minute 10Ks, pressed a 48kg kettlebell, and bent Iron Mind Red Nails and horseshoes—blending elite strength with elite endurance.

KEY NOTES AND QUALIFICATIONS

• Royal Marines Commando, eight years
• 1000s of coaching and treatment hours working with clients, sports teams and professional athletes!
• Regular contributor to various health, strength magazines, National press and podcasts
• motivational speaker to corporate businesses and organizations
• Have raised over £25,000 for various charities including £22k for the Walking with the wounded charity
• Anatomy Trains Level 1
• Anatomy Trains ‘Walking the lines’ With James Earls (Gait assessment)
• Specialist Exercise Instructor in the management of lower back pain
• Integrating strength and conditioning with the rehabilitation of runners
• Osteopathic techniques for the foot and ankle complex
• Simplifying the Shoulder with Martin Scott MSc, BSc, MCSP
• IAM TOOLS Advanced Course
• Osteopathic techniques for the foot and ankle (Claire Slater)
• Sport and Remedial Massage Practitioner DIP (LSSM)
• Myofascial Release Certification (Taught by Alex Fugallio)
• Myofascial Release ‘The Function Junction’ and Iliac Crest! (Noah Karrasch)
• Full Body Assessment and Postural corrective Coaching (Jason Anderson)
• Functional Tissue Release ‘Foot, Ankle and Knee’ (Jason Anderson)
• Functional Tissue Release of the Spine (Jason Anderson)
• First Aid at Work
• Dan Johns Intervention workshop
• Andy Bolton and Benedikt Magnusson powerlifting workshop
• Strongman coaching and training with Laurence Shahlaei (Twice Britain’s strongest man)
• Kettlebell sport workshop with Gregor Sobocan (Slovenian head coach)
• Integrating strength and conditioning for runners.
• Gym Jones ‘first degree instructor certification’ Taken by Mark Twight and Rob MacDonald
• Mike Mahler’s ‘Aggressive Strength Training’ Level One Hormone Optimisation Workshop
• Steve Maxwell’s Workshop in Advanced Bodyweight Movements and Mobility Drills
• Strong First Lifter certified
• Strong First Instructor Level 2
• United Kingdom Strength and Conditioning Association (UKSCA) Level 2 Associate
• UKSCA Level 1 Workshop
• UKSCA Plyometric, Speed and Agility Workshop
• UKSCA Olympic Lifting Certification
• UKSCA Planning Effective Programs Workshop
• ‘Bulgarian Bag Specialist Instructor’ (Taught by Ivan Ivanov)
• Advanced CRB – checked for working with juniors
• Insured up to £5 million for working with top level athletes and associations
• Has been known to increase camaraderie on more than one occasion!
• Grip training and steel bending coach, World and British record holder

RACES/ADVENTURES/CHALLENGES in the last few years

• Marathon Des Sables Finisher (5 marathons in 6 days in the Sahara Desert) 2 days later climbed Mount Toubkal @ 4200 meters
• Dartmoor Dreadnought survivor (Carrying an 80kg log over Dartmoor between three people over three days…. plus kit)
• 110 mile walk self supported from London to Brighton…and BACK! 39.5 hours straight)
• The Wall ultra marathon: 69 mile foot race in 24hrs from Carlisle to Newcastle
• Atlantic Coast Challenge (Three Marathons)
• Ascending Mont Blanc
• Completing the three peaks in under 20hrs (Twice)
• Completing Tough Guy three times (top 30 finisher)
• World record holder in several grip events including the meathook deadlift @ 286kg (a record over 5 weight divisions)
• Worlds strongest hands winner @ 83kg class
• Britains Strongest Hands under 83kg class winner 2014
• Britains strongest hands winner 2015
• 48kg pull up-55kg Get Up-120kg farmers (each hand) over 50metres
• flipping a 512kg tyre
• Sub 18 minute 5K sub 38 minute 10k
• 48kg KB Mill press
• Bending the Iron Mind red nail and horse shoes