Rob Blair

HEAD COACH

MILITARY PREP / MOUNTAIN LEADER

PROBLEM SOLVER /  THERAPIST

Rob divides his time between our Deptford and Chesterfield gyms. He is a resilience-driven strength coach and extreme endurance athlete.

Rob leads the Temple’s military fitness training programme in London and also runs military and outdoor training courses in the peak district.

He offers a range of strength courses, including kettlebells training in our Chesterfield and London gyms.

Rob has 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