Meet The People

Here's an introduction to the key leaders of Team Fitness...


David Heard Profile

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David Heard, chief executive of Team Fitness, has a rare combination of skills.

A long involvement with sport, which started with selection as a schoolboy international cross-country runner and continues to this day through extreme skiing, has kept him aware of the needs and drives of elite athletes.

His almost obsessive interest in all aspects of fitness training, physical and mental development embraces qualifications in coaching (skiing and weight-training), specialist soft tissue work - Bowen Therapy (Australia and Europe) - sport and remedial massage, exercise therapy and sports rehabilitation, psychometrics and nutritional consultancy.

Add an experience of the ancient disciplines of yoga and ayurvedic medicine with an easy familiarity with the modern technology of high performance training and the result is a very experienced and innovative exercise physiologist.

He is one of only a handful of British people to work in the world-famous rehabilitation clinic, the Dikoul Institute in Moscow. This pioneering work lead David to open the National Rehabilitation Centre for the Paralysed in Gloucestershire. There he was chief executive for nine years working with a team of ten specialist therapists (mostly from a sports science background) and using sports training in the rehabilitation of people with chronic paralysis. It was this innovative work that provided the research material that earned David his Masters' degree (with distinction) in Exercise Therapy.

He is currently working on the development of new exercise protocols, extreme skiing, and a recent cycle ride of 1000kms in Vietnam, has kept him aware of the needs and drives of elite athletes. Conditions there reached 90 degrees and 90 percent humidity.

From all this he has evolved a unique approach to performance enhancement, and within Team Fitness bringing this whole range of skills to sports specific applications.

This has enabled him to work successfully with athletes across a range of sports from extreme endurance events (the Sahara Marathon and the Ironman triathlon) through track and field, golf, tennis, cricket, competitive rock-climbing, martial arts, soccer, rugby, skiing, American football, and motor racing.

Now his Team Fitness specialist trainers bring that same eclectic mix to the wider world of professional sport.


Aaron Heard Profile

Chief Coach of Team Fitness, Aaron Heard, brings a unique pedigree to our training disciplines. His first hand knowledge and experience of elite training in one of the most demanding arenas, 'Gridiron' - American Football - has given him an insight to athleticism and team building that few in this country can match.

After an apprenticeship in track athletics, martial arts and rugby he worked his way to the top of the British American Football League. Outgrowing that performance level he graduated to the wider stage of the European League.

A move to play in the States was curtailed by a serious playing injury, which required reconstructive knee surgery. This kept him out of the game for two seasons, but was no deterrent to his competitive drive. He came back to help his club, Seville to the top of the highly competitive Spanish league and was twice voted Most Valued Player of the year.

Since his retirement from the game he has broadened his knowledge of fitness training and sports performance. A qualified spinning, aerobics, weight training and boxercise instructor, he has maintained a personal training regime of the highest level.

Aaron regards his own period of recovery and rehabilitation as instructive, and draws on that experience when dealing with any injury and concomitant rehabilitation programmes with his TF clients.

Moreover, his ability to motivate and drive athletes is highly personalised and effective. His management and leadership of his team of trainers are equally distinctive.

He brings a dedication and commitment to his delivery of training programmes of the highest standard, and sets the benchmark for all Team Fitness trainers to match.

Case Study: Client J & K - 'The Fitness Freak' and 'The Couch Potato' Within any team the fitness needs and skills of one team member will differ to another team member. Athletes are also different in their abilities, attitude and approach. Client J is a fast bowler, and a 'fitness freak'. Client K is a batsman and more like a 'couch potato.' Client J frantically pounded the treadmill for endless miles, and pushed weights like a man possessed. Client K thought that talent was enough. Both were wrong. Client J - 'The Fitness Freak': Client J had lower back problems, affecting him neurologically with a numbness in the legs. Team Fitness designed a programme, which set out to re-balance him, and offset the asymmetrical demands of his positional play. Team Fitness dropped the 'junk' miles of running and replaced them with a more efficient interval programme. In the gym, weights were reduced and the number of repetitions increased, and flexibility was added to the programme. A programme of lumbar spine stretches and exercises was introduced to improve flexibility and rebalancing. The stretches are carried out on a daily basis and form part of his lifestyle routine i.e. like cleaning his teeth. These are remedial in intent and not optional. Team Fitness also stopped Client J carrying a wallet in his back pocket. We had identified that this habit had the effect of slightly displacing his hip when seated, and since Client J spent hours in his car it was affecting his posture. He has reported no neurological problems in over a year. Client K - 'The Couch Potato': Team Fitness convinced Client K of the benefits he would enjoy from shedding a few pounds, toning up and improving both his running speed (useful between the wickets) and endurance for those long match-winning innnings. As with many athletes in an asymmetrical sport (including all racquet sports) he had body imbalances. A programme of thoracic spine stretches and exercises was introduced to improve flexibility and rebalancing. 3 months later, Client K was convinced! He is now fitter, faster and more consistent. His batting average has improved and physically he now has the ability to open his shoulders and drive with greater range. He also has an improved pace between the wickets and in the field. As such he is an improved asset for his club. More Team Fitness Case Studies.

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