Evolve Strong: Mastery
Bespoke, high-touch 1-to-1 physical and mental resilience coaching for the person who wants to make being strong and capable a key part of their identity
Evolve Strong: Mastery is my high touch one-to-one service for those who want to go DEEP, or who want a serious approach to strength training but don't fit in with any of my cohort programs.
The fitness industry is saturated with 20-something year old PTs who became coaches because they have a hot body, and not enough GCSEs, so not many other options. They devoting hundred of hours to recording and editing click-baity content for their tiktok pages, whilst giving their online clients 5 minutes of contact time per week (if that) and don't take any time to build a relationship with them.
That is not what we do here. Evolve Strong: Mastery is your thoughtful, erudite approach to strength training. An approach that gets to know you deeply, and puts time into figuring out what you actually need.
Because, as a highly intelligent, self-aware person with a strong worth ethic, you deserve better. You deserve a coach who matches that.
If you have an above average physical and intellectual ability, a cookie-cutter program from an influencer is going to get you absolutely nowhere.
You know that being self-aware isn't always enough on it's own. You know you can (and do!) still self-sabotage. You know that despite the gym experience you already have, you are capable of MORE. You want to become stronger than you have ever been, in body and mind.
But what you haven't figured out yet is how to access more. You are stuck. And that is where I come in.
A Coach With A Brain and a Heart
Strength Coach Claire, PhD
I can't stress enough how much strength training changed my life.
Throughout my late teens and early twenties, I struggled with mental illness and emotional dysregulation. On paper I looked like I was flying - I did well in school and university, and had loads of hobbies, and good relationships. But I could not get it together. It was severe - I was hospitalised more than once, and had to take a year out from both my Masters and PhD degrees in order to get well enough to be able to study. I stared existential dread in the face on a daily basis.
When I discovered strength training, and specifically powerlifting, everything began to change. I am not going to sit here and say that powerlifting fixed me. It did not. What fixed me was a period of deep self-reflection and development. Learning to understand myself and the nature of thought and mind and my relationship to that. Years of breaking down my stuck, victim mentality and taking ownership of my own choices.
But the gym gave me an anchor. A real life example of how I could influence my own outcomes. I could show up here, put work in, and success would follow, in a direct proportion to the amount of effort. Here was agency. Here was efficacy. Here was self-trust.
Whilst my physical resilience grew, my body composition changed for the better. I became more capable - so did my mental resilience. Here I was, going to the gym, entering competitions, challenging myself to get outside of my comfort zone over and over.
I was good at this. And I was good because I worked. Not because I had a natural gift. Because I showed up consistently and followed the plan. I was competing at University level at first, then at national and international level.
Meanwhile, I eventually graduated with a PhD in Chemistry from Oxford University and I entered the world of work in the pharmaceutical industry. At the same time, I started coaching people in powerlifting and weightlifting. I was mostly doing it for fun - my passion project. It was around this time that the fruits of my self-improvement labours really started to take off. Despite working a full-time job and a side hustle, and facing real responsibilities for the first time, I was more at peace than I had ever been.
I have always had the heart of a teacher, so I think, as my coaching business grew, it was going to be inevitable that I would jump ship and end up doing this full time. The result - more agency, more efficacy, and the privilege to be able to improve the lives of others through the practice of building physical strength.
Since then I have carved out a niche for myself. You don't find many fitness coaches who have been on this journey. Who have a PhD in a hard science, and who have fought their way out of mental, physical, and emotional fragility, who have stared existential dread in the face - and tooth and clawed their way to strength, resilience, and peace, with strength training at the healm.
Now, through Evolve Strong, I get to help others do the same. I don't 'coach hundreds of people'. I don't have an audience of 100k on social media. I don't have the body of a p***star. But what I do have is a small number of incredible people who I get to build a meaningful coaching relationship with. Who I have the privilege of supporting as they become stronger than they have ever been, and accomplishing things they never dreamed of.
This is about building Strength Of Every Kind
This is about finding Peace Through Strength
This is coaching with a Brain, a Heart, and that feels like Home
More than just a strength program
Evolve Strong Mastery Success Story:
It's for you, if...
Being physically and mentally strong really matters to you
You don't think my cohort programs, Team and Compete, are right for you
You need an advanced, fully individualised approach to training, either because you have out-grown the cohort programs, want to take it to the next level, or have specific needs and requirements beyond their scope
You know you are falling short of your full potential when it comes to your training, but you have a hard time getting out of your own way and finding the thing that will actually move the needle forwards
You are working around specific injuries or constraints that require a measured or titrated approach. Experimentation and data-driven decision making in your programming is key for you
Building a close relationship with your coach, built on trust and mutual respect, is really important to you
You want to fully optimise your physical and mental potential - you know your strength practice and mental wellbeing is inextricably linked and want to develop both
You want to compete at a high level - national or international
You want skin in the game so that you can grow into someone who does what they say they are going to do - you want to develop self-trust
You want someone else in your corner who has knowledge and experience, but also who really cares about you and your success, and takes the time to listen and get to know you - who also has skin in the game, right along with you!
You are tired of the current fitness culture in gyms and online spaces - all egos and attention grabbing. You want an erudite, thoughtful coaching approach designed around creating results and building a meaningful relationship
Meet Nikki
"I was a pretty experienced weightlifter and crossfitter when I started working with Claire but had started to burn out. I was falling out of love with the forms of exercise that had always been a lifeline for me and needed a consistent programme that met my changing needs as a woman in mid-life. I was attending classes and just pushing myself too hard, through injury and fatigue.
I was struggling with programming largely delivered by men for a generic group. I needed something that was just for me.
Working with Claire was the easiest decision I've ever made in supporting my health and fitness. Claire combines deep expert knowledge with lived experience and a highly professional approach to programming. I always know what I'm doing and why and more importantly, there is flexibility in Claire's approach which takes my current capacity into account at any given time. It's challenging in all the right ways.
When I started working with Claire, I was just starting on my perimenopause journey (and didn't realise it at the time). Since then, I have really struggled with burnout and the impact of hormonal shifts but working with Claire has been a crucial constant throughout it all. As a result, I'm still as strong as I was years ago, have added weight to some of my lifts and, most importantly, see exercise as a form of self care rather than as something to do to look a certain way. I have started to enjoy exercise again and that feels amazing!
Claire is consistent, she is patient and she combines her deep expert knowledge with genuine empathy and interest. I trust her to programme training for me that is thorough, thoughtful and strikes a great balance between challenge and reward.
Working with Claire is the best gift you can give yourself if you're a woman who wants to be strong. In a world full of fitness influencers and PTs jumping on the menopause bandwagon, Claire is the real deal. No faff, no gimmicks, just a great woman helping other women be their best selves."
This is not for you, if:
You are looking for a weightloss coach, and a meal plan. We will look at your habits in a holistic way, but we do not offer nutrition coaching
You are not prepared to make strength training a non-negotiable in your life. This is not 'a bit of fitness' or 'exercise'. We TRAIN. My clients come to me because I go above and beyond a gen-pop personal trainer
You are not ready to invest in your mental and physical resilience. We are looking to generate skin in the game here, so you keep the promises to yourself
You want to be left alone to get on with it/low-touch coaching. I am going to be very in your business because building a close, trusting relationship is vital to your success with this program. If you want low touch, check out my Team or Compete programs
You are looking for a quick-fix, 8 week holiday prep, shred for the wedding etc. This is a long-haul, lifestyle-changing, identity building practice
Claire brings an incredible positive attitude and a philosophical outlook on life that has been a massive source of support and a wealth of knowledge for me. She doesn't just give you a workout; she helps you understand the "why" behind it. She is always a positive influence, pushing me to expand my horizons. If you want a trainer who cares about your holistic growth, I cannot recommend her enough! - Helen
Meet Michelle
I had strength trained a lot in the past but never had any real guidance. I tried all the fads - P90x, Insanity, whatever the latest HIIT programme was, and was definitely a programme hopper but never saw any progress and without accountability or a proper plan, I’d always give up.
I was looking for something to get me into training again. I joined a 10-day workshop Claire was running on Facebook and liked the idea of training for strength rather than just getting weight off, so I gave it a go.
Afterwards, I joined Claire’s Evolve Strong: Team group training programme which was very reasonably priced and all I can say is I’ve never looked back. That personal check in made a world of difference.
I’ve never been so consistent with training in my life, and this is at a time when I also have the most responsibility at work I’ve ever had and a busy home life. It’s not easy, but with Claire’s help I’m making it work. At first I trained on my own in my home gym because I had no confidence to either be seen in workout clothes or to train in front of other people. That all changed in a few short months as my confidence under a bar grew and I needed access to more equipment and heavier weights so I joined a gym.
Eventually I moved to Evolve Strong Mastery with Claire, as the group training had taken me a long way, but I needed something more tailored to fix some issues I had with squats. This became the start of an unexpected powerlifting journey. I’ve now competed 3 times placing 2nd, 1st and 2nd again respectively, and have my 4th competition in a few weeks at national level. I’ve been selected to represent Scotland in September at Commonwealth’s in Canada.
I can now walk into any gym and feel comfortable and confident enough to go and train in the weights section. I’ve got to know people in the gym and now also part of the Scottish Powerlifting community, volunteering at comps, meeting and supporting other lifters which is amazing. I’ve just turned 50 and looking back to 2023 I had no idea all this was possible and that I was capable of this. My self confidence and body image are completely different now, I still have days when I look in the mirror and feel blah but I wear shorts and singlets to the gym now which I would never have dared even consider before!
I eat and train for performance which is so refreshing to someone who’s tried all the diets which unsurprisingly never worked. Claire manages my training, is a sounding board when I’m struggling and gives me a nudge when I’m not pulling my weight (no pun intended 😂).
Before I started working with Claire I could only squat 80kg, bench around 35kg and deadlift 75kg. I’m on track to double those numbers in a few weeks when I compete at British Masters. Now that would be amazing!
She is worth every penny. The overall value of the support and programming she provides compared to what some gym PTs charge for just a few sessions is definitely worth it.
Claire has a lot to offer, she has also taught me Olympic Weightlifting being both a qualified British Powerlifting and Olympic Weightlifting coach. She’s helped me manage peri-meno symptoms with advice and experience of working with other women in my age group. This is hard work but absolutely worth it. I’m so glad I did this for myself. If you’re considering either the group training or 121 training I’d go for it - you’ll be so surprised and proud of what you can achieve.
The Investment:
£197
per month
8 week minimum commitment
Email: [email protected]
Site: www.evolvestrong.co.uk
