Meet Daniel Baby, PerformancePro strength and conditioning coach. A lifelong interest in sport and health combined with his commitment to building what he describes as ‘authentic, sustainable fitness levels’ makes him a perfect fit for PerformancePro.
In between his training sessions with clients, we were keen to find out more about Dan, the newest member of PerformancePro’s prestigious coaching team.
Dan’s life before PerformancePro
From a young age, Dan has always had an interest in sport and health. He represented Somerset County in football and cross-country at the English Nationals, also played for Bath City FC while studying at College.
Dan’s interest took him through to complete his BSc (Hons) in Exercise and Sports Sciences at University of Exeter. During his studies, he also took on the role of Strength and Conditioning Coach at Exeter City FC.
Since graduating Dan has worked as a Physical Education Teacher/ Residential Coordinator at Queens College, Taunton. He was also the Centre Manager of Millfield Enterprises, the commercial arm of Millfield School offering multi-activity sports courses.
Following a short period of travel, Dan moved to London to pursue his ambition of working in the sports industry. He worked as Lead Strength and Conditioning Coach at Benchmark Gymnastics, before starting at PerformancePro in January 2020.
Daniel Baby and PerformancePro
As with many of our team, it is the combination of PerformancePro’s professional, highly qualified approach and full circle fitness service, including the physio and rehab that attracts him,
“For me, it’s important to be able to work with highly qualified, professional experts in an industry I am passionate about. Additionally, I had to realise the importance of physiotherapy and rehabilitation rather quickly following two shoulder dislocations when playing football!
“I believe there is no greater way of building authentic, sustainable fitness levels than with a gym that works alongside a group of physiotherapists.”
And away from the gym?
Not surprisingly, Dan Baby likes to maintain a healthy lifestyle and keep fit. Away from the gym, he has a keen interest in cooking and photography, two hobbies he particularly enjoys when traveling and exploring.
Dan’s own fitness
Dan’s love of exploring can also be seen in his own fitness approach,
“I like to keep my own fitness regime simple. I enjoy the process more as it gives me more freedom to adapt and experiment with different movement patterns. I usually workout 5-6 times a week and like to do a split of push, pull and lower body movements. In addition, I maintain regular cardiovascular health through walking, running and swimming.”
Top 3 fitness Do’s and Don’ts?
Do:
- Maintain a healthy diet and the performance will follow.
- Be consistent.
- Make sure it’s always enjoyable. If you’re not enjoying the process then change it.
Don’t:
- Compare your fitness success to anyone else’s. Everyone is at different stages of their journey.
- Set more than 1 fitness goal at a time.
- Don’t worry if you’re having an off day or you’re having a bad workout. Rest and Recharge for the next day.
Inspiration
For Daniel Baby, inspiration mostly comes from the inside out,
“I firstly get inspiration and motivation internally. Not being where I want to be or assessing how I feel at certain times motivates me enough to force change. I regularly listen to fitness and motivational podcasts too.
“I can also look to my family, work colleagues and clients for motivation. Being around others and seeing others reaching for success is always motivational for me.”