Polo Fitness & Sports Performance Centre

Offering bespoke training services, alongside sports specific training for individual sports men and women as well as team training.

Strength & Conditioning Coach - Rachael Woodhouse

Strength & Conditioning

Rachael Woodhouse

I am passionate about what I do and am very results driven, having played competitive polo all over the world for over 20 years, the transition from playing and coaching to focussing on strength and conditioning came very naturally to me.

My background has given me an incredible insight into the high level of performance required of athletes across the board. Besides from equestrian pursuits I am a very keen sportswomen, throughout the season I regularly ski, wakeboard, play tennis and golf.

At the forefront of my rational, Injury prevention is a key focus, overcoming injury and the physiologically associated with performing consistently at a high level are major considerations that I factor into my programming, I have many years of both personal and professional experience working in this field.

My approach to training comes from proven scientific fundamentals, I believe that methodical planning built upon a solid structure , encompassing continued testing and progression in line with the desired end goal are a winning combination to achieving a successful outcome.

I am a qualified Strength and Conditioning Coach, trained in Olympic lifting and Sports performance training. As part of my continued professional development I am currently working towards the final stages of my accreditation with the UK Strength and Conditioning Association (UKSCA).

As a qualified strength and condition coach I have a passion for weight training and pride myself on teaching and educating my clients to lift in a good technical capacity, I believe that ‘ Strength is your most transferable asset’ for injury prevention, posture and general wellbeing.

Equestrian Sports

With a strong equestrian background I have worked with top level riders across all disciplines (dressage, show jumping, polo, eventing) I have an in depth understanding and knowledge of rider requirements both physical and mental.

Horse riding relies on a complex and demanding chain of muscular movements, two biomechanical systems individual and as one, the rider meets the powerful forces generated by the movement of the horse.

From my experience many riders typically have poor gluteal, hamstring and mid back strength. This causes the quads to work too hard pulling the pelvis forward (anteriorly rotated) making the back muscles short and tight. I employ training methods to address imbalances and bullet proof my riders for optimum performance whatever their discipline.

Equestrian Sports
Sports Performance Training

Sports Performance Training

Suited to professional and amateur athletes of all abilities, sports performance training is for anyone looking to improve their overall performance within their chosen discipline, targeted training off the field will give extra advantage on the field.

Training targets key functional movements and demands of the sport and builds on these fundamentals.

Analysing your key strength and weaknesses and building upon them will significantly improve your overall performance in terms of speed, power strength and stability and in turn will reduce risk of injury.

Personal Training Services

All training sessions are 55 mins and tailored specifically to your needs.

The following services are available; strength and conditioning, weight loss, body transformation, sports performance, rehabilitation, doctor referral.

  • One to one training
  • Joint Training (Train with a partner or friend)
  • Small group training/ team training
  • Focused training sessions for small groups / sports specific training
Personal Training Services
Rehabilitation Services

Rehabilitation

I hold a doctors referral qualification which enables me to work with special populations with specific medical conditions, this covers but is not exclusive to the following conditions;

  • Hypertension
  • Obesity
  • Diabetics
  • Rehabilitation post-surgery

A large part of my training involves rehabilitation, I have a wealth of experience working within this field and I am passionate about helping people improve their quality of life and get back to doing what they love.

"A PT with this level of knowledge and professionalism is incredibly hard to find"

I have had the pleasure, if you can actually call it that, of being put thoroughly through my paces by Dibble. Initially for strength and conditioning, of which I conquered mountains with her help.

I count myself as very lucky that she was there when I needed her skills for rehabilitation and corrective exercises after a very badly broken ankle. My surgeon said it could take 2 years to get back to an ‘almost normal state’, I regained 95% of movement and lost my limp, all within 5 months of coming within a hairs breath of losing my foot. This was no mean feat, the biggest personal challenge I have faced. I had to force myself through the pain and rollercoaster of emotions to get results, but I wasn’t alone. Dibble encouraged, cajoled, pushed me as far as I was capable, made me laugh (even when I wanted to cry) and gave me just the best advice. My results truly speak for themselves, it was well worth the battle.

It is with eternal gratitude that I write this testimonial, thanks Dibs, you really are a life saver! P.s. my surgeon was so impressed he asked for your number!

Diana Barrell

"As a semi-professional cyclist, I thought I was fit ...until I met Rachael!"

But being fit isn't just about doing one sport over and over, it's about strengthening and conditioning your muscles, targeting your injuries and getting the body to work with you not against you...this is what Rachael tells you when she hands you 'the bar'.

Her sessions are planned with you each week and can change to suit your current aims or niggles. She is clearly experienced when it comes to weight lifting, form and injury prevention and is very supportive in guiding you through each new exercise so that you get the most out of your session. I always come away from her coaching feeling positive and surprised at how far I've pushed my own boundaries. If you’re looking to significantly improve your performance I highly recommend Rachael to get you there.

Edward Coxwell-Rogers

"Her knowledge for rehabilitation of injuries is vast and I would highly recommend her to anyone"

I've been personal training with Dibbles for over four months now to get fit and strong for the up and coming polo season.

I've had three operations on my right arm, the last one a year ago, and I ripped my back muscles about four years ago, which took a couple of years to get better, but was still pretty weak.

Dibbles has slowly and carefully built my strength and stability up in my arms, upper back and shoulders, doing specific exercises to target my problem areas, continuously making sure my alignment and movements were correct.

She's also built up my core and strengthened my glutes so as to support my lower back.

Philippa Denison-Davies

"As an aspiring amateur golfer Dibble changed my strength levels completely"

Rachel is a very experienced professional. I would highly recommend her to any athlete of all disciplines.

She has studied strength training in depth and a range of other fitness, this passion comes over in all her training. She stresses the importance of form and you will come away looking and feeling stronger, fitter and leaner: I can guarantee.

James Bathurst

Free Consultation

If you’d like to find out more, come along for a free no obligation consultation.

  • Goal setting exercise
  • Body composition
  • Movement screening
  • A taster session based on your goals

Contact Me

Get In Touch

Please use the contact details below or the enquiry form to get in touch with me and I will respond shortly.

Contact Details

The Castle, Cecily Hill, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, GL7 2EF

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