Chris has been a part of Team Apex for nearly three months, joining from Edge Family Fitness in Wilsonville. He brings his extensive and well rounded background in nutrition and fitness to the team. Originally from the United Kingdom, Chris contains an abundance of knowledge that he’s ecstatic to deliver to you. He’s worked, trained under and around athletes of all kinds, from rugby, to basketball, to hapkido (umm…what’s that?) – read his introduction blog below to learn more on his background and what he’s excited to bring to the table in personal training at Apex Performance Wellness & Rehab.

Hey guys! My name is Chris Atkinson and I’m from the UK, coming armed with top calibre experience from having trained with some of the world’s Elite!

Who I’ve Trained Under:

I’ve trained with Royal Marines – Justin Corcoran, who is a former Royal Marine. Along with that, he’s the Creator & Director of the Original [Global] HIIT Workout: Metafit. He trained me up to be the Metafit Regional Master Trainer for the Pacific Northwest. I’ve been certifying instructors in the area and helping them expand their expertise and knowledge to better help their clients.

I’ve trained with World Champions, most notably, Josh Crosby, former 6x World Rowing Champion. With Josh, I was trained in his Elite Rowing Methods (inc. the Shockwave format).

And I’ve trained with Grand Masters. Master Ung Seo Ju, who is Grand Master and President of Euljikwan World Union. He’s also a prominent Member of the Korean Hapkido Federation, and was featured in the Discovery Channel Docu-series: Fight Quest. Master Ung Seo Ju trained me up to 1st Dan [Black Belt] in Hapkido. Coming just before that, I had attained my 1st Dan [Black Belt] in Taekwondo under Master Jin (Grand Master of World Taekwondo Jang and prominent Member of the Kukkiwon Organization).

I went to a boarding school that had a reputation for churning out International Level Rugby Players – including Jonny Wilkinson and Ugo Monye. I had the privilege of watching them train week in, week out for years. Jonny, who won the Rugby World Cup for England in 2003, had an MJ-meets-Kobe level of obsessiveness with his preparation. He embodied the concept of visualization. He would practice his craft tirelessly for hours beyond team training sessions and ultimately became the best in the world. This was something I admired, respected, and learned a lot from.

I’ve learned from the best, and earned some of the highest qualifications in the Fitness Industry. In 2017, I was shortlisted to give a TED Talk [for TEDx Folkestone] on Diabetes – a topic on which I am a Specialist.

My eclectic background in Sports & Martial Arts (including Rugby, Track & Field, Basketball, Bouldering, Taekwondo & Hapkido) gives me broad experience in various training methods.

What I Plan to Bring to the Table

I believe in what I call “the Four Pillars of Health & Wellness”: Fitness / Nutrition / “Edge” (Supplementation) / “Zen” (Rest & Recovery). I’ve written over 50 articles and released dozens of podcasts on these four subjects [that are available on iTunes, Spotify, iHeart Radio and Google Podcasts].

I specialize in High Intensity Interval Training and [what I call] Functional Military-Style Training. I look to “the Elite” (especially military – like SAS / Navy SEALS) as my inspiration when it comes to “standards”; and in the context of *fitness*, I believe we should all be able to perform the basics that they do: Pull Ups / Press Ups / Sit Ups / Squats / Lunges / Dips. Simple. But clearly… not easy!

How I Plan to Work With You

I’ll have you moving like you’ve never moved before! We’ll blend Traditional Lifting with Functional Exercise, Bodyweight Exercise, and athletically-driven work like Plyometrics and SAQ (Speed / Agility / Quickness).

We’ll start where everyone should: with the basics. Master those, and build from there. I always like to start with an introductory session to understand where you’re at, where you want to go, and put together the best plan to help you reach those goals based off the movement patterns from this visit.

So, let’s get to it and Champion Your Body!!

Yours in Training,

Chris Atkinson | Personal Trainer @ Apex Performance Wellness & Rehab

PS – To get started with me, visit our contact page and reach out via chat, email or phone call. I look forward to speaking with you!

10 Fun Facts About Me

Favourite decadent indulgence: VooDoo Donuts’s Memphis Mafia Donut!

Favourite thing to do with my time/money: TRAVEL! I’ve been everywhere from Thailand to Greece, Scotland to Japan, Germany to Portugal, France to Italy. Even lived in Spain and South Korea.

Favourite thing to do intellectually: Learn languages (I’ve dabbled in several).

Favourite thing to do for fun (solo): Rage with games like God of War and Call of Duty [Black Ops].

Favourite thing(s) to do for fun (with friends): Play MarioKart… Laser-tag / mini-golf / movie-a-thons.

Favourite bodyweight exercise: Ohhh… that’s tough! Probably Pull Ups… or “180-Floor-to-Sky Jumps”.

Favourite “lift”: Hex Bar Deadlift… and Hack Squat! … and Leg Press!!

Favourite sport(s): Basketball & Rugby… and Track & Field. (They were the ones I excelled at the most!)

Biggest “missed opportunity”: getting to work as Richard Branson’s P.A. (about 14 years ago).

Greatest Mentors/Inspirations: My brother / The Rock / Arnold Schwarzenneger.