I was diagnosed with ADHD at five. That restless mind became the reason my training draws from many disciplines — and why clients get a plan that fits them.
I was diagnosed with ADHD at five. School was a battle, rules felt arbitrary, and my attention went wherever curiosity pulled it. That pattern followed me into the gym. I tried the standard splits, the prescribed programmes, the 'do this on a Monday' approach — and I lasted until about week three before my brain started looking for something else.
Collecting movement instead of following one path
So I started collecting. Martial arts, yoga, qi gong, calisthenics, kettlebell work, strength training, mobility drills, breathwork. Each one taught me something the others didn't. The variety wasn't a lack of focus — it was how I learned best. The common thread was the body: how it moves, how it adapts, how it gets stuck and how it frees up.
Over time that collection became a library. Not a random one — a connected one. I could see how a hip restriction shows up in a press, how a stiff mid-back changes a squat, how a breathing pattern changes a carry. The more styles I absorbed, the simpler the actual coaching became, because I had more options to choose from.
Spontaneity inside structure
This is the part people misunderstand. Spontaneous training doesn't mean chaotic training. Every session still has a clear structure — assessment, goal, progression — but the specific tools inside that structure are chosen for the person in front of me on that day.
Some people need the same movement pattern repeated for weeks so their nervous system can settle into it. Others need variety to stay engaged. Some respond to load, others to control, others to simply feeling a position differently. Knowing which one to use, and when, comes from having a deep enough library that the right option is always available.
What clients actually get
- A plan that fits their body, not a template downloaded from the internet
- Sessions that stay interesting without losing progression
- Access to techniques from strength, mobility, martial arts, breathwork and recovery
- A coach who can adapt on the spot when life, sleep or stress changes the plan
Why this matters if you've struggled to stick with training
A lot of people come to me after programmes that looked good on paper but didn't survive contact with real life. The issue usually isn't discipline — it's that the plan didn't fit the person. Either it was too rigid, too boring, or too disconnected from what their body actually needed.
My job is to close that gap. To take the breadth I've built and turn it into something simple enough that you can just show up and do the work. The complexity is mine; the clarity is yours.
If that sounds like the kind of coaching you've been looking for, the next step is a conversation.
Common questions
- Does your ADHD affect how you coach?
- It shaped how I learned. I don't follow a rigid template; I read the person in front of me and draw from a wide toolkit. Clients get a plan that fits them, not a downloaded programme.
- Will my training be random if it's spontaneous?
- No. There's always a structure — assessment, goal, progression — but the exercises and emphasis are chosen for your body on that day. Spontaneity lives inside the plan, not instead of it.
- Is this approach only for people with ADHD?
- Not at all. Most clients don't identify that way. The benefit is a coach who can adapt quickly and pull from many disciplines, which helps anyone who has struggled with one-size-fits-all programmes.
Written by Thomas Beeston, holistic strength coach at Strength by Design.
Apply this approach through in-person coaching in Cambridge or online coaching worldwide.
