Colconquerors Recenzje 98

Choosing to team up with Rob was an easy decision after witnessing his passion, expertise, and meticulous attention during our Gran Canaria adventure six months ago. Since then, collaborating closely has been a pleasure, as Rob consistently brings infectious enthusiasm and positivity to each engagement. His setup is highly professional, with advanced tools like Trainingpeaks and WK05, coupled with daily personalized attention, distinguishing him from others. Our weekly video chats offer clear insights into the purpose of each workout and how they align with our larger objectives. Rob's flexibility to accommodate life beyond cycling ensures no judgment, only a shared commitment to enhancing your cycling prowess. The accountability he instills inspires you to excel in every session. For any avid cyclist looking to maximize their cycling performance, I sincerely recommend partnering with Rob. As someone who thrives on data, I can share that my FTP increased from 3.6 W/Kg to an impressive 4.4 W/Kg within four months thanks to his guidance.

I wholeheartedly endorse structured training; however, doing it independently might not provide the personalized touch needed. For instance, generic training plans might not align perfectly with your preferences, such as a preference for hilly terrains over flat ones. Adjusting your regimen in response to personal life changes—like before and after a COVID-19 vaccination or illness—can be challenging. Additionally, a comprehensive approach that includes custom nutrition strategies during rides might be lacking. Without a knowledgeable expert to consult, you may miss out on valuable insights about your training, like understanding the need for VO2 Max intervals to boost FTP. The detailed analysis from tools like WKO5, which appeals to those who love data and statistics, could also be absent. Moreover, you wouldn't have someone to discuss and evaluate your training experiences with or get advice on various aspects of cycling, such as bike fitting or daily nutrition.Having Rob as a coach completely transforms this experience. His expertise, dedication, and success-oriented attitude are truly inspiring. Even if English isn't your first language or if you're miles away in Switzerland, I highly recommend partnering with Rob for this journey.

Having worked with Rob over the last 18 months I can say that his personable and friendly nature, coupled with his non-judgmental approach, has created a very positive coaching experience. His genuine interest in my progress has motivated me to reach new heights.

Engaging with him is effortless, as he listens, provides insightful feedback, and tailored his guidance to suit my specific needs and goals. Whether discussing race strategies or addressing concerns, his friendly demeanour and approachability have been invaluable in building a strong coach-athlete relationship.

Rob understands that progress takes time and that everyone's journey is unique. If you are seeking a coach who will inspire, support, and guide you towards achieving your cycling goals while fostering a positive and friendly atmosphere, look no further.

I’ve just returned from a fantastic week cycling in the Dolomites with Rob and Karen (Colconquerors). Each day was excellently organised with a variety of challenging routes and support throughout. The company was great and the scenery was amazing. Everyone was able to ride at their own pace and l was surprised that l climbed in excess of 42,000 feet in 5 days. On top of this, the hotel accommodation was exactly what you needed after a day in the saddle, with a lovely selection of food and a very comfortable bed. I highly recommend their cycling holidays.

Professional, organised and on their A game. No snobbery or elitism, just warmth, kindness and enthusiasm. If you are prepared to give it a go they are 100% behind you. I cannot speak highly enough of this outfit. Bravo.

Rob has coached me for 2 years and has helped me successfully achieve my season targets. Both seasons had very ambitious targets of climbing and distance and Rob provided not only an excellent training programme but also, lots of thoughtful coaching and follow up when things weren’t quite going to plan. Rob goes above and beyond in the search for you to be the best you can be and has certainly enabled me to be the best version of me on a bike!

My next challenge is a total hip replacement and Rob is already helping me with all the physical and mental challenges that that entails with the plan to come back fitter and stronger for next season.

I can’t thank him enough and I unequivocally recommend him to anyone - you wont regret it!!

Rob ensured I reached my goals with the right training plan as expected. What wasn’t expected was the broader knowledge and insights to nutrition, recovery, how your body responds to different situations, medical advice and insight as my body adapted, importance of bike fitting and cycling equipment. Grateful and appreciative of his skills and personality.

I signed up with Rob to coach me last June as I wasn't progressing on my own initiative. 10 months later my FTP has gone up by 25% and my relationship with the bike is better than ever. One of my key requirements was for a coach that wasn't going to treat me as a 25 year old but to factor in my 50 year old body when planning training loads. Rob has certainly done that.
He is always encouraging and very easy to get along with. He explains things clearly and also recognises that there are other aspects to life too, away from the bike. I'm very happy with having Rob's guidance in achieving my cycling aims and would certainly recommend to anyone thinking of going this route.

I was coached Colconquerors for 3 months to prepare me for a 3 day race. I wanted a tailored training programme for that time but received a lot more than that. My coach quickly established my current fitness level and built a plan to help me maximise my performance improvement over the period whislt also ensuring I was properly prepared in the days leading up to the event. The advice on stretching and using a roller to prevent injury and consolidate gains was an unexpected bonus. So too was the combination of indoor and outdoor workouts. Prompt feedback on workouts was useful and motivational. My coach provided lots of stats and performance measures as part of that feedback and our regular video meetings which evidenced the gains I was making. I learned so much more than I expected and this will benefit me for years to come. My coach was generous with his time and talked me through a detailed strategy for each day of my event covering approach, targets, fuelling etc. I saw a significant improvement in fitness - much more than I expected - in just a few weeks. As a result, I was much more competitive in my event than before and enjoyed it more too as I felt well prepared.

Rob @ Col Conquerors is a legend. Following Rob’s advice and plan I have improved my cycling ability enormously. There were two goals - to get me over Ventoux 3x (The Cingle) and to improve my w/kg from about 2.5 to 3.5. We achieved both - and in a matter of months not years. I am really pleased with the results, thank you.

In the summer of 2021, I completed my biggest challenge to date- climbing all 100 Grestest British Climbs ( and riding between each one) +3,000 miles and +220,000 feet of hill climbing in one month.
This would not have been possible without the training plan and support from Rob at Colconqurors. Rob went over and beyond what I have received from any previous coach and was there for guidance on the whole trip planning, as well as the physical training plan.

I asked Rob (Col Conquerors) to help me train for an endurance cycle challenge. It was unlike anything i'd attempted before. I had less than four months and limited free time to train for it. Two weeks ago I completed a 1,500km (17,000m climbing) cycle tour of Scotland within the eight days I planned. And thanks to the training I was able to enjoy it all.

Rob’s programme was very realistic, carefully tailored to my abilities, and importantly helped me improve in all the different areas. The programme made the most efficient use of my free time so that - as Rob put it - every time I swung my leg over a bike I knew it was going to get me fitter.

The schedule was consistent each month, making it easy to integrate into my demanding schedule. Feedback was quick and concise with regular calls to back up any feedback, answer queries, and explain the upcoming programme. Rob’s clear explanations and answers to every query meant I was able to relate the training work to the progress I was making which helped me to keep focus.

Even during the rare week when I was unable to commit as much time as the programme required I found that the fitness levels i’d achieved meant I could afford to cut a few corners and remain on track. I never felt I was unnecessarily over-exerting myself and yet know I couldn’t have done more.

It was also an opportunity to learn more about training (though I suspect the training would have been successful anyway by simply following the plan). Rob provided information in a manageable way, explaining things clearly at each step. It meant it wasn’t overwhelming and I could learn as I progressed.

From the outset Rob never let me give in to any thoughts of doubt and always kept it enjoyable. He was always ready with a tip for overcoming any challenges, and provided a lot of advice about any area, be that fuelling, stretching, cycle fit, managing effort or event logistics. I can wholeheartedy recommend him if you’re thinking of taking on a big challenge or just want to do more cycling. It will be a fun journey!

Much more than a cycling coach!

I've been working with Rob for 10 months now and quite simply, it has been brilliant. I run my own business, have a young family and have some pretty tough goals for myself fitness-wise. Working with Rob has meant that not only is a realistic training plan made possible (the only way my cycling goals would ever be achieved with the small amount of time I have) but you see results quickly.

He adapts to your personal situation, taking a very holistic approach (super important with this stuff!) and investing time in you to really get to understand your life, goals, possibilities, potential hurdles etc. It's just what a coach should be - the right balance of motivation and challenging to push your boundaries.

The most valuable part of the relationship for me is that when work/family life takes over and I can't meet all my sessions, your coach adapts everything around whatever comes up meaning you can still hit your targets, just in another way. It's flexibility and accountability. The winter of 20/21 was a dark one - for me and many others, and cycling became a bit of a lifeline for me. The gains I stated to reap when Spring came along - both physically and mentally, would have been much reduced without Rob's input.

He knows his stuff and he cares. What more could you want!

As someone that wanted to take my passion for cycling to the next level, it was important that I find the right kind of coach to guide me through a completely new way of thinking.

In early conversations with Rob, we laid out foundations in these key areas:
1: Making sustainable lifestyle changes with a key focus on nutrition
2: Work towards achieving my racing weight and make it sustainable (no more yoyo’ing)
3: Putting in place a program that would contribute towards performing to the best of my ability whilst taking into consideration the constraints of work/life/family commitments.

I've been working closely with Rob for over 8 months now. My feedback is simple, It’s been a game-changer. Since we started, I’ve been able to learn many new things in regards to how the body adapts, reacts and changes in relation to training and nutrition. The outcome has been that I now have a set of tools in place that help me understand why I might be performing in a certain way. The main takeaway is that these tools/methods are sustainable. In turn, I’m now able to plan ahead make smart decisions to help me achieve my goals.

I’m looking forwards to seeing what’s to come. We’ve only just got started.

I can absolutely recommend structured training, BUT... If you do it on your own, you:
- will not have highly individualised approach (e. g. off-the-shelf training plan "does not know" you preferences, like climbing versus flat roads)
- cannot react properly on the changes in your private life (e. g. how should I adopt my training before and after COVID-19 vaccination or an illness)
- will not have holistic approach to training (e. g. include personalised nutrition plans during the rides)
- will not have a person with huge knowledge in training methods to ask questions about your training (e. g. why should I do VO2 Max intervals to increase my FTP)
- will not get deep analysis of your training in WKO5 (if you like statistics and numbers, like I do)
- will not get advices about any facet of cycling training you are interested in (e. g. bike fitting or daily nutrition)
- will not have a person with whom you can share and analyse your experiences during your training rides

If you have Rob as a coach, you will get it all - in excellent quality. I can feel his dedication and his success-focused mindset motivates me extraordinary.
Even, if not English native speaker like I am, and even, if miles away (Switzerland), I can fully recommend "taking this path" with Rob.

I decided to work with a coach to dive into structured training and to go for my cycling dreams. After a good start I had to face the hardest period of my life so far- my dad passed away. In this difficult time Coach Rob was not only my cycling coach but also helped me to deal with that situation and to start some of the biggest changes in my general life. I developed not only as cyclist but also as human beeing. And that is the biggest compliment I can tell about Rob- he never sees me just as athlet but as complex human beeing with the burdens of every day life. Rob is deeply knowledgeable in cycling science but also in closely related fields like nutrition. He is very sensible to the needs of the individual athlet. I enjoy our weekly talks and discussions so much and look forward to each single day on my journey with Rob to become the cyclist I want to be.
After 6 month of working with him each single aspect of my cycling has improved.
It’s the best investment you can do to bring your cycling to the next level. Highly recommended!!!

I was matched with Rob Hawkins of Colconquerors via Training Peaks with the goal of training for the Maratona dles Dolomites in 2021. Having become a fairly dedicated cyclist over the previous 18 months I found rather quickly that despite my intensive 8-10 hours per week I'd hit a plateau and was training hard but without the associated gains one hopes for. My goal was to push past those physical and mental barriers and train smarter to ensure that I could realise my potential on the Maratona whilst becoming an all round better cyclist. All of this had to be juggled with the limits of lockdown in England and a demanding work and home life.

It was quickly apparent that Rob and I were a very good fit. Rob is genuine, fully engaged, highly responsive and motivating. He was a good match for my intensity of purpose but also able to help me realise that being more measured in my training and recovery would deliver a better outcome. With his support my cycling went from strength to strength, my FTP to new highs and my segments to new lows.

Rob is a highly knowledgeable coach and generally an all-round great guy. I honestly could not recommend him and his coaching highly enough. My pause around coaching is due to competing work, financial and home life pressures brought on by protracted lockdown. Once the world get's back to normal and work life balance returns I'll be sure to resume coaching with Rob. My Maratona is "locked in" for 2022 and I'm sure Rob will help me achieve my best possible outcome on the day. 10 out of 10.

My decision to start working with Rob, was based on his enthusiasm, knowledge and eye for detail he showcased during the Gran Canaria trip I joined him on around six months ago. We have been working closely together since and Rob still brings the same level of positivity and excitement to each interaction. The professionalism of Rob’s set up (the advanced usages of Trainingpeaks and WK05) and the personal attention you receive on a daily basis is what sets Rob apart. During the weekly video call he clearly explains the reason behind the different workouts and how they fit in with the bigger goals we set together. Even though the setup is very professional, Rob understands that you have a life outside cycling and is very flexible to adjust training accordingly. There is never any judgement, just the passion and eagerness to make you a better cyclist. The added accountability ensures you push yourself for every workout. I wholeheartedly recommend working with Rob if you are a keen cyclist who wants to get the most out of their time on the bike. This is for those who, like me, love numbers: as an example my FTP went up from 3.6 W/Kg to 4.4 W/Kg in just four months when working with Rob.

I have had Rob as my cycle coach since February 2020. I chose Rob as from our first discussions I could see the depth of Robs knowledge and his ability to share that knowledge on a level that I could easily relate to. The coaching started with an in depth discussion of what I was looking to achieve from my training and how to make the training work with my personal time constraints, such as work and family. Throughout Rob has been easy to relate to, has had great understanding of what I wish to achieve from the training and has shared his great knowledge with enthusiasm. The workouts have been challenging but even the most difficult of them have been just within my reach, after all we take a coach to help us find our limits and push us to be our best, not to just break us. The program written by Rob for me was adaptable to short term changes in my weekly life and the individual training sessions were varied to reflect my growing fitness and power or if I was particularly tired during a week. Over the weeks of following Rob’s training programme I saw consistent improvement to my power and stamina accumulating in my highest ever FTP and a substantial improvement in my best time up Alpe Du Zwift. What I really liked was how my performance was analysed using the WKO data and how this was provided to me in our weekly update calls so that I could understand and appreciate where my improvements were coming and how the following weeks programme would reflect this. The programme produced by Rob was seamlessly integrated into my Training Peaks account that I could then using out on the road or on Zwift making the whole process of following the programme easy to translate into effort on the pedals. I have really enjoyed my training with Rob, it’s been fun, enjoyable, increased my knowledge and understanding of what delivers real improvements and ultimately it has made me a much better rider.

I fell into cycling after years of playing various team sports. Very quickly it ticked every box: It provided a constant challenge and means with which to push my body; it had an often-overlooked social element; and it afforded me the headspace to do reboot mentally.

Like most, I was soon hooked, and began to scratch the itch by entering local sportives and events. This developed into bigger challenges, such as LEJOG, the Marmotte and various charity rides. Throughout this time, whilst dedicated to the cause, I had never followed a structured training plan. For some time I felt I had reached a plateau - no matter what I tried to do off my own back, any improvements were negligible. I was slightly fearful that apathy would start to set in.

A good cycling friend was starting to make substantial gains - he had become noticeably faster and leaner, and was beginning to look more and more like a ‘proper cyclist’. When I asked him what the secret was, he revealed he had recently sought the experience and guidance of a cycling coach.

Intrigued, I started to investigate further and fortuitously stumbled across the Colconquerors website purely by chance. Taking the time to read Rob’s profile, I really liked what I saw and decided to take the plunge and make an enquiry.

From the outset, Rob’s ‘bedside manner’ was exemplary. Despite being subjected to serious travel setbacks in the height of the Coronavirus lockdown, he took the time to write and call, to introduce himself, and to find out about me - my background, my interests, my goals and concerns.

In my mind, it’s a given that any coach - irrespective of specialism - knows their stuff. What’s far more important, and the real acid test of a coach’s credibility is how they engage; how they bring you on board and impart all their knowledge in a user-friendly way.

Rob’s cycling knowledge is enclyopedic, although always accompanied with humility and an open mind. His enthusiasm is contagious, and it is evident that he is continually seeking to develop his knowledge. Like any great coach, he is constantly evolving.

Whilst serious in the pursuit of enabling me to achieve my goals, Rob has a great sense of humour. I find this to be an incredibly important attribute. For six days a week Rob is challenging me physically and mentally - by engaging in the way that he does, I have complete faith in him, adherence to the programme and full commitment to responding to the progressive training requirements.

The Training Peaks recording software leaves no stone unturned. As a Strength & Conditioning coach myself, my eyes have been opened. The fact that I am in the UK and Rob is in France is insignificant. He is able to review the tiniest detail of any training ride I complete, and feedback any comments instantaneously. The weekly Zoom calls allow us to review any of the previous week’s observations, and also explore the upcoming sessions in great detail.

Rob has been coaching me for a little over three months, and during that time I have improved way beyond my expectations. Already, my FTP has increased by 10% - coupled with a managed weight loss of 16lbs, my W/kg has also increased significantly. With Rob’s guidance, my ability to cycle at a higher cadence, with no resulting loss in Power, means I no longer experience the muscular fatigue that always used to plague me on longer rides. The great news is that these are just early days and my improvements so far are simply the tip of the iceberg.

My advice to any novice or experienced rider, currently without a coach, is to get one. They come in all shapes and sizes, so you could go one better, narrow the choice and contact Rob directly. I genuinely feel lucky that I have crossed paths with Rob - he is a coach foremost but also a mentor, confidant and, at times, someone to share a laugh and a joke with. Without doubt, this has been the best use of my hard-earned money for as long as I care to remember.