Your Coaches.
We don't just programme — we compete, we train, we live this. Every coach on the ANVIL team has stood on a competition floor and knows what it takes to perform when it counts.
Rob Hartley
CF-L3 Trainer · USAW Level 2 · OPEX CCP · 3x CrossFit Semifinal Athlete (2019, 2021, 2022)
Rob started in CrossFit in 2014 after a background in rugby league. Within two years he'd qualified for Regionals as an individual, and went on to compete at the Semifinal stage three times before transitioning fully into coaching in 2023.
His approach to programming is rooted in progressive overload and periodisation — not random suffering. He's spent years studying under coaches in the weightlifting and endurance communities, and brings that evidence-based approach to every training block he writes.
Rob still trains daily. His best lifts sit at a 140kg snatch and 170kg clean & jerk. He believes coaches should practise what they preach — and he does.
Coaching Philosophy
"I don't believe in destroying athletes in training. I believe in building them. Every session should have clear intent. If you can't tell me why you're doing something, you shouldn't be doing it. The best athletes I've coached aren't the ones who go hardest — they're the ones who go smartest, consistently."
Jen Forsythe
CF-L2 Trainer · Ex-International Gymnast (GB Junior Team) · CrossFit Masters 35–39 Competitor
Jen competed in artistic gymnastics at international level before discovering CrossFit in 2016. Her background gives her a unique understanding of bodyweight movement that most CrossFit coaches simply don't have — and it shows in the gymnastics programming at ANVIL.
She specialises in breaking complex skills into learnable progressions. Butterfly pull-ups, ring muscle-ups, handstand walks, pistols — she's coached hundreds of athletes through their first strict muscle-up and beyond. Her approach is patient but demanding: master the positions, earn the kip.
Jen competes in the Masters 35–39 division and qualified for Quarterfinals in 2023 and 2024. She trains alongside ANVIL athletes and understands the demands of balancing training with life outside the gym.
Coaching Philosophy
"Gymnastics in CrossFit is where most people leave points on the table. You can't out-engine a muscle-up you can't do. I build capacity from strict strength first — if you can't do it strict, you haven't earned the kip. It takes longer but it lasts, and it stays when you're fatigued."
Davie Ross
CF-L2 Trainer · BWL Level 2 Coach · Scottish Weightlifting Nationals Competitor · Sport Science BSc (Hons)
Davie came to CrossFit through competitive weightlifting. He competed at the Scottish Nationals for five years and held a 130kg snatch and 158kg clean & jerk at 89kg bodyweight before transitioning into CrossFit coaching full-time.
He holds a Sport Science degree from Edinburgh and brings an analytical approach to strength programming. Every percentage is calculated, every rep scheme has purpose, and every training block builds toward the next. He runs the Strength Bias track at ANVIL and handles the Olympic lifting components across all programmes.
Davie is based in Glasgow and coaches remotely with video analysis as a core part of his process. If your second pull is off, he'll find it. If your jerk timing is late, you'll hear about it.
Coaching Philosophy
"Strength is the foundation. I've never met an athlete who got worse because they got stronger. But strength without technique is just potential energy. My job is to make you strong AND technically proficient. We build positions first, add load second, and let the barbell do what it does."
Our Standards.
We Still Train
Every coach on this team trains daily. We don't programme from a spreadsheet and forget what it feels like. We're under the barbell, on the rig, suffering through the same energy system work we write for you.
We Stay Current
The sport evolves. Programming should too. We attend seminars, study research, and constantly refine our methods. What worked in 2019 doesn't cut it anymore. We adapt.
We Give a Shit
Your goals matter to us. Not in a corporate-slogan way — genuinely. When you hit a PR, we're buzzing. When you're struggling, we adjust. This isn't a PDF you download. It's coaching.
Want to Work With Us?
Start with an assessment call. We'll talk about where you are, where you want to be, and whether ANVIL is the right fit. No hard sell — just an honest conversation.
Book Your Assessment