Luke Brumer is General Manager leading the management team and taking charge of
making the box a roaring success, something he takes literally by regularly pretending to be a lion. Luke’s
background is in business set-up and turn-around in South Africa’s bar and restaurant sector.
As if being a beast of an athlete (i) wasn’t enough, he’s also had some success as a model (though we try not to hold it against him). His BBQ (or ‘braai’, for the culturally sensitive) skills are not too shabby either.
Famously friendly, it’s likely he’ll have already greeted you, and he should be your first port of call for help or giving feedback on how we’re doing. He’s here to make sure being at CFLDN is the best part of your day.
(i) Luke B’s imposing physique actually stems from high-level competition in the demanding sport of tiddly winks. Such
was his early renown, he was presented with the coveted ‘Silver Wink’ by Prince Phillip in 2001. Interestingly, this is
not the Prince Consort’s only connection with CFLDN. In 2017 (our only Royal visit to date) he attended a
Fundamentals class, allegedly in consequence of drunken bet, but left discretely on finding that his off-colour remarks failed to scandalise an audience already reeling from Andrew’s unique analogies.
Why I coach.
People are pretty cool and being strong makes everyone happy. Being a coach let's me positively influence peoples lives. Helping them get stronger and move well gives them the freedom to step out of that paradigm of ``pressure to look good`` and focus more on the process of movement and in term getting stronger. From that confidence in themselves builds and inevitably they end up looking better as a result of being stronger.
People are pretty cool and being strong makes everyone happy. Being a coach let's me positively influence peoples lives. Helping them get stronger and move well gives them the freedom to step out of that paradigm of ``pressure to look good`` and focus more on the process of movement and in term getting stronger. From that confidence in themselves builds and inevitably they end up looking better as a result of being stronger.
Favourite Movement:
This is too hard. Deadlifts are bae but probably something like a deadbug or farmers walk.
Favourite Quote:
``Zug zug`` - orcs from Warcraft
Why you coach:
Aside from the obvious reason of the satisfaction gained from helping people move better, I believe that health and fitness can lead to a greater degree of consciousness and create a better world. The physiological changes are one thing - we're all up for looking better naked, but the psychological changes that you get from constant struggle, sacrifice, reward and reflection are a lesson that can be applied to all areas of our life. It's a privilege to see these changes in people on a daily basis, and see the changes filter through to their lives and the lives around them.
Aside from the obvious reason of the satisfaction gained from helping people move better, I believe that health and fitness can lead to a greater degree of consciousness and create a better world. The physiological changes are one thing - we're all up for looking better naked, but the psychological changes that you get from constant struggle, sacrifice, reward and reflection are a lesson that can be applied to all areas of our life. It's a privilege to see these changes in people on a daily basis, and see the changes filter through to their lives and the lives around them.
Favourite movement:
The muscle up. It demands equal parts of strength, flexibility, stability and coordination.
Favourite quote:
``The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago. The second best time is today.`` - translation, do it now!
Why I coach:
I’ve spent my life ‘moving’ from ballet to personal training into CrossFit, movement is pretty much engrained in me, I coach because it gives me a sense of accomplishment when not only do I see someone who’s worked hard to maybe get their first pull up but watching someone’s movement get better over time and or seeing that light bulb moment. It never gets old and still makes me love what I do.
I’ve spent my life ‘moving’ from ballet to personal training into CrossFit, movement is pretty much engrained in me, I coach because it gives me a sense of accomplishment when not only do I see someone who’s worked hard to maybe get their first pull up but watching someone’s movement get better over time and or seeing that light bulb moment. It never gets old and still makes me love what I do.
Favourite movement:
Squat snatch - so complex yet so satisfying when you nail it
Favourite quote:
Life is too short to be boring 🙂
Why I coach:
Bogdan developed a love for a variety of sports from a very young age, always training always learning new things, in 2013 he found Crossfit at Crossfit London and loved it, all the technical movements, strength and demanding WODs sounded like the perfect package. In 2017 he qualified as an instructor and since then has enjoyed passing the knowledge to others, and takes pleasure in seeing everyday people progress.
Bogdan developed a love for a variety of sports from a very young age, always training always learning new things, in 2013 he found Crossfit at Crossfit London and loved it, all the technical movements, strength and demanding WODs sounded like the perfect package. In 2017 he qualified as an instructor and since then has enjoyed passing the knowledge to others, and takes pleasure in seeing everyday people progress.
Favourite movement: Snatch/Muscle up
Favourite Quote: “Don’t stop when you’re tired. Stop when you’re done.”
Why I coach:
I come from a background where teamwork and community are essential and I find them both in Crossfit. In Crossfit, we work together as a team with a common goal of improving our health and lives. I'm a part of the members' life as much as they are of mine. That's community.
I come from a background where teamwork and community are essential and I find them both in Crossfit. In Crossfit, we work together as a team with a common goal of improving our health and lives. I'm a part of the members' life as much as they are of mine. That's community.
Favourite movement:
Ice cream markers! Being able to control your own body is as sexy as it gets.
Favourite quote:
Someone much older and wiser once told me, ``If you are too smart to listen, you are too stupid to learn``. I've been trying to put that into practice ever since.
Why I coach:
I think that if someone has the ability to share their knowledge and help people, then this is time well spent. Over the last 10 years of coaching this has been something I’ve come to believe quite strongly; those who can teach, should.
I think that if someone has the ability to share their knowledge and help people, then this is time well spent. Over the last 10 years of coaching this has been something I’ve come to believe quite strongly; those who can teach, should.
Favourite Movement:
The one arm handstand (or more precisely the full position/svecha/rocket for any hand balancing enthusiasts), videos of this and other skills can be found on my Instagram - @craig.gadd.
Favourite Quote:
'The world is changed by examples, not opinions.' - Paulo Coelho
Bio:
Craig Gadd is a professional circus artist who trained at the National Centre for Circus Arts with a specialisation in hand balancing.
His focus and passion has always been to improve the body's performance in skill acquisition, strength, and mobility whilst maintaining structural balance.
For the last 5 years he has been teaching adults to do the same, ranging from hand balancing, general gymnastics, and a variety of circus disciplines; as well as basic mobility and function with people of different ages and abilities, in person and online.
Why I coach:
Teaching and learning are the undoubted highlights of my life: I love communicating and seeing other people progress in any field, and the satisfaction of finding a new angle or perspective to help someone overcome a conceptual or movement obstacle is unparalleled. I came to sport and gymnastics in particular comparatively late, which gives me first-hand insight into the challenges, frustrations and outright fear faced by adult learners: it makes me happy to turn this to others’ benefit. If I also I find being responsible for others a far stronger motivation than anything else, so it makes me pay much more attention to every aspect of my own training! I’m a mathematician by training and often we look at seemingly abstract questions; the reality is we don’t always expect to be able to answer them, but do end up discovering new and useful intellectual machinery while attempting the journey and more often than not, uncovering surprising connections with other areas of theory: this field is not so different – coaching the variety of movement and strength we do at CFLDN, often with ambitious goals, leads to an appreciation of interrelatedness and new ways to achieve progress. Homines dum docent discunt – People learn while they teach.
Favourite Movement:
Press to Handstand: I always found this spellbinding when watching gymnastics competitions. I never expected to get there: on a first attempt it feels absurdly infeasible, but with perseverance becomes (almost) effortless and elegant.
Bio:
Along with Naim Rahman, Luke is one of the co-Chairmen of CFLDN. They were both long-term clients before joining our founder, Andrew Stemler, in business in 2016. Luke’s training includes a variety of gymnastics and sports acrobatics and as many CrossFit classes as time permits. He has a wide variety of professional experience in finance and investment and businesses large and small. A former wine merchant, he is still a Senior Judge at the International Wine Challenge and is a veteran wine educator – you might find him running the odd tasting in HQ on a Saturday night! The polyphenols are good for you, apparently.
Quote:
“At first you might find it incredibly painful, but after a while, you become a bit of a devil for it.”
Bio:
Having been a competitive swimmer as a teenager whilst simultaneously holding captainship of the high school volleyball team, a broad and inclusive perspective on fitness has always been part of Nik's life. This developed even further when he began extensive training in a variety of dance styles, as well as aerial acrobatics later on. Whilst starting a career in acting, Nik also began working as a PT. Once discovering the CrossFit methodology, it strongly resonated with his own view of fitness, and he enjoys nothing more than watching people grow beyond their comfort zone by achieving new milestones on their own infinite fitness journey.
Having been a competitive swimmer as a teenager whilst simultaneously holding captainship of the high school volleyball team, a broad and inclusive perspective on fitness has always been part of Nik's life. This developed even further when he began extensive training in a variety of dance styles, as well as aerial acrobatics later on. Whilst starting a career in acting, Nik also began working as a PT. Once discovering the CrossFit methodology, it strongly resonated with his own view of fitness, and he enjoys nothing more than watching people grow beyond their comfort zone by achieving new milestones on their own infinite fitness journey.
Favourite movement:
Many. Anything 'handstandy', OH squats, love cleans.
Quote:
'Hard work beats talent.'
Andrew Stemler, is our Founder and the first CrossFit affiliate holder outside the USA, bringing CrossFit to
Europe in 2005. A CrossFit legend, he is a tireless lifelong learner in a bewildering array of disciplines.
Andrew’s extensive teaching experience has helped hundreds of clients transform their lives. He is
renowned for his inventiveness and client focus and can find drills and progressions to help anyone,
regardless of age, ability or challenges, move towards their goals. His eclectic background includes
property management and 3 years as an East End doorman. Andrew is our lead on Health and Safety and
is an accredited Senior First Aider and trainer. He coaches across the full range of our classes and is a sought-after PT.
