The Combat Coachwith Coach Shep

Forged in the ring.
Proven under pressure.

Stay
positive.
Never give in.

I'm Alex Shepherd. I've coached people to perform where it counts, in the boxing ring and on the front line. Now I bring that to personal training, classes and boxing programmes at David Corfield Gymnasium, Albrighton.

Book your free session See the classes
Alex Shepherd carrying two kettlebells on the competition floor
Ring
Coaching fighters from first bout to fight camp
Front line
Preparing soldiers for the hardest conditions
Champion
Title-winning boxer
1-to-1
PT, classes & online coaching
Portrait of Alex Shepherd, arms folded
Alex Shepherd · Your combat coach

My story

Trained for the ring. Tested on the front line.

My coaching was shaped in two places where your body has to work when it matters most: the boxing ring and the front line. I've prepared fighters for title bouts and prepared soldiers for the field. In both, fitness has nothing to do with how you look. What matters is whether your body holds up when you're tired, under pressure and out of options.

That's what I mean by a functional body: strength you can use, an engine that keeps going, and a head that stays calm when it gets hard. The ring taught me how to build it for a fight. The front line taught me why it matters. Sometimes the goal is a win on the scorecards. Sometimes it's getting yourself, and the people beside you, home.

Every programme I write starts with one question: what will your challenge actually ask of you? Then we train for exactly that. Whether you're stepping through the ropes for the first time, getting ready for a demanding job, or just want a body that won't let you down, the method is the same.

Now I coach at David Corfield Gymnasium. My own training is boxing, weightlifting, METCON, yoga and meditation, and all of it goes into my sessions. Every plan has structure, every level is welcome, and nobody gets left behind.

  • The ringTitle-winning boxer, coaching fighters from first bout to fight camp
  • The front linePreparing soldiers to perform in the hardest conditions
  • The methodStrength, conditioning and mindset built around what you'll face
  • TodayThe Combat Coach at David Corfield Gymnasium, Albrighton

Stay positive. Believe in yourself. Never give in.

Alex's hand raised by the referee after a bout
The ring
Alex with his unit in the field
The front line
A full boxing squad around the ring after training
Squad training
A full company photo in desert kit
Brothers in arms
Alex briefing a squad lined up in training kit
Leading from the front
Boxing team line-up in red and blue vests
Fight night
Alex and a fellow coach with a medal-winning boxer
In the corner
Alex in full kit during field training
In the field

The Primal 60 series

Eight animals.
One body.

Primal 60 is eight 60-minute sessions, bodyweight only. Each one is themed around an animal and built around a single training focus. Train all eight and every part of you gets worked: front and back, upper and lower, the big movers and the small stabilisers.

8 sessions60 minutesBodyweight onlyAll levels
Coming soon onlineAll eight Primal 60 sessions as full 60-minute follow-along videos, so you can train with me wherever you are.
Primal 60 series artwork showing the animals together
    Primal 60 Cat session artwork
    Session 01 / 08

    Cat

    Core & spine control
    What it targets
    Deep core, the anti-extension and anti-rotation muscles, plus spinal segmentation, obliques and the lower abs.
    What it builds
    A braced, controlled midsection and a spine that can round, arch and resist movement on demand. The stable platform every other session loads.

    Balanced by Cobra. Cat owns flexion and anti-extension; Cobra owns extension and the back line.

    Block 01

    Warm up

    20s per exercise × 3

    Eight movements on a rolling clock, ending with a primal primer that previews the day's animal.

    Block 02

    The Beast Block

    45s per exercise × 3

    Nine bodyweight exercises back to back for three rounds. The strength and conditioning engine of the session.

    Block 03

    Animal Flow

    1 min teach + 1 min hold × 3

    Three themed flows that turn the day's focus into skilful movement: coordination, rhythm and control.

    Block 04

    Cool down

    1 min per stretch

    Six themed stretches to bring you down and lock in the work, closing with the Coach's Corner cues.

    Bear × EaglePush balanced with pull, for square, healthy shoulders.
    Cat × CobraFront balanced with back, so the trunk is strong both ways.
    Ape & Frog × Cat & FlamingoExplosive hip power, with the control to use it safely.
    Ape × FlamingoTwo legs and one leg, fixing imbalances two-legged work hides.
    Frog & EagleStrength woven with mobility, so the strength days have range.
    ScorpionAdds rotation, so the body is trained in every direction it moves.
    Every regionFront and back, top and bottom, big movers and small stabilisers. Nothing is left untrained.
    Cat → ScorpionA logical arc: open with control and a stable spine, close with rotation that ties the whole body together.

    How to run the series

    One animal per session.

    No single session is complete on its own. That's the point. Each one is a piece, and the power is in how the eight balance and complete each other.

    Pick your paceTwo to three sessions a week rotates you through all eight roughly every three weeks. One a week makes a clean eight-week block.
    Alternate the emphasisFollow a push or front day with a pull or back day, and slot Frog or Flamingo between the heavier power days to stay fresh.
    Keep the shapeEvery session runs Warm Up, Beast Block, Animal Flow, Cool Down. Same structure, different focus, so you always know how the hour will flow.
    Scale it to youBeginners reduce range and use support. Advanced slow the tempo, add pauses and chase full range. All levels, same session.

    CAP sessions

    One kit.
    The whole hour.

    Every CAP session picks one piece of kit and sticks with it from the first rep to the last. Kettlebell, dumbbells, med ball, rope, box, bag or just your body. Continuous work, and you rest only when you need to.

    Coming soon onlineCAP sessions as full-length videos. Pick your kit, press play and work the hour with me.
    Alex deadlifting a loaded barbell
    One bar · the whole hour
    Warm-up
    The work · one piece of kit · 38:00
    Stretch
    8:00 · 8 exercises × 20s × 3 rounds, no rest
    38:00 · continuous work on one piece of kit
    15:00 · 15 stretches × 1 minute
    01

    Eight By Nine

    Kettlebell

    8 stations × 30s, 9 laps, 2-minute finisher

    02

    The Long Flow

    Kettlebell

    19 × 2-minute rounds of a 6-move complex, swapping arms each round

    03

    The Long Six

    Dumbbells

    6 stations × 40s, 9 laps, 2-minute finisher

    04

    Iron Minutes

    Dumbbells

    EMOM 38, four movements rotating

    05

    The Slam List

    Med ball

    A chipper, one pass, 38-minute cap

    06

    Rotation Laps

    Med ball

    6 stations × 40s, 9 laps, 2-minute finisher

    07

    The Rope Stack

    Skipping rope

    8 Tabata blocks, 1 minute between

    08

    Up And Over

    Step-up box

    6 stations × 40s, 9 laps, 2-minute finisher

    09

    The Engine Room

    Punch bag

    19 × 2-minute partner rounds, combinations called in the number code

    10

    The Pyramid

    Bodyweight

    5-10-15-20-25 and back down, 38-minute cap

    10-week boxing conditioning

    Train like
    a fighter.

    I've been the person walking into a boxing gym and not getting noticed. In most gyms there's no structured programme until you're at national level, so everyone else is left guessing. These three programmes fix that. Same evidence-based framework at every level, from your first charity bout to a professional fight camp.

    Recreational package cover
    The everyday boxer

    Recreational

    £35010 weeks
    3per week
    30sessions
    60minutes
    • Skills from stance and jab to combinations, angles and sparring-style drills
    • Functional strength with accessible kit
    • Short, sharp Red Zone conditioning
    • Pad work only, no sparring
    • Benchmark test in week 6, re-test in week 10

    Built for white-collar and charity bouts, beginners, and anyone who wants to get fit training like a boxer.

    Ask about Recreational
    Amateur package cover
    The competitor

    Amateur

    £50010 weeks
    4per week
    40sessions
    60minutes
    • Boxing A, S&C A, recovery mid-week, Boxing B, S&C B
    • Maximum strength phase: trap bar, landmine, heavy compounds
    • Strength-speed block to turn strength into punch power
    • Med ball throws, landmine punches and plyometrics
    • Tests: 3RM trap bar, relative strength, pull-ups, jump height

    Built for competing amateurs, returning fighters, and serious enthusiasts with a base of technique.

    Ask about Amateur
    Pro package cover
    The fight camp

    Professional

    £60010 weeks
    5per week
    50sessions
    60minutes
    • Dedicated mid-week Red Zone conditioning day
    • Sparring built in and loaded across the camp
    • Fight-camp meal timing and a weight-making protocol
    • Week 10 taper: volume down, sharpness kept
    • Fight camp rules: no drinking, no skipped sessions, 8–9 hours' sleep

    Built for pros with a bout booked, elite amateurs before major championships, and serious white-collar fighters.

    Ask about Professional
    Legs drive the punchLower-body strength, not bench press, separates the hardest punchers. Upper-body work stays fast and ballistic.
    Red Zone, not road runsSlow 30–40 minute runs cost a lot and give little back. Conditioning is short, hard and at the intensity boxing demands.
    Stronger, not heavierBoxing is a weight-class sport. Rep ranges and exercise choice build relative strength without the bulk.

    Every tier includes the full 10-week programme in my coaching app, weekly companion sheets, warm-up, cool-down and mobility protocols, sport psychology, nutrition guidance and a benchmark testing battery.

    Group classes

    On the timetable

    Monday
    4:30pm

    Rounds

    Boxing circuit: resistance, bags and cardio, back to back. Round lengths change every session.

    Thursday
    4:30pm

    Rounds

    Same format as Monday. Gloves, bags and a wall clock. All levels welcome.

    Friday
    5:00pm

    Boxercise

    Partner pad work and bodyweight cards. Bring a mate or I'll pair you up.

    Members book their place in the app. Primal 60 and CAP sessions also run as group classes and 1-to-1: message me for the current times. 1-to-1 personal training and online coaching are booked around you.

    Boxercise · twenty Fridays

    A different session every week, from Straight Lines to Fight Night. Scroll through the block, or see every Friday's breakdown in the app.

    Boxercise session 01 Boxercise session 02 Boxercise session 03 Boxercise session 04 Boxercise session 05 Boxercise session 06 Boxercise session 07 Boxercise session 08 Boxercise session 09 Boxercise session 10 Boxercise session 11 Boxercise session 12 Boxercise session 13 Boxercise session 14 Boxercise session 15 Boxercise session 16 Boxercise session 17 Boxercise session 18 Boxercise session 19 Boxercise session 20

    David Corfield Gymnasium

    Where we train

    Racks, free weights, kettlebells, bags, rowers, ski ergs and assault bikes, all under one roof in Albrighton.

    The main training floor with its sprint lane Heavy bags in the boxing area Alex kneeling beneath the David Corfield Gymnasium sign Alex training in the main hall The rig and training floor Dumbbell area under the light panels

    The Combat Coach app

    Train with me
    anywhere.

    One membership, everything included. Every Primal 60, CAP and Intensity 30 session, booking into ROUNDS and Boxercise, the Fuel the Fight nutrition guide, and the follow-along videos as they land. Press start and the app runs the whole session for you: every block timed, every exercise called out, with beginner, intermediate and pro scaling.

    £25a month · everything included
    • All 8 Primal 60 sessions
    • All 10 CAP sessions
    • All 10 Intensity 30 sessions
    • Follow-along videos as they're released
    • Fuel the Fight nutrition guide
    • Book your place at ROUNDS and Boxercise
    8 sessions · 60 min

    Primal 60

    All eight animals, bodyweight only. The app times every block and calls every move.

    10 sessions · 60 min

    CAP

    One piece of kit, the whole hour. Kettlebell, dumbbells, med ball, rope, box, bag or bodyweight.

    10 sessions · 30 min

    Intensity 30

    Bodyweight only, high intensity, minimum rest. Thirty minutes when that's all you've got.

    01

    Join

    Open app.thecombatcoach.co.uk, create your account and pay £25 a month by card. Cancel any time.

    02

    Fill in your PAR-Q

    Two minutes of health questions, then you can book classes and start sessions.

    03

    Train

    Book ROUNDS and Boxercise, or press start on a session. Add the app to your home screen and it works offline.

    Join for £25 a month Look around the app

    Already a coaching client? Your programme lives in the Everfit app: App Store · Google Play

    Your first session

    Is on me.

    Pick a time that suits you and book it straight into my diary. Tell me what you want to work on and we'll get you started. Rather chat first? Send me a DM on Instagram.

    Book a PT sessionDM @coachsheps
    Book onlinecalendly.com/coachshep/pt-session
    Instagram@coachsheps
    WhereDavid Corfield Gymnasium
    Albrighton, Shropshire
    What I offer1-to-1 PT · Group classes · Boxing · Online coaching