COACH-ERIK
A tailored approach to personal training, sports performance, and massage treatment
Erik Bertheussen is a Norwegian national who has spent his last 10 years in the UK and US. With the changes that we all experienced through 2020, it gave Erik time to reflect on how to apply his passion for training, sports science, and physical and mental well-being in an ever-changing environment and with the client/athlete in focus. This led to him building his own private gym/massage studio where he can see clients 121 in a safe, clean, and well-equipped setting. His work is rooted in sports science as well as more holistic influences through Raynor massage and Kung-Fu training, and with his tailored approach, he offers a unique opportunity for top athletes and the regular person alike.
His Five Elements Sports Coaching approach started out as Five Elements Soccer Coaching, and after including further qualifications and experience on top of this, he has added another branch which is Five Elements Sports Massage. The concept stems from his philosophy on training, and although it started as a football philosophy, it was inspired by his knowledge and experience from Kung-Fu. The 5 Elements are: Physical, psychological, social, tactical, and technical. As part of the journey of continuous development and improvement, these 5 elements are embedded in all aspects of his treatments.
Erik’s training focuses on three areas which are core, balance, and mobility. Entering Erik’s gym, you won’t see a big rack of dumbbells or weights, as he has carefully selected training equipment built up around those three key areas, some of which you don’t see in many other gyms in the UK. As a certified massage therapist in Raynor massage and Level 3 Sports Massage, he can also help you with treatment-related to sports injuries, back pain, stress/anxiety, and more.
In addition to his personal training and massage offerings, Erik also works as a football coach, primarily focusing on 121 sessions, but also doing team coaching for a number of football clubs/teams. He bases his work around his Five Element Philosophy, which equips him with the right tools to address the individual player’s needs
Starting out as an apprentice in sports retail, at the age of 20, Coach-Erik moved on to the King’s Army in Norway as a corporal. After completing his military service, he went back into sport retail, and moved up, into managerial positions. During this time he was also sponsored by K2 Snowboards and held various training courses for other retail workers. Next in his career journey he moved on to run the Hummel sports brand in Norway, running the Norway showroom and working towards some of the biggest sports clubs in Norway, grassroots and professionals. He has also worked as a product specialist for Nike and owned his own retail business. In the last few years, Coach-Erik has focused on getting his training qualifications across martial art, football, personal training and sports massage. He’s lived in London, New York and now is settled down in Chessington, together with his wife and son.
Qualifications:
Level 3 Personal Trainer
Certified Raynor Massage Therapist
Certified level 3 Sport Massage Therapist
FA level 2 Football coach (currently in process of obtaining the UEFA B licence next)
Wing Tsun Martial Arts Instructor (firs technician level)