I’m Dan, founder of DNPT. I’ve been training people for more than 30 years, and DNPT has been part of the Wimbledon community for around 15 of those.
It’s often been suggested that we produce an interview with me. I’ve never been spotlight hungry because DNPT is much more than just me , it’s our whole team of inspiring trainers, each with a different personality, skillset strengths and a schedule to match you perfectly.
None the less : Here’s a bit about DNPT and about me and what thoughts, beliefs and hopefully insights set the way in which we look after clients, the environment we’ve made and the team we have gathered.
The fact that this article has a picture of ‘Hokusai’s great wave’ at its head instead of a standard fitness industry pic of abs and biceps and kettle bells should tell you something. At the end of this article , it will make more sense than at the start 🙂
Over my 30 years in fitness, I’ve seen trends come and go – but what’s never changed is the simple truth that people need an approach and structure that fits their real lives, needs and individual personality.
Since the beginning with DNPT I have wanted to build a space where people really enjoyed being – where they would be challenged and supported to make the changes in action and lifestyle that would deliver their goals. I have met with and journeyed with many hundreds of people setting out on their fitness path. Though there are some common themes – no two people are actually the same and each one must be trained and motivated differently. People respond to different things. Challenge, fun, humour, knowledge, structure, flexibility, measurements (or not having measurements) strength, boxing, function, intensity, moderation, flexibility – the list is almost endless of tools and pieces of the puzzle we can put together to form your own unique journey.
First Meeting and Fitting You for a Fitness Plan , Like Tailoring…. Of Course
When I first meet a new client, I want to understand not just what they want, but who they are. I spend time learning about their life: their work, their routines, experience, obstacles, preferences and personality. Some people thrive on a “no excuses” mindset – they like to be pushed, challenged, and held accountable. Others need something different: a space where they can build their confidence, find consistency, and make progress without pressure.
My job is to figure out what kind of structure helps you succeed. It’s not about being militant or soft – it’s about your personal balance of challenge and nurture. Discipline and agility are both tools, and knowing how to use each is what creates long-term results.
Consistency always wins. But consistency only happens when training fits into your reality…or when we change our reality with our decisions….but then…… all at once or incrementally ? It may sound a bt ‘philosophical’ but it doesn’t take too long to chat it through and set it out with you. Once we’ve met you, together we can call it.
The DNPT Environment: Where Expertise Meets Enjoyment and How the Magic Happens.
If you walked into one of our studios in Wimbledon, you’d notice that it feels different from commercial gyms right away.
You might see one person being coached through a precise lift, another cracking jokes while sweating through a tough session, and someone else taking their very first steps toward feeling comfortable in a training space. While it can be really nice and vibrant it’s always personal too , the room has more than one ‘duo of PT & Client’ but they are all really concentrating on their own session. Everyone in there is fully engaged and so whether its gentle or vigorous, it all contributes to a great atmosphere as only a private PT studio with several 1:1 sessions bubbling away can be.
That mix is amazing and unique. I’ve always wanted DNPT to be a place where technical excellence, fun, and empathy all exist side by side.
We keep our studios capacity-controlled – usually only three to five people training at once – so everyone has space, focus, and support. There’s no queuing for equipment or working out in isolation. It’s personal, professional, and somehow both private and communal.
It’s the magic that’s keeps me enchanted with DNPT.
The Team: Different Strengths, Shared Values. Versatility.
Skills, Schedule and Personality.
One of the things I’m most proud of at DNPT is our team. There are about 18 of us now, and no two are the same. I sometimes compare us to the X-Men – each with a unique skill, personality, and approach, but working together to make something greater than the sum of its parts.
We have trainers from strength, martial arts, dance, and rehabilitation backgrounds. Some are naturally technical; others are motivators or educators. My approach has always been to recruit well and then harness the power of people being themselves rather than mould everyone into one style. We’re stronger for nurturing each individual than we ever could be by trying to reproduce one persona.
When we match a client with a trainer, we look at personality as much as skill. The best results happen when there’s a real connection – when you train with someone who complements your energy and challenges you in the right way.
That’s the magic of DNPT: we’re not a system you fit into; we shape the experience around you – which of course is where the results come from.
My Own Journey and Why I Believe in This Work
I’ve loved training since I was a teenager. My background is in martial arts, and for me, exercise has always been more than physical. It’s a place to reset, to find calm and focus when life gets noisy. Like many martial artists who enjoy full throttled exertion and hard challenges in my training – I’m inherently deeply peaceful and circumspect too. I have to be careful if asked about my own tastes in exercise and my own preferences. My beliefs about what is right for me don’t mean that I can’t see what is right for you when it’s different. If I speak too much about what goes on in my own head it will just make me sound 1 dimensional. I have no bias towards the already strong or those seeking their strength. I absolutely do not think that just because one type of ‘challenge’ is good for me that it’s right for everyone else. A young athlete with no responsibilities can train hard to go faster and win podium position results – and they deserve some respect for that but no more than a middle aged parent and professional who has to somehow fit it all in and change the habits of their recent lifetime. While I respect athletes high performance, I’m afraid that I do feel that it’s easier to build success on success than it is to conquer adversaries and challenges that have been defeating us until now. Many of us are fighting battles with one hand tied behind our backs. Show me a 45 year old parent who was never fit and healthy and who never loved fitness, who feels self conscious when they exercise and has no time or love for fitness – who then builds habits that change their health and fitness and makes their progress happen – well that I truly respect and admire. Again I must be careful , I respect those whose hard discipline in the face of all these challenges never faltered too (the olympians and the champions) I just respect everyone for different reasons and we are here to facilitate your journey whether that is from high to elite performance of from zero upwards.
In my twenties, I went through a period that was personally very difficult – and martial arts training became my ‘source’. It taught me that movement has the power to heal. Strength grounds you; cardio lifts you, challenge frees you. When life feels heavy, training can be the way back to balance. Experiences I had personally were converted from destructive and weakening to positive and self re-inforcing through the wonder of training.
That’s why I believe so deeply in what we do at DNPT. Perfection is not a single state or point in time.
It’s about improving the quality of everyday. Whether that means building strength, achieving fitness goals, or simply feeling proud of yourself and feeling satisfied and happy – fitness gives you that.
The DNPT Difference
After three decades in the industry, I still get the same buzz when I see someone achieve something they didn’t think was possible.
At DNPT, everything we do – from training plans and nutrition advice to recovery and mindset – comes back to three things: personalisation, consistency, and enjoyment.
If you can enjoy the process, stay consistent, and follow a plan that’s genuinely yours, the results take care of themselves.
That’s the philosophy behind DNPT. It’s simple, human, and proven – because it’s built around you.
It may sound vague now but that’s because it will only become defined once we meet you and chat things through – and then it will be all about you, fit like a glove and both challenge and encourage in exactly the right proportions and at exactly the right times.
During Covid I turned to my team and told them – you haven’t even met me yet until you’ve seen me fight for something. I don’t do bravado but I do do winning and vanquishing. Recruit us to fight for your goals beside you. We won’t do it with ego or doctrine – but we will do it with insight, respect and unfaltering energy. That energy will be slow or fast , burn steady or burn fierce according to what’s right and when. It’s not the same for everyone. That’s why articles and personality pieces about me have always seemed like the opposite message we want to send. It’s about you, not me. It’s about ‘US’ and what we do together. Who knows exactly how that will be until we meet 🙂
If you’d like to learn more or arrange a consultation, email info@dnpt.co.uk and make an arrangement to come visit us at our Wimbledon studio.
And why the ‘Great Wave’ …well , I love the fact that the guys in the boat face something greater than them and win. Every day. Every day they face the wave and bring home the fish to feed their families. The wave is clearly vastly more powerful than them, yet everyday they sail it. There is a moral in this story. Even if it’s bigger and stronger than you – you can still face it and beat it. We have a picture of this wave in every gym.