Gymnastics · Strength & conditioning · Coach education

Developing people.
Building performance.

Helping athletes build the strength, confidence and physical capacity to move well and perform at their best.

MOVE|DEVELOP|PERFORM
Ben Barnard smiling beside the uneven bars in a gymnastics training environment
Ben BarnardCoach & Exercise Physiologist

WAG High Performance Coach

Accredited Exercise Physiologist

Based in Perth, WA

A little about me

Hi, I’m Ben.

I bring together gymnastics coaching, strength and conditioning, and exercise physiology.

Qualifications

Graduate Diploma of Exercise Science 2011

Bachelor of Exercise and Sport Science 2010

The University of Notre Dame Australia

I’m a WAG High Performance Coach and Accredited Exercise Physiologist with more than 15 years of coaching experience, including senior national level and international pathway gymnasts. I was Head Coach of the WA WAG State Team in 2025 and 2026, and an Australian WAG Team Coach for the 2024 training and competition tour to Canada.

I’ve also been a coach educator and assessor with Gymnastics WA since 2012. Alongside gymnastics, my background includes clinical exercise physiology at Regenerate Fitness and Rehabilitation, where I worked with people with musculoskeletal, metabolic and cardiovascular conditions. That experience continues to shape how I work with athletes, coaches and the wider community.

My approach starts with understanding the person in front of me, what they want to achieve and what they need to get there. I’m interested in the foundations behind performance: building physical capacity, developing confidence and making training purposeful. For coaches, that means connecting the evidence with practical ideas they can use on the gym floor.

Let’s talk about what you need

How I can help

Support for athletes.
Practical ideas for coaches.

Purposeful training and education, shaped around the people, goals and environment.

For athletes & clubs

Strength &
conditioning

Build the strength, power, speed and physical capacity to meet the demands of your sport. Training is planned around your goals, training experience and stage of development, with progression that fits your wider training and competition schedule.

I offer individual athlete programming and coordinated squad packages. For clubs, this can include a review of your current strength program and warm-up, a tailored squad program and a practical workshop to help coaches put it into practice.

  • Assessment and physical testing to identify priorities and guide programming
  • Individual and squad programs tailored to your goals and available equipment
  • Development of strength, power, speed and sport-specific conditioning
  • Planned training phases that account for competition demands and recovery
  • Progressive exercise selection, loads and training volumes
  • Monitoring and review to track progress and adjust the program
Discuss S&C support

For coaches & clubs

Coach
education

Practical workshops and individual mentoring to help coaches develop their technical knowledge, make informed training decisions and put new ideas into practice.

Sessions can focus on gymnastics skill development, strength and conditioning, or programming and planning. I tailor the content to your coaching experience, athletes, facilities and the challenges you want to work through, with practical examples and time for questions and discussion.

  • Technical skill workshops covering progressions, common challenges and coaching approaches
  • S&C workshops on strength, power and gymnastics physical preparation
  • Programming and planning, from individual sessions to training blocks and the competition year
  • Integrating warm-ups, physical preparation, recovery and skill training
  • One-on-one coach mentoring to discuss goals, reflect on practice and work through coaching questions
  • Tailored workshops for club coaching teams, with practical takeaways for the gym floor
Discuss coach education

For individuals

Exercise
physiology

I’m an Accredited Exercise Physiologist (AEP), accredited through Exercise & Sports Science Australia (ESSA). I offer one-on-one sessions for people across the wider community, whether you’re an athlete or simply want support to move well, build strength and feel more confident with exercise.

Your sessions and exercise program are tailored to your goals, health needs and current capacity.

  • One-on-one exercise physiology sessions
  • Individual exercise assessment, guidance and programming
  • Support to build strength, fitness and everyday physical capacity
  • Exercise support following injury, considering relevant clinical advice
Ask about exercise support

Not sure where to start? Tell me a little about yourself, your athletes or your club, and we can discuss what support might be useful.

The thinking behind the work

Move. Develop. Perform.

Three connected ideas that guide how I approach coaching, exercise and athlete development.

01 / MOVE

Build the
foundations.

Develop movement quality, physical literacy and confidence. Understand how the body moves and responds to training, and give people a starting point they can build on.

02 / DEVELOP

Give the process
time.

Build strength, capacity and skills through purposeful, evidence-informed training. Development takes time, and progress won’t always be a straight line.

03 / PERFORM

Put it
together.

Help people use what they’ve developed to achieve their goals. That might be a new skill, returning to training, competing at a higher level or moving better in everyday life.

Developing people, not just performance.

Before we get started

A few useful
things to know.

Who do you work with?

My S&C and coach education work has a strong gymnastics focus. My exercise physiology sessions are open to the wider community. You do not need to be a gymnast or an athlete to work with me.

Can you work with our coaching team?

Yes. Workshops can cover technical skills, S&C, or programming and planning, and are tailored to your coaches and training environment. I also offer one-on-one mentoring for individual coaches. Share the topics or challenges you want to work through and we can discuss a suitable format.

How do I enquire about support or pricing?

Email me with a brief outline of what you’re looking for. I’ll confirm suitability, availability and costs before you make a commitment. Please keep sensitive medical details out of your initial enquiry.

Let’s start a conversation

What are you
working towards?

Whether you’re an athlete, a coach or a club, tell me what you’re looking for and we can work out the next step.

Your information

Privacy

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