About US
Stronger Bodies, Healthier Minds, Connected Community
At Conscious Choice Training, our mission is to help people improve their health, get stronger both physically and mentally, so they can enjoy the active lives they were made for. Through purposeful programming designed to maximise results, combined with nutritional support and an awesome community, we’re here for you every step of the way. We want you to feel happier, healthier and to feel part of something bigger that is collectively making a huge difference.
Our Core Values
Courageous
To be courageous is to show up, even when it’s hard. It’s choosing to take responsibility for your health, and stepping into challenges, no matter what they are. Whether that’s your first workout or a shift in lifestyle, we are here to back you and help you be bold and courageous so you can lead a healthier, happier life.
Our mission starts with focusing on health and putting yourself first, and that takes courage. We respect every person who walks through our doors ready to make a change. In a world full of quick fixes and shortcuts, we champion those willing to do the hard, honest work. Courage is the first conscious choice, and the foundation for all others.
Consistent
Consistency is what turns a single effort into lasting transformation. It’s not about perfection, but about showing up again and again. This is about those people who commit to progress, not just results, as it’s the consistency that will get results.
Lasting strength doesn’t come overnight. It’s built rep by rep, choice by choice. Our mission is to help people live healthier, more active lives that they can enjoy, and this relies on the power of consistent habits. We’ve created an environment where discipline becomes part of who you are, not just something you do.
Community
Community is where individual effort becomes collective energy. It’s the shared high-fives and fist bumps, the support from others during setbacks, and always knowing that you’re never doing this alone.
From the start, we’ve believed that transformation is both quicker and more powerful when it happens together. Our mission is to guide people to lead happier, and healthier lives in our community. Where people feel safe, seen, and supported. It’s what turns a gym into a home,friendships into family and it’s what makes a huge difference in our members’ progress.
Meet The Team
Karl Thorpe
With over 18 years of coaching experience, I’ve had the privilege of working with a diverse range of individuals, from civilians taking their first steps into military life, to some of the most elite athletes the armed forces have produced, and everyone in between. This journey has given me a deep understanding of what drives people, not just as athletes, but as human beings striving to live stronger, healthier, and more capable lives.
I began my Strength & Conditioning career in 2012 as Head S&C Coach for Royal Navy Rugby Union, later serving in the same role with Malta RFU for five years, overseeing both senior and academy teams. Along the way, I earned a degree in Strength & Conditioning, combining technical knowledge with hands-on experience at both national and international levels.
My coaching philosophy is simple: focus on the person first. The gym is not the destination, it’s the vehicle. What we do under the barbell, on the turf, or in the rig is important, but the real value lies in how it carries over into the rest of life. Whether it’s building the confidence to take on new challenges, developing resilience under pressure, or simply feeling strong enough to enjoy the things you love outside the gym, training should always serve the bigger picture.
My journey with CrossFit began in 2009 as an athlete, which quickly grew into coaching and eventually co-founding CrossFit Trafalgar, the first CrossFit Affiliate within the Royal Navy. I now serve as Director of Coaching for Royal Navy CrossFit, helping to foster a culture of functional fitness across the service.
In 2021, I co-founded Fortitude South Coast, a gym built on the values of service, community, and sustainable health. Here, coaching goes beyond workouts, it’s about empowering people to live better, move better, and thrive, both inside and outside the gym. Because ultimately, strength isn’t just physical, it’s the foundation for everything we do in life.
Paul Ormston
I’ve been passionate about sport and fitness for as long as I can remember. My journey started in combat sports, which eventually led me to represent UK Armed Forces & GB Boxing on the International stage. Alongside competing, I’ve spent 20 years serving in the Royal Navy, with 17 of those years as a Physical Training Instructor. An experience that shaped both my love of coaching, service and my belief in the power of teamwork.
Over the past 20+ years, I’ve had the privilege of coaching a wide variety of people, from beginners taking their first steps in fitness, to elite athletes chasing podium performances, to individuals navigating unique life stages like pre/postpartum, menopause or adapting to injuries and disabilities. I’ve also worked as the Head Coach for Navy & Marines Boxing, and as a part time podium performance coach for England and GB Boxing.
These days, my approach is simple: people come first. I believe trust and connection are the foundation of any good coach-athlete relationship. Movement, strength, and performance all grow naturally when we prioritise the person behind the athlete. I’m an S&C Coach, Level 3 CrossFit & Boxing Coach and have an MSc in High Performance Coaching. But beyond the credentials, my real passion is helping people discover what they’re capable of, unlocking their potential and having a tonne of fun along the way!
Meet The Team
Karl Thorpe
With over 18 years of experience as a Strength and Conditioning Coach in the Royal Navy, I’ve had the privilege of working across the full spectrum of athletic development, from civilians entering military life to some of the most elite athletes in the armed forces. My passion for performance and leadership through physical training has been the driving force throughout my career.
For 8 years, I served as Head of Strength & Conditioning for Royal Navy Rugby Union, and for 5 years, I held the same position with Malta RFU, overseeing both the senior and academy development team. During this time, I completed a degree in Strength & Conditioning, strengthening my technical foundation while gaining practical, high-performance experience at the international level.
My CrossFit journey began as an athlete and evolved into coaching in 2015, eventually leading to the creation of CrossFit Trafalgar, the first CrossFit Affiliate within the Royal Navy, where I now serve as Director of Coaching – Royal Navy CrossFit. I was part of a small team who were influential to establishing CrossFit within the Royal Navy.
In 2021, I co-founded Fortitude South Coast, a gym built on the values of service, community, and sustainable health. Since opening, we’ve never looked back. Coaching is my passion. What happens in the gym is important, but what matters most is how it carries over into everyday life. Helping people become stronger, healthier, and more capable in every aspect of life is at the heart of everything I do.
Paul Ormston
I’ve been passionate about sport and fitness for as long as I can remember. My journey started in combat sports, which eventually led me to represent UK Armed Forces & GB Boxing on the International stage. Alongside competing, I’ve spent 20 years serving in the Royal Navy, with 17 of those years as a Physical Training Instructor. An experience that shaped both my love of coaching, service and my belief in the power of teamwork.
Over the past 20+ years, I’ve had the privilege of coaching a wide variety of people, from beginners taking their first steps in fitness, to elite athletes chasing podium performances, to individuals navigating unique life stages like pre/postpartum, menopause or adapting to injuries and disabilities. I’ve also worked as the Head Coach for Navy & Marines Boxing, and as a part time podium performance coach for England and GB Boxing.
These days, my approach is simple: people come first. I believe trust and connection are the foundation of any good coach-athlete relationship. Movement, strength, and performance all grow naturally when we prioritise the person behind the athlete. I’m an S&C Coach, Level 3 CrossFit & Boxing Coach and have an MSc in High Performance Coaching. But beyond the credentials, my real passion is helping people discover what they’re capable of, unlocking their potential and having a tonne of fun along the way!
UK First MetFix Affiliation
As the First UK MetFix Affiliate, we integrate fitness with health care, helping individuals improve not just their fitness but also their long-term health, behaviour, and mindset.
MetFix is a ground-breaking model that originates in the US, that empowers coaches to play a direct role in lifelong health, working alongside medical professionals to deliver:
- Behaviour change strategies.
- Nutrition and lifestyle coaching.
- Functional assessments and recovery support.
This partnership reinforces our ethos: that fitness is more than reps and sets, it’s about helping people feel healthier and stronger and live healthy, active lives they can enjoy! As part of the MetFix network, we’re not just improving fitness; we’re contributing to a healthier local community in the Portsmouth area, one person at a time.
Why MetFix Diet works long term
Most diets fail because they don’t address underlying hormonal imbalances, especially insulin resistance. The MetFix Diet:
- Corrects this at root cause.
- Doesn’t rely on calorie counting.
- Reduces hunger naturally.
- Makes fat loss sustainable by restoring your metabolism.
What makes MetFix Effective?
- Low Carb - lower insulin, lower blood sugar, more fat burning.
- High Fat - steady energy, satiety, no crashes.
- Intermittent Fasting - healing, hormonal balance.
- Real Food - reduced inflammation, better nutrient density.
The Diet
This is the single greatest factor, within your control, that you can use to optimise your health. Our dietary recommendation is one that supports metabolic flexibility (the ability to use both carbs and fat as fuel), keeping intake levels to that which supports exercise, but not body fat.
Our prescription is a low carb, moderate protein and high fat diet. This looks like eating meat and vegetables, nuts and seeds, some starch, little fruit and no sugar or seed oils. This is the optimal input to active life-long health.
Exercise
This is the second greatest factor, within your control, that you can use to optimise your health. Our exercise recommendation is to perform constantly varied, high-intensity, functional movement.
What that intensity looks like is unique to each person’s physiological and psychological capacity. This is where our expert coach’s step in; to challenge you individually with unique rep schemes, movements or strategies within every workout to meet you where you’re at. This ensures your safe, continuous progression and attendance at the gym.
