The Ascend Program
Our 12-week, 5-phase training block isn’t just a program — it’s a blueprint for transformation.
At Ascend, we’ve developed a proven strength and conditioning system that progresses every member with purpose — whether you’re rebuilding from scratch or levelling up your performance. Every phase serves a specific role in your development, building on the last so you don’t just get results — you earn them.
Basecamp
Build Muscle. Build Habits. Build the Base.
This is where every great journey starts — at BaseCamp. Here we lay the physical and mental foundations that carry you through the climb. We focus on building lean muscle, increasing work capacity, and refining your movement patterns to prevent injury and promote longevity. You’ll be introduced to compound lifts and complex movements with higher volume and moderate loads. Sessions are structured to teach you how to train with intensity — not just effort — and start developing the habits that set you apart.
We don’t rush the foundation. We master it.
The Ascent
From Mass to Power. Step Into the Climb.
After laying the groundwork, we start converting your muscle mass into real, functional strength. Volume tapers off slightly as intensity increases, pushing you to lift heavier and move with purpose. You’ll feel your body changing — stronger lifts, more confidence under the bar, and a clearer understanding of what you’re truly capable of. Technique remains a priority, but the challenge increases — this is where the climb starts to steepen.
Less fluff. More force. Keep climbing.
Elevate Focus
Sharpen the Edge. Eliminate Weak Links.
Now we narrow in. This phase is all about precision, discipline, and peak output. We reduce training volume again while increasing load and focus on intensity zones. Expect more heavy sets, lower reps, and targeted accessory work to address imbalances and unlock your next level of strength. We also begin layering in mental resilience strategies — this phase isn’t just about the body. It’s about learning to stay sharp, focused, and consistent when most people would burn out or plateau.
Here, we don’t just train muscles. We train mindset.
Peak Preparation
Own Your Strength. Rise to the Challenge.
This is the final push to the summit. Sessions are now shorter but more intense. We focus on maximal strength development, with the lowest volume of the program and the heaviest loads you'll handle to date. We begin integrating performance-based cues, refining lift execution under fatigue, and mentally preparing for the Apex Assessment ahead. Every rep counts. Every rest matters. You’re now training with the discipline and intensity of someone who’s ready to dominate the mountain.
No more guesswork. Only calculated, measured execution.
Apex Assessment
Test. Reflect. Reset. Repeat.
This is your checkpoint — not just physically, but mentally and emotionally too. You'll test your 3-rep maxes, evaluate body composition changes, and reflect on the journey so far. It’s a week of celebration, learning, and goal recalibration as we assess your progress and map out your next climb. This isn’t about chasing perfection — it’s about taking ownership of your results and preparing to rise again, stronger.
Every summit leads to the next one.
Our Services
Clean, natural food is more than fuel—
it’s clarity in mind, strength of body,
and intention in the life you choose to live.
Eat well, feel alive, and rise with purpose.
Customised Nutrition Plans
Simple. Sustainable. Designed for Your Life.
At Ascend, we don’t do cookie-cutter meal plans or unrealistic diets that leave you starving and confused. Our customised nutrition plans are built around you — your body, your goals, your lifestyle, and your schedule.
Whether you’re trying to burn fat, build muscle, boost energy, or just stop second-guessing what to eat — we’ve got you covered.
Each plan is:
- Tailored to your goals – Based on your body composition, training intensity, and lifestyle demands.
- Flexible and family-friendly – Easy to prep, enjoyable to eat, and realistic for busy people.
- Simple to follow – No tracking apps required. Just real food, real results, and real clarity.
- Adaptable – We adjust your plan as you progress to avoid plateaus and keep momentum.
You’ll get a clear day-by-day breakdown, including meals, snacks, portion sizes, and practical tips — not just a PDF you forget about. We’ll even walk you through it so you know why you’re eating what you’re eating.
Fuel the climb. Feed the results. Live strong.
That’s how we do nutrition at Ascend.
Motivation comes and goes—but discipline shows up every day.At Ascend, we train not just for aesthetics, but to build resilience, grit, and character.When you make discipline your motivation, progress becomes inevitable.
1-on-1 Personal Training
Elite Coaching. Maximum Focus. Real Results.
If you’re ready to level up with personal attention, custom programming, and elite-level coaching — this is it.
Train directly with Doug Black, Head Coach and Co-Founder of Ascend Fitness Studio. With 20+ years of experience in strength and conditioning, pro-level combat sports, and transformation coaching, Doug doesn’t just train bodies — he builds people.
Whether you’re a complete beginner who wants to move better and feel confident again, or a seasoned lifter ready to hit new PRs — Doug will meet you where you’re at and walk you forward with purpose.
- Fully customised training program built around your body, goals, lifestyle, and limitations
- Expert technical coaching on strength, conditioning, Olympic lifts, and injury prevention
- Accountability, clarity, and support every step of the way
- Mindset coaching to build resilience, break plateaus, and stay consistent
- Access to nutrition guidance to complement your training goals
Doug’s coaching is results-driven, no-nonsense, and 100% tailored to you. He brings the same level of focus and detail whether you’re doing your first push-up or prepping for a heavy barbell cycle.
This is your time. One coach. One goal. Your transformation.
Progress isn’t just about what you see in the mirror—it’s about what you measure. Orient yourself – find where you are and where you’re headed. By tracking key metrics, you can fine-tune your training, stay focused, and make every workout count. Smart adjustments lead to stronger results.
In-House Body Composition Scanning
Track Progress. Set Targets. Eliminate Guesswork.
At Ascend, we don’t guess — we measure.
Our in-house Body Composition Scanner is free for all members and a key part of how we get real results that last.
This isn’t just a fancy machine — it’s a powerful tool that gives us accurate data on your muscle mass, body fat percentage, hydration, metabolic rate, and more. With that info, we can:
- Set clear, tangible goals tailored to your body
- Choose the right training sessions to match your goals
- Build a customised nutrition plan specific to your physiology
- Track your progress over time so you know what’s working
- Stay accountable — both you and us as coaches
The scan helps us start strong and move forward with precision. It’s not about chasing the scales — it’s about building a body that works better, feels better, and performs better.
Know your numbers. Own your journey. Let’s make progress you can prove.
Peak performance demands more than just training—it demands complete restoration. IV Infusion Therapy optimises your body’s internal environment, delivering precise nutrients for rapid recovery and sustained output. It’s about fuelling your cellular engine, ensuring every effort contributes to true, lasting progress.
IV Infusion Therapy
Optimise Your Recovery. Accelerate Your Performance. Fuel Your Edge.
At Ascend, we understand that true progress extends beyond the gym floor. It’s about optimising every aspect of your well-being, from the inside out. Our IV Infusion Therapy services are designed to give your body the precise nutrients it needs, delivered directly and efficiently, so you can recover faster, perform stronger, and live with sustained vitality.
These customised infusions are more than just a boost; they’re a strategic tool for those committed to pushing their limits and demanding excellence from their bodies.
- Tailored to Your Needs: Every infusion is customised to your unique physiological requirements and performance goals, ensuring your body gets exactly what it needs.
- Direct & Efficient Nutrient Delivery: Bypass the digestive system for immediate absorption, maximizing the impact of essential fluids, vitamins, and minerals.
- Accelerated Recovery: Support your body’s natural healing processes, reduce muscle soreness, and bounce back quicker from intense training.
- Enhanced Hydration & Vitality: Replenish critical fluids and nutrients lost during exertion, boosting energy levels and overall well-being.
- Performance Optimisation: Fuel your body at a cellular level, contributing to sustained energy, mental clarity, and peak physical output.
This is about taking control of your recovery and priming your body for constant readiness. Unleash your potential. Recover with purpose. Ascend with every drop.
True health isn’t about quick fixes—it’s about understanding your body’s unique blueprint. Naturopathic Wellness guides you to uncover the root causes of imbalance, providing personalised, natural strategies for deep healing and enduring vitality. This is about building a foundation of resilience, transforming how you live from the inside out.
Naturopathic Wellness
Holistic Health. Root Cause Solutions. Empowering Your Vitality.
At Ascend, we believe in a comprehensive approach to your well-being, one that addresses the whole person to unlock true, lasting health. Our Naturopathic Wellness services connect you with expert guidance that goes beyond symptom management, diving deep to understand the root cause of your health challenges. With over 30 years of experience in natural health solutions, we’re here to help you cultivate resilience and achieve optimal vitality.
Whether you’re struggling with chronic conditions, seeking to boost your energy, or simply aiming to understand your body better, our personalised naturopathic care provides clear pathways to powerful results.
- Personalised Consultations: Access expert naturopathic guidance through flexible face-to-face or convenient telehealth appointments, designed around your unique health journey.
- Root Cause Investigation: Move beyond surface-level symptoms to uncover and address the fundamental imbalances impacting your health, ensuring sustainable improvements.
- Targeted Natural Solutions: Benefit from practitioner-grade natural supplements and herbal medicine, precisely selected to support your body’s innate healing capabilities.
- Comprehensive Health Insights: Utilise advanced health testing and online iridology to gain deeper clarity into your physiological landscape and track your progress.
- Broad Spectrum Support: Receive natural remedies for a wide range of concerns, including digestive health, hormonal balance, energy levels, immune function, and stress management.
This is your opportunity to build a foundation of enduring health, guided by knowledge and empowered by nature. Understand your body. Own your health journey. Rise with purpose.
Lasting strength isn’t just built in the gym—it’s forged in resilient movement. Physiotherapy empowers you to master your body’s mechanics, recover from setbacks, and build an unshakeable foundation for performance. It’s about optimising every step, every lift, and every motion to unlock your true physical potential.
Expert Physiotherapy
Reclaim Movement. Accelerate Recovery. Build Unstoppable Resilience.
At Ascend, we understand that optimal performance begins with a body that moves without limitation. Our Expert Physiotherapy services are designed to get you back to peak condition, whether you’re recovering from injury, managing chronic pain, or aiming to prevent future setbacks. Our experienced physiotherapists provide up-to-date, evidence-based care that’s as rigorous and personalised as your training.
We treat a diverse range of clients, from elite athletes pushing their limits to individuals seeking to regain everyday movement and confidence. This is not just about fixing problems; it’s about building a body that performs better, feels better, and stands strong against any challenge.
- Personalised, Evidence-Based Care: Receive tailored treatment plans delivered in private rooms, ensuring focused attention on your unique needs and recovery goals.
- Comprehensive Injury & Pain Management: Expert care for acute pain, chronic conditions, and specific issues, empowering you to move freely and without discomfort.
- Sports Performance & Injury Prevention: Specialised support for athletes to optimise movement patterns, enhance performance, and minimise the risk of future injuries.
- Post-Surgery & Rehabilitation: Guided recovery protocols to efficiently regain strength, mobility, and function after surgical procedures.
- Holistic Movement Solutions: Access to integrated approaches, including massage therapy, to complement your rehabilitation and enhance overall physical well-being.
This is your partnership in mastering movement and building a resilient physique. Move with purpose. Recover with precision. Live strong.
Sessions
Strength
“Strength, fitness, and health aren’t hobbies or luxuries—they’re responsibilities, especially if others depend on you. Your strength matters.
One day, someone strong will be needed.
Will it be you?
My mantra—“Strength is for service, not for self”—drives me daily. Before dawn, I read, pray, and train—not for ego or appearance, but to prepare my mind, body, and spirit to serve my family, friends, and community.
Some days, we don’t want to train or eat right. When it’s just for us, quitting feels easy. But when it’s for others, the fire stays alive.
If you’re struggling with purpose or consistency, rethink your “why.” You’re not doing it for you.
You’re doing it for them.”
The cornerstone for anyone looking to build solid, functional muscle. Divided into two focused sessions, these classes meticulously target the major muscle groups.
On mondays, the class hones in on the upper body with a series of push and pull movements designed to enhance muscular balance and strength.
Thursdays are dedicated to the lower body, incorporating fundamental compound exercises such as squats and deadlift variations. These movements are crucial for building a strong foundation, improving posture, and increasing overall power.
Benefits of the Ascend Strength classes include enhanced muscle mass, improved bone density, and increased metabolic rate, which together pave the way for a stronger, more resilient body.
Power
“Power isn’t about dominance or ego.
It’s about being a force that others can lean on when their strength falters.
The world doesn’t wait for permission to test you.
Someday, a moment will arrive when hesitation means heartbreak.
That’s why you build power now — not because you crave it, but because you owe it.
Real power is quiet. It doesn’t boast.
It wakes before dawn, grinds through fatigue, and chooses discipline when no one is watching.
It sharpens itself for a purpose bigger than applause.
Power is a debt you carry.
A commitment you honor.
A gift you cultivate until it can bear the weight of those who need you.
If you’re searching for a reason to stay strong when it hurts, remember this:
Power doesn’t belong to you.
It belongs to those you rise to protect.”
Our dynamic class that emphasises Olympic lifting techniques and explosive power.
Held on Tuesdays and Fridays, it’s designed to challenge and improve your physical capabilities through clean variations, clean and press movements, and the use of kettlebells for full-body power exercises.
This class not only enhances your explosive strength and power but also improves your coordination, agility, and athletic performance. Incorporating kettlebells and other dynamic movements provides a well-rounded approach to power training, fostering improvements in speed, endurance, and functional strength.
Ascend Power is ideal for individuals looking to elevate their athletic prowess and achieve peak physical condition.
Conditioning
“Conditioning is a conversation between you and discomfort.
A quiet agreement that you’ll keep showing up long after the thrill is gone.
It doesn’t care about style or applause.
It’s about teaching the heart to stay calm when the body is burning.
About making breathing itself an act of discipline.
Conditioning is how you build a longer fuse.
A stronger engine.
A deeper reservoir of grit.
It’s choosing the grind when no one is looking, knowing that the test will come when no one can save you.
Stamina doesn’t happen in moments of glory.
It’s built in moments of doubt, repetition, and fatigue —
one step, one breath, one beat at a time.
In the end, conditioning isn’t about beating others.
It’s about beating the voice that says ‘enough’ before you’re truly finished.”
Scheduled for Wednesdays, offers a vital midweek deload and recovery session with a twist. Instead of heavy lifting, this class focuses on muscular and cardiovascular endurance through a variety of exercises.
The aim is to enhance overall performance and stamina without overburdening the body, allowing for optimal recovery and growth. Participants can expect to engage in activities that push their conditioning, such as circuit training and high-repetition strength work, all designed to improve cardiovascular health, endurance, and metabolic efficiency.
Ascend Conditioning is perfect for those looking to balance out intense training sessions with a focused, recover-oriented workout that still challenges the body’s limits.
Intensity
“Intensity doesn’t ask permission.
It arrives like a lightning strike — sharp, brief, and all-consuming.
It’s not about going longer, it’s about going harder.
About compressing effort into moments that matter.
About finding the edge of your limit and leaning into it until your breath is a ragged whisper and your muscles scream for mercy.
High-intensity work is a test of honesty.
It exposes the cracks in your discipline and the depth of your will.
There’s nowhere to hide when the clock is running and every second demands all you have.
But in that place — where doubt and discomfort collide — strength is born.
Not because you defeated the workout,
but because you refused to let it defeat you.
Intensity is a reminder that growth doesn’t happen in comfort.
It’s a reminder that a few moments of total commitment can rewrite the story of who you are and what you’re capable of.
Give it everything, every time.
That’s how you build the kind of strength that doesn’t flinch when life turns up the heat.”
Is our 30-minute blitz of High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIV), strategically placed to maximise calorie burn and boost cardiovascular fitness.
This class is all about pushing your limits in short, intense bursts of exercise followed by brief recovery periods.
It’s designed to elevate your heart rate, challenge your endurance, and improve your body’s recovery time.
The benefits of Ascend Intensity include enhanced calorie burn, increased metabolic rate, and improved cardiovascular health.
It’s the perfect option for those with limited time who want to achieve maximum results, pushing participants to new heights in physical fitness in just half an hour.
Bootcamp
“Bootcamp is where you find out what you’re made of.
No mirrors, no excuses — just effort.
It’s a mix of strength, conditioning, and grit.
Push, pull, lift, run, crawl — it doesn’t matter.
What matters is that you show up, stay moving, and don’t quit when it hurts.
Bootcamp doesn’t care about how fit you were yesterday.
It only cares about what you give today.
Every drill is a chance to prove to yourself that you can do more than you thought.
It’s not fancy. It’s not comfortable.
It’s a test.
And every time you walk away, you’re a little tougher, a little stronger, and a lot harder to break.”
Is the ultimate Saturday morning challenge, designed to cap off the week with a high-intensity, full-body workout.
Building on the principles of Wednesday’s Ascend Condition, this class amps up the intensity with a combination of bodyweight movements, kettlebells, barbells, and other functional exercises.
It’s a comprehensive session that targets every major muscle group, designed to improve strength, endurance, and agility. Participants will leave feeling accomplished and ready to take on the weekend.
Ascend Bootcamp is ideal for those looking to test their limits and achieve holistic fitness through a challenging yet rewarding workout regimen.
Boxing
“Boxing is simple: it’s effort, timing, and control.
Every session, you face the bag or pads, and there’s nowhere to hide.
You throw, you move, you breathe — that’s it.
It’s not about looking tough.
It’s about building coordination, power, and endurance — fast hands, sharp feet, steady lungs.
Boxing teaches you to stay focused under pressure.
It forces you to work when you’re tired, to keep your form when your arms feel heavy, and to stay sharp when your mind starts to drift.
It’s not fancy.
It’s not easy.
But if you show up, round after round, you’ll build a version of yourself that doesn’t break when things get hard — in the gym, or in life.”
Offering a unique blend of high-intensity boxercise that’s both challenging and exhilarating.
In these 30-minute sessions, participants punch, jab and move their way to superior fitness.
The class focuses on aerobic conditioning, utilising boxing and kick boxing techniques to elevate the heart rate and push the body’s aerobic system.
Benefits include improved coordination, agility, and strength, alongside significant cardiovascular improvements.
Ascend Boxing is designed for individuals of all fitness levels seeking a fun, engaging way to enhance their physical health and endurance,
