Training that works with your playing, not against it.

Chris DraperDrummer @ Hamilton, London West EndFunctional Strength & Performance SpecialistAuthor of The Inner Athlete: A Musician’s Guide To Performance Conditioning

Join the Performance Conditioning Challenge

4 weeks of strength training for professional musicians. £50 buy-in (about $68). Complete all 12 sessions and get your money back.

Next cohort

Doors close
Sun 15 Nov, 23:59 UK time
Starts
Mon 16 Nov
Places
15

Join the challenge

Members include musicians affiliated with

Mariah CareyHamiltonPulpQueens of the Stone AgeLondon Symphony OrchestraMamma MiaElton JohnPhilharmonia OrchestraGary BarlowThe Lion KingRod StewartRoyal Philharmonic OrchestraPaloma FaithBack To The FutureHans ZimmerHallé OrchestraJess GlynneOperation MincemeatKatie MeluaTitaniqueSir Cliff RichardMichael BubléWaitressGeorge EzraBBC Concert OrchestraJoss StoneJersey BoysJohn LegendBBC Symphony OrchestraAlexandra BurkeWicked!Ed SheeranBook of MormonEllie GouldingHairsprayBrandi CarlileSeal

You Know a Consistent Strength Training Habit Would Help

But between the shows, the travel and the odd hours, it never quite happens. And if it does, you're following generic gym advice that was never built for someone who has to perform for a living.

So you end up in the same loop. You start, life gets in the way, and you're back at square one.

“I’d tried several trainers looking for injury prevention for my career before I found this level of knowledge. It’s an injury-saver and a career-saver.”
Lucy Landymore, Training Club MemberPercussion/Drums · Solo Artist · Hans Zimmer

Ready to Make a Commitment to Your Health?

Here's the deal: 4 week challenge. £50 buy-in (about $68).

Complete every session (3 per week for 4 weeks), and you get your money back. If you want to carry on, use it as a credit against more training. Choose to end it there and I'll refund it, no questions asked.

You only lose if you don't show up.

You'll be training alongside players from world famous commercial pop acts, West End and Broadway shows, and major orchestras.

The only requirements: you're a professional musician (or training to be one), and you're not currently injured.

What's Inside the Club

Training

Strength, conditioning, mobility and more, programmed to work alongside your performing schedule. Every exercise can be done in the gym, or swapped for a version you can do while you’re touring.

Education

Every exercise is a mini-lesson in its own right. Coming to coaching with 20 years of teaching behind me, I want to bring the quality of education we receive on our instruments into the world of training. Plus, you’ll receive guides, handbooks, articles and more, to help you become as comfortable in the gym as you are in the practice room.

Community

A dedicated community inside the app, full of musicians all over the world who take their careers as seriously as you do. Ask a question and you're not just getting my answer. You're tapping into a room of players with their own experience.

Training Is a Craft, Too

The gym can be an intimidating place. The Club is here to close the gap between feeling like an imposter and feeling at home, so the gym becomes an extension of the practice room rather than somewhere you endure.

In the Club, we see training as as much of a craft as playing an instrument, and that means it deserves the same level of care.

Most online coaching gives you a quick demo and leaves you guessing. Here, every exercise comes with a full lesson: what to do, why you’re doing it and what it should feel like, with scalable options that meet you where you are, as well as a travel version so your training is never interrupted by a tour.

This Block: Postural Strength

The Training Club runs in themed blocks, each one training something different through the year. The October-December block is called Realign, with a focus on Postural strength.

What Posture Isn't

This work is non-negotiable to cope with the repetitive demands of playing an instrument.

Join a Worldwide Professional Community

Club members are based all over the world, and many of them tour to all four corners of it, with their training in hand wherever they are.

You’ll be training alongside players from acts such as Pulp, Elton John, George Ezra, Michael Bublé and Gary Barlow. They’re in West End, Broadway and touring productions including Hamilton, Wicked, Mamma Mia, The Lion King and Waitress, and in orchestras including the BBC Symphony Orchestra, the Royal Philharmonic and Hans Zimmer’s touring orchestras.

“I feel like I’m carrying myself better, and it’s already transferred into playing my instrument in a more controlled, relaxed way.”
Rich Jones, Training Club MemberViola · Strings MD for Pulp

This Probably Won't Look Like the Training You're Used To

Most programmes are built for people whose only movement that day happens in the gym. Yours isn't. You've got a show tonight. So two things work differently here.

The Dynamic Intensity System

Most training advice tells you to do 3 sets of 10 and add weight every week. In the Club, we use a specific training system that teaches you to progress safely without ever training yourself into a corner. Your availability to play comes above everything else, and your training should reflect that.

1-1 Coaching Through The Weekly Review

No week as a musician is ever the same and things will crop up along your training journey. The Weekly Review gives you the opportunity to receive direct coaching on anything and everything performance and training related. Every review is read, reviewed, and responded to directly by me.

At a professional level, bad days and injuries are rarely a practice problem. They're a load management one. Through your Weekly Review, you'll learn to read your own physiology, so you can train, perform and recover more intelligently.

What the Members Say

If you want a performance plan for the working musician who wants to keep working without getting injured, coached by someone who actually understands the lifestyle, this is for you.

"I'd trained consistently for years but couldn't escape a cycle of progression and injury. With Chris's guidance, I'm finding more functionality across all areas, not just strength, and I'm finally making progress again."
"It felt like 1:1 training. Targeted workouts rather than hours in the gym, and long-standing niggles finally identified and addressed structurally."
"Chris explains high-level, complex concepts in digestible bites and quickly spots your weak points. His way of looking at the body and brain holistically makes so much sense."
"Chris told me to feel like I was reaching out through my supporting arm rather than the moving one, and suddenly my whole back woke up."
"I've become my own trainer inside the sessions."
"On vibraphone, my left hand was always the harder one to connect to my brain, to tell it to hit straight. Going back to it yesterday, it just felt easier to connect from my brain to my hand. Things were working better than they usually do."
"I've got better posture, even day to day. I've always envied ballet dancers' posture, and I'm amazed how quickly I noticed a difference."
"Every exercise Chris curates adds value to my daily life and function, as well as to my work as a musician."
"I've made more progress over the last year than I did in the previous five. And the improvements in how I navigate life have been invaluable."

What Your First Month Actually Feels Like

"My first month in Chris's Performance Conditioning Training Club has been brilliant.

For a long time I'd struggled to find a method of training that I could commit to, which was flexible enough to work with my varied schedule, and catered for my specific needs as a musician. I defaulted to the same old exercises which I knew I could do for a few minutes each morning, which were better than nothing, but lacked direction and progression.

What Chris has put together has proved to be the perfect option for someone like myself.

I love that he has considered options for training at home, on the move, or at the gym, and that the schedule is flexible for me to work it around my commitments from one week to the next.

Within this first month I've already noticed an improved mind-body connection on my instrument, with decreased ‘lag’ between my thoughts and putting them into action on the drum kit. My average baseline has improved, and there are more 'good days' at the drums than before.

I've also got a lot out of the additional resources Chris has poured into the group, beyond the training plans themselves. A recent seminar on load management struck home regarding some things I'd been struggling to balance, and gave me some great food for thought about things I can try going forwards.

This goes beyond simply having a training plan.

Chris's care and consideration is evident in every step of the process, and I'm beginning to see more what he means about us musicians seeing our body the way athletes see theirs, treating it as the vehicle through which our entire music-making careers can do what we need them to do.

I'd whole heartedly recommend musicians check this out."

Ed Chisholm, Training Club Member · Professional Drummer

niggleIQ

Your Livelihood Requires You to Be Injury-Free

Yet up to 93% of professional musicians experience an injury in their career. Numbers like that in professional sport would trigger a government inquiry.

niggleIQ is a triage tool, exclusive to The Training Club, that lets you report changes or issues in your training and playing in under a minute, so we can keep an eye on it, adapt your plan, or refer you out to a team of musician-specific medical professionals if needed.

Pain isn't something you should push through or deal with alone, and this was built with exactly that in mind.

“Working with Chris and his physio feels like being a Premier League footballer with a full-stack, integrated performance team who actually talk to each other.”
Lewis Jenkins, Training Club MemberDrums · West End · Operation Mincemeat

Who This Is For, and Who It Isn't

This Is for You If…

  • You're a working musician (or in training to be). Any instrument. Any genre.
  • Your schedule has beaten every plan you've tried. A run of shows, then travel, then nothing. That's the normal case here, not the exception, and everything about the training is built off that fact.
  • You've never trained before. Plenty of members have no experience when they arrive, and the detailed exercise tutorials are built to guide you to become confident in the gym.
  • You've trained for years but you're bored of the same routines, you've hit a plateau, or you want a smarter way to train.
  • You travel and you're tired of being at the mercy of hotel gyms.

This Isn't for You If…

  • You're already following a plan you're happy with. This work requires your attention. If you're happy with what you're doing, stick with it.
  • You want a programme written individually for you. This is a structured programme that adapts to you, not a bespoke one. If that's what you need, message me about working together directly.
  • You're in pain right now and haven't had it looked at. Message me first. Some things need hands-on care, and it's important you seek that when it's needed.
  • You want an unsustainable 90-day “shred” plan. Body composition changes happen here. In fact, most members have a body composition goal, and if that's you, you can lean into it. But it's a by-product of the training, not the whole point.
Chris Draper

Hi, I'm Chris

Though many who know me just call me “Draper”.

By night, I'm a drummer. I started out as a jazz musician, and these days I play drums on Hamilton in London's West End.

By day, I'm a functional strength and performance specialist. Which might seem an unlikely combination, so let me explain how we got here.

Back in 2023 I acquired two brain injuries that changed a lot of things, including my relationship with music. To keep myself playing through the three year recovery, I started training in a really specific way, and found I ended up getting better at the drums as a result.

I had more control. I became more consistent. Mental hangups disappeared. Long-standing niggles evaporated. My weekly physio dropped to twice yearly. And although it's not the focus of what I do, I lost a ton of brain injury weight and built a load of muscle as a by-product of the way I train.

I took those realisations, formalised them with qualifications, and started working with professional musicians probably very similar to you. Since then I've worked with solo artists and musicians affiliated with large commercial acts, as well as West End shows and major orchestras.

It turns out most of us aren't held back by our technique.

We're held back by our physiology, and the only way to get on top of that is to start treating yourself as an athlete in your own right.

And that's what The Performance Conditioning Training Club is all about.

5.0 out of 5 on Amazon

The Inner Athlete: A Musician’s Guide to Performance Conditioning

“The opening chapter is worth the price of the book alone.”
Gordy MarshallDrums · The Moody Blues
“This is a must-have for all musicians, regardless of age! I wish I’d had it sooner.”
Five-star Amazon reviewUK
“…have already seen results in a matter of weeks.”
Five-star Amazon reviewUK

What You Get for the 4 Weeks

What You'll Need to Train

If you're in a gym, you've already got most of it to hand. If you train at home or on the road, there's a short list of things that travel well and do a great job of mimicking a full gym.

Some people already own everything they need. But if you're starting from nothing, the full portable setup comes to around £60 (roughly $80), and it'll last you for years.

See exactly what you need

4 Steps to Finally Training Properly

  1. Join.Takes two minutes. You'll fill in a short welcome form so I know who I'm working with. Where you train, what you play, and anything I need to know about you.
  2. Get set up.I'll send you the kit list and everything you need to get going, plus a short set of videos walking you through how it all works.
  3. Start Monday 16 November.3 sessions a week for 4 weeks. Schedule your sessions and log them in the app. Complete your Weekly Reviews to turn your training into dynamic, 1-1 coaching.
  4. Finish, then decide.Complete all 12 sessions and get your £50 back either as a credit if you want to continue your training, or as a refund if you want to part ways. I'll also ask for your feedback so I can keep refining the Club.
“I feel far greater individual muscle control, even down to each finger.”
Chris Guard, Training Club MemberKeys · West End · Mamma Mia

Are You Ready to Take a Bet on Yourself?

Join the challenge

Strictly 15 places.

Before You Sign Up

Why does it cost £50?

Because skin in the game changes how people show up. The £50 is your stake, not my fee.

What happens after the 4 weeks?

You decide. If you want to continue, you carry straight on into the Club. Plans start from about £75 per month (about $100) on the annual plan (minus your £50 credit). This is not a gym membership. It's an investment in your health and an insurance against injury that could scupper your earning potential. If you'd rather not continue, your £50 is refunded no questions asked (as long as you complete the sessions!).

Do I have to start on 16 November?

Doors close on Sunday 15 November at 23:59 UK time, but once you're in you can complete your sessions whenever you like within the 4 weeks.

I've never trained before. Will I be lost?

No. I've had plenty of complete novices come through and they've all been fine. There's a bit to get your head around at the beginning, but every exercise has video, a written walkthrough and an easier version, and you can ask me anything at any point.

I've trained for years. Will it be too basic?

No, and this is where most experienced lifters are surprised. The intensity is set by you, not by the programme, so it scales with whatever you bring. Seasoned lifters tell me there's plenty in here that's new and challenging for them, whether that's the exercise selection, the warm ups, or the depth of the cool down sections.

What if I'm on tour or away?

That's the normal case for members here, not the exception. The programming travels on minimal equipment, session lengths adjust, and the Weekly Review keeps us on top of how training, performing and life are balancing out.

What gear do I actually need?

A gym makes it easier but isn't required. Away from a gym you'll want a suspension trainer, loop bands, a slide pad, a fabric glute band and a band anchor, which comes to about £60 all in (roughly $80). Full details here: performanceconditioning.co/gear

How much time does it take?

Three sessions a week, 45–60 minutes each.

I've got pain or an injury right now. Can I join?

Message me first so we can have a chat as every situation is different. If you join and something flares up mid-challenge, niggleIQ takes under a minute to complete and alerts me straight away.

Will this make me sore or tired for shows?

The way we train takes your performance needs into account, and as long as you train within the guidelines I teach, you won't find yourself depleted for a show that day. You might feel a little sore in your first week while it's all new, but it should be short lived. If you have any issues with soreness of any kind, niggleIQ and the 1-1 coaching points will give us plenty of opportunity to nip it in the bud.

Is it live? Do I have to show up at a certain time?

You train when you want. Nothing is scheduled. The only fixed things are the occasional live seminars, and those are recorded.

I'm a vocalist. Can I join?

Yes. The Training Club is for all musicians. I also work closely with a specialist vocal physiotherapist, so if you need support in that area it's there.

Is the programming individualised?

It's a structured programme with 1-1 coaching. If you want fully individualised programming, message me and we'll talk about what that looks like.

Do you do nutrition plans?

We don't do prescribed nutrition, however I am working on a comprehensive nutrition hub with frameworks for how to structure your meals around training and performing. Plus, there are personalised macro and micro targets, nutrition tracking, recipe books, meal planners, and shopping lists on the way soon. Short of working with a nutritionist on a bespoke plan, this will give you everything you need.

How old do I need to be?

Members need to be 18 or over.

What if I have more questions?

Email me at chris@performanceconditioning.co and I'll come back to you.

Join the challenge