Gym Articles

Ironworks Gym

Modern Alchemy: Gold into IRON
Ironworks Gym

I once heard that there is a fine line between ?hobby? and ?mental illness?. People usually say something like this to criticize me for my iron obsession, and I never try to explain anything to them. But to you, I?ll explain that anything worth doing ? is worth doing to excess! I can?t stand ?well-rounded individuals;? send the mentally ill fanatics to me instead. They?re more fun!
Real lunatics have nicknames, and that is one way to check the authenticity of an asylum. Some of the more interesting people I?ve worked out with include: Hillbilly Bigs, Hippy Jeff, The Bulgarian Brothers, Animal, Big Billy, Ed (not his real name), and so forth. (You get the idea.) Some people want to go to a bar ?where everybody knows your name.? Fine, but give me gym where everyone knows my nickname!
When Dan Matthews contacted me about Ironworks gym in Florida, the first thing I noticed was the nicknames (and the Monster Truck). I got photos of Kamikaze Dan, Strongman Ron, Henry the Czech, G. Man Gary, and Tom the Transvestite. Oh wait, that last photo was from another stack. Anyway, these names intrigued me ? and then I found out they do Powerlifting meets there, they have Strongmen, and they even have a guy ?training to be run over by a truck!? IS THIS A GREAT GYM OR WHAT?!
Here?s the story, as told by Dan Matthews:

In 1975, Rafael Guerrero, Cuban fighter pilot, weightlifting champion, acrobat, international weightlifting coach, strength statistician and historian, opened Gold Coast Gym in North Lauderdale, Florida. Rafael built most of the equipment himself, so there is no chrome and lots of aluminum paint. Five years ago he sold the gym to Gary and Leigh Anne McCartney who changed the name to Ironworks. Rafael, then in his 70?s, got married and now travels the world with his bride as international representative for York Barbell Company.

The gym was intended as a haven for the many serious athletes who live or visit in South Florida. Gary and Leigh Anne have continued that tradition.
Ironworks is located in the shade of an overpass. The parking lot looks like a warm-up room for monster trucks, where the super-heavyweight champion is Gary?s silver growling mastodon with Ironworks painted on the side.

Inside, there is a racket: guys laugh, shout and bang plates with Def Leopard and Spanish rap rattles the windowpanes. There is a juice bar with no juice, but Pan American Champ Jimmy Burgos whips up 1000-calorie protein shakes complete with bananas and Yoo-Hoo. The place smells like Icy-Hot, ammonia, and sweat on iron. There are no Otomix, but lots of work shoes and Chuck Taylor?s, no spandex, but lots of meet shirts and competition gear. And there is chalk.

There is always a crowd at the floor platform (complete with DJ jack), power rack and a jack-up squat racks, where there is also a 10-inch box to keep everybody honest. Guys are doing THG-raises, reverse hypers, and Roman chair sit-ups; squatting with safety squat bars and pulling with trap bars and bending bars with partials and lock outs; and doing floor presses, board presses, and cambered presses. Men and women both do high pulls, power snatches, and power cleans. Somebody is always working with stretch bands, chains, or bungi cords. The heavy bags are constantly thumping. There is no sauna, but the heavy bag room is unventilated. New England?s Strongest Man Ron Fortin, who is training to be run over by a truck, likes to lie on the floor and stake plates on his stomach. A couple of guys hang their heels to raise their blood pressure for big lifts. There is a bowling ball if any one wants to play catch. There is even an arm wrestling pulley.

Since there is no place for dance aerobics, Tai-Bo or spinning, there are no certified fitness twinkies on the payroll. But Gary, Leigh Anne, and Jimmy are always available to help newcomers. There are seven world champion powerliftters who train here along with about 30 up-and-coming competitors. Ron has recruited 5 or 6 strongman competitors, who have an annex which includes beer kegs, boulders, a Conan?s wheel, and a truck to drag around. Detroit Lions? Oscar Smith, the friendliest T-Rex on the planet, holds court in the gym every afternoon. Independent professionals, like strength coach Kamikaze San Matthews (NASA World Champ) and Joe Kozma (Collegiate National Bodybuilding Champ), bring their clients here to train. So Ironworks is alive with training tips and inspiration, and is such a friendly place that youngsters and novices are quickly adopted.

Ironworks produces champs in many sports. In just 6 weeks this Spring?
? The Ironworks power team took home 11 first place trophies and the team championship at WNPF Pan-American Championships. Jeff Lawson set an AR 410 bench at 165.
? Jindrich Cervenka (Henry the Czech) took 3rd place at the St. Louis Strongmen II, only 2 weeks after his Pan-American win at 242. Heath Allison was 5th and Ron was 9th.
? Rob Keller went to Russia for the IPF Collegiate World?s. No results yet.
? WNPF World Champ Lance Mosley won the APF State Championship with an elite 1789 @ 198. Lance has been training for 2 years. This qualifies him for the WPO Money Meets.
? Undefeated Thai boxer and 3rd generation soccer goalie Doug Almeida led the Coral Springs Strikers to their league championship.
? And owner Gary, the G-man himself, who has posted 1725 and a 515 bench at 238lbs., won 1st place and best poser in the Super Natural Bodybuilding Championships.

The high point of Ironworks? year is the South Florida Bench-off and Deadlift competition, held every October. This meet is held in the sun, in the parking lot outside the gym, and usually attracts about 80 lifters. Local fans get to see some big iron move: deadlifts go past 700, and middleweight AAU World Champ Greg Wright always does 6 plates and change. There is also a max rep bench press event, where 30+ bodyweight reps will get you in the contest and 40 will win.
In May, IPA World Champ Adam Rubin moved here from Iron Island Gym. We now have two members who are benching 400+ pounds at 165. There are some gyms who can boast of 1 or 2 superstars in their membership, but very few have the depth and diversity of Ironworks.
Many people think a gym like Ironworks is not commercially feasible, but the gym has never advertised, and our membership renewal rate is about 75%.
Another note: And why not?! Who wouldn?t renew with all this fun and excitement going on? Gym owners ? take note! Put on strength events, cultivate fanatics ? and THEY WILL COME! Heck, I want to go to Ironworks, and I live in Texas! OK, I better get back to work. (I just got a shipment of the new Monster Mini Bands, and I?m dying to try them out.)
Remember: if at first you don?t succeed, skydiving is not for you. No, no; what I meant to say is that if you train real hard ? you might be able to be run over by a truck someday too!
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Rick@houseofpainironwear.com
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HOUSE OF PAIN
PO BOX 333
Fate, TX 75132