Strength Works Gym
HardCore Gym # 74
more military biz in the desert
OLD stuff, MILITARY stuff, and SAND
Last month we went OLD SCHOOL at the Retro Gym in CT. We played Old School Games like 'Pin-the-toupee-on-the-bald-guy', and the ever popular 'Hide-and-go-seek-my-teeth.' But between these retro games; we found some very serious retro lifters, and my hat & hairpiece are off to all of them!
Speaking of old things - I gotta give a quick shout-out to our old (meaning long-term, not aged) Army friend Colonel David Mullins! Colonel Super-Dave has been a serious lifter for years; and he and his wife just might be the nicest people I know. We first met him when he was part of the army crew who tested physical readiness of various US National Guard troops. His whole CAT crew was great, and we were all excited when Dave made full Colonel. Then David went to Iraq to meet some foreign women; but this year he finally came back home to his wife Shari. (Just kidding Shari, RB) Seriously, Super- Dave; we missed ya - welcome back to Texas!
I get a lot of crazy stories from our US Military - everything they must do to keep training while serving overseas. Props to all of them; never quit! It's been a while since we got sand in our singlet, so we'll visit a hardcore gym in the sands of the AZ desert. Strength Works is owned by a former Marine; we'll let Cezar Danilewski fill you in:
The (Strength Works) Gym was created out of pure necessity. I got out of the Marines and started training to get my pro card in strongman. Training at LA Fitness and stopping by a buddy's house to use his implements wasn't cutting it. After playing sports and training while in the Marines; I was used to a more serious environment to say the least. I wasn't prepared for the commercial fitness scene when I got out, LOL. So after speaking with a Marine Buddy, we decided to build our own gym in Tempe AZ. We built it entirely out of sand and cactus. (OK, I made that up. RB) It's got everything you need; Elite FTS benches and racks, Texas Power bars, Eleiko Olympic bars, platforms, chalk, bumper plates, bands, chains, tumbleweeds, boards, logs, huge tires, fat bars, dumbbells up to 150lbs (still working on getting heavier ones), farmers walk implements, a sled, kegs, motivating music, etc.
We've got a bunch of powerlifters; a couple Elite lifters, a former NFL player currently playing arena football, college athletes, amateur strongman(women) and so far one pro strongman, a male model, MMA fighters, Olympic lifters, (one recently got invited to the Olympic training center), and more Jarheads and soldiers. All in addition to the regular folk (translation: we also have some old fat guys and young skinny dudes, RB) just looking to get in shape and college kids just starting out. So our crowd is quite diverse; the one thing they have in common - is that everyone is serious - from the 150lbs beginner just learning to bench, to the 40yr old vets with elite totals.
BTW, visit www.StrengthWorksGym.com to check out our video of Kevin pulling 855lbs and near missing 880lbs. He would have gotten it had the plates not fallen off. Since then, we've added 100lbs plates. That's how we adapt; something breaks - so we get stronger sh#t. Heck, we already had to fix the concrete floor underneath the platforms due to the amount of weight being dropped on it repeatedly - even under 3 inches of rubber, LOL.
Cezar Danilewski(owner)
StrengthWorks Gym
480-829-0382
A little more Q/A info. Cezar, what did you do in the Marines? Where?
My MOS was in Information Systems. I was stationed in a lot of places, but my longest tour was in HQMC in Washington, DC. Right now, I hold the rank of Sargent in the reserves. I met Chris Souza in the marines, and now he's my business partner.
PLUSA readers often contact me for the address of these Hard-Core Gyms, so we'll start including it whenever possible. What is the address?
The address is 1400 S. McClintock Tempe, AZ 85281. We're a block east of Arizona State University. We opened the doors in August 2006.
Tell me about some other interesting people training there.
Well the APF chairman for AZ comes down on Bench days on Monday. Kevin made it to the WSM, so technically he's the 8th strongest man in the world. One of our senior lifters trained in the Olympic training center for two years and another is there currently. One of our best members has spent some serious prison time. Then we have the Morris Clan; five brothers that powerlift and compete against each other. One is bringing in his son to the sport so it's growing to 6 now. (Wow, sounds like a strong family. Encourage cross-breeding to strengthen the Tempe genetics. RB)
How well do the MMA fighters, powerlifters, and strongmen co-exist?
Everyone seems to get along great. People learn a lot from each other. The strongmen are getting help with their power-cleans from the Olympic lifters. The Olympic lifters are learning to bench from the powerlifters, who are then going out back and flipping tires with the strongest men. MMA fighters flip tires, too. It's not uncommon to see one guy squatting in a rack, and another cleaning in the attached platform. Everyone is serious about their training, which seems to bond us all together.
Tell us about the male model.
He's not gay, and he doesn't do modeling anymore. He did it before to make some extra cash while in CA. (I think that's how Jenna Jameson got started. RB) Now he works as an electrician. The cool thing is that he was the guy in the first Hostel poster with the chainsaw. He got the part cause he looks all crazy with his tattoos. You'll have to see him to get what I mean; but he's not a person that most gyms would allow inside, LOL. (I remember the Hostel poster; congrat's on adding him to the party! RB)
What is the craziest thing that ever happened there?
Well, we've broke a 230lbs stone, shot a PVC pipe through a wall using some bands and a bench. (I've always wanted to try using the bands as giant slingshots!! RB) Knowing that both I and my business partner (Chris Souza) are Marines - and we are in AZ - members bring in their firearms to show off their toys. So it wouldn't be uncommon to walk into the office and see someone clean a weapon, LOL. Also, we've rolled the 650lbs tire with people inside it.
How is it different from other gyms?
We're different cause this place was built to provide a place to train first - not as a way to make tons of money. I was training at a "fitness" gym, and working towards getting a strongman pro card, and it just wasn't cutting it. I looked hard for a good gym, but there wasn't any like I needed - so I built one. Most gyms ban chalk, and have carpet in the weight room so it looks pretty, and they can sell more memberships to the ignorant. We provide a chalk bin, and the whole place has high quality thick floor matting. I'm sure you know how valuable chalk can be. (Yep. RB) Most gyms have tons of machines, cause it's easy to fool someone into thinking that you can sit in a machine and it will somehow do the work for you. We actually have lifting platforms where you have a dedicated place to deadlift and do Olmypic lifts.
We spent the cash to get Texas Power Bars, knowing how important it is to have a good bar. I've seen gyms that spend tons of money on a pool, but then buy $90 chrome bars that bend and are hard to grip.
Where are you from? What is the origin of your unusual family name?
I'm from Chicago. My family is from Poland.
Since we've already done Polish jokes; we'll skip that here. Any last words?
As far as big news; we did recently go 24/7 with a key card access control system. (Very cool dat. RB)
Strength Works Gym is worth a visit next time you're in Tempe, AZ! If you live out there in the land of sand - you better go join ASAP. And by all means; take your guns - an armed society is a polite society. It's great that there are places where serious lifters of all different stripes can get together and work out - getting stronger in new ways. Flipping tires and cleaning guns is great - as long as no BodyBuilders are allowed to pose in front of the mirrors. LOL; just kidding, jeez. Mirror-monkeys are OK until they put their posing trunks on. IJS (I'm just saying) - once they put those speedos on - it gets twisted.
Thanks to all our armed forces, for keeping the USA safe. And thanks to whoever invented A/C, so people can live in Tempe, AZ. Next month, we'll travel about 10,000 miles to visit a HardCore Gym. Yes, that was correct - 10K miles. That's a long way to get a workout; I'll let you decide if it was worth it. Until then, keep the bar loaded, and train wherever you are!
Gym Info, Comments, & crazy ideas? Rick@houseofpain.com
