HARDCORE GYM #104

 

January 2011 - Vol. 34 No. 3

IRON EMPIRE GYM

by Rick Brewer | rick[at]houseofpain.com

www.houseofpain.com

A lot of things grow big underground. For example, potatoes and gophers. But what usually grows big in the basement under a gym? Mold and rats—or something worse. What if these underground rats ate the mold, and grew into bigger and stronger rats...or maybe even mutant gym-rats? We know about a lot of basement gyms, and we know a little about the steroids from UGL’s. Who knows if the two things are mere coincidence? I can just imagine what toxins are in the underground water supply.

One thing is certain: stuff gets BIGGER underground. If you train below-grade long enough, maybe you can even become an Iron Empire Gym-rat! But I’m getting ahead of myself; let’s start with an email from Frank Ellinger:

 

Rick, thanks again for the interest. Let me start by saying ‘don’t judge a book by its cover!!’ The name of our street-level gym is Totally Fit (TF). (Of course, that name is as gay as it comes, but I’m still reading. RB) The TF gym was started and named by a friend of ours, and it is not really a powerlifting type gym. My brother Will approached TF about five years ago with the idea of setting up a training facility in the basement under his “gym” and that’s how we started our Iron Empire Gym. We have trained at numerous gyms, including Dr. Ken’s old Iron Island. (I always loved it when Ned Low went to Iron Island back in the early days of Powerlifting Video! RB)

 

A separate hard-core gym, in the basement under a regular gym? Just like the Bat-Cave!! I love it!

The IRON EMPIRE GYM is a true underground garage gym; totally raw in every aspect. We are in an unfinished basement; no heat, no A/C, cement walls, and wood beams—those are the fancy highlights. We hauled down enough rubber matting to cover the floor and got started. Hauling the equipment and weights down a flight of stairs, by hand, could have been a strong man contest alone! My brother (Will Ellinger) and I have been building our own equipment for a number of years; including fat bars, sleds, and farmers walk torpedoes, just to name a few. Will trains a lot of young athletes—high school and college students mostly, but also wrestlers, football, lacrosse players, etc. All others are welcome. He trains them like a team (in groups) because of time and to keep the price as low as he can (currently $10/session).

 

Okay, I admit it, they hooked me from jump with the idea that their gym was in the basement under another gym. That’s all I heard because I always wanted a secret ‘Bat-Cave.’ Heck, what boy didn’t envy Batman for his secret underground lair? If Batman had kept Catwoman (Halle Berry) down there, instead of that sissy Robin, I would STILL be wearing my cape as I type this. I’m just saying. Back to reality:

 

The IRON EMPIRE is certainly a hardcore gym, although at first glance you could be fooled because the IRON EMPIRE is located in the basement of TOTALLY FIT (TF). TF is a full service health club and day spa. This may seem like an odd couple, but it has been a good partnership for all. The underground Iron Empire caters mostly to athletes who want to improve in the sports arena. Over the years, powerlifters, strongman competitors, and Olympic lifters have all trained at our underground gym. The idea of setting up in the unfinished basement of TOTALLY FIT came about to keep costs reasonable. By sharing space, equipment, and so forth, we have economized. We even bring memberships to Totally Fit, so we have worked together to achieve this goal. Non-power type family members who drive their kids to the Iron Empire Gym can join the Totally Fit Gym and enjoy totally different offerings for health and wellness.

 

Do you know Batman or Catwoman?
Ummm, no. But we have an old stereo with some big speakers and a complete list of equipment that you would expect in any hardcore gym. Maybe even more. Interesting equipment we made personally includes flat benches, incline, decline, dumbbells up to 120 pounds, four power racks, dip bar, low cable row, T-bar row, two hex-bars, reverse hyper, glute/ham raise, and tons of free weights. We have all kinds of odd stuff to carry: sand bags, kegs, and custom farmer’s walking handles. There are ropes, rings, boxes, heavy bags, sleds, and a tire to flip.

 

Those Batmobile tires are pretty wide, aren’t they?
Yeah, I guess. But we left a lane down the middle of the floor so you can flip the tire rain or shine. We also have a safety squat, cambered, buffalo bar, blast bar, custom made fat bars, chains, bands, top squat, front squat harness, Zercher squat yoke, custom made T-handle for swings, custom hammers, 7 foot EZ bar and more. We’re also adding a 20-by-20 wrestling/grappling mat area.

 

Is your brother sort of like Robin?
Not really. But my brother has taken inspiration, instruction and ideas from many sources. Our father always talked about the “old school” training. Coincidently, he started training in 1947 in a hand dug-out basement. (YES; this family has been underground for two generations! RB) We always find ourselves looking back to the old time lifters from York Barbell, and other similar places, for different ideas and motivation. Will started reading Powerlifting USA in 1984, when he was in college. Will did not know what powerlifting was then. As luck would have it, one of our favorite writers at the time, Dr. Ken Liestner, was just starting up his new gym, the IRON ISLAND. Will was just 20, and I was only 15, but we traded a car to a friend to get 2 memberships and a trap bar. (Way cool trade! RB)
We got to see and train with some excellent lifters. We also received great instruction from Dr. Ken and Ralph Roila, his partner at the time. Will has never forgotten what Dr. Ken said to us when we first came in, and Will still repeats the same phrase to this day. Ken said in part ‘Join up; if you don’t like it here, I’ll give you your money back. I’ll shake your hands and you can leave knowing that while it may not have worked out for you, I’m a fair and honest guy!’ We knew right away that we were in the right place, and we also learned how people should do business!

 

Robin was sort of girly. I always worried about him. You’re sure that Will is not like Robin in any way?
Not at all! Will has studied just about everything you can imagine about powerlifting, and some things that you probably wouldn’t think of. He looks to the experts for information and inspiration, and a lot of lifters have helped. Powerlifters are generally good “down to earth” people who are willing to help a fellow lifter out. Some years back, Will spent time on the phone with Louie Simmons of WESTSIDE. Will called him out of the blue. Even though Louie didn’t know Will from a hole in the wall, he took time to share information with Will that helped solve some problems. Louie’s info is still useful today! Dave Tate and his crew at ELITE FITNESS SYSTEMS is another group of helpful lifters that Will has enjoyed reading about and working with.

In the end, Will and I put together a pretty good place to train. We have helped the athletes who train with us reach some of their goals—and we will continue to do so. I would also like to mention that Will is a head writer of strength and related articles for www.lighthousewrestling.com. These articles give the athletes good, honest, and basic information that they can use. Please check it out. If you are ever (underground) on Long Island, please look us up. Or look down, whatever. Will’s email is ironwill@optonline.net and we have a new website at www.theironempire.com.

I would like to thank you and PLUSA for putting an article together about our gym.

 

Frank, you and Will are my heroes for having an underground training facility with secret passwords and trap-doors. Plus you traded a car for a gym membership!! Awesome!! Iron Empire is the coolest place to wear a cape while lifting underground! I have just a few more Q’s about your connection to other underground societies, but I’ll PM you on those matters. Tell Catwoman I said hey—she is way hot!

Powerlifting USA readers, if any of you know Catwoman, please ask her why she never returns my calls. Try to get her to at least send me some photos or something. Until next month, keep lifting—above or below ground—and do NOT sniff the cleaning chemicals at the gym. I’ve had trouble focusing ever since I huffed a mixture of our cleaning supplies… Gym comments or Catwoman photos: rick@houseofpain.com.

*photographs courtesy of Iron Empire Gym

 

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