For every hundred box gyms in each city, someone somewhere is doing something a little different. Microgyms have been popping out of the woodwork slowly and steadily. And while many gyms are filled with treadmills and exercise machines and unqualified “coaches,” some facilities have really taken things to the next level. The common denominators? Being open-minded enough to try new things, but critical and methodical enough to test theories and ideas. Seeking solutions to problems, wherever they can be found. Finding a balance between cutting edge practices and the good ol' effective, time-tested basics. Learning from clients as well as colleagues. Seeking out ongoing education and research to stay up to speed with new developments. Investing in or even developing the most effective equipment, but not allowing obstacles (monetary or otherwise) to get in the way. From backyard gyms to residential training, from Virginia to Arizona, Massachusetts to Utah, here's our pick of inspirational microgyms that we're impressed with.

The Strength Shop

www.thestrengthshopvb.com
thestrengthshop.blogspot.com

Matt Wichlinski opened the Strength Shop in June 2009 because it was becoming increasingly difficult for him to train his athletes at commercial gyms. “People tend to get a little uneasy when you are swinging, throwing and slamming various objects around,” he explained. Wichlinski, a two-time All-American NCAA Football Player, trains athletes who compete in sports like wrestling, kickboxing, BJJ, MMA, baseball, football and basketball as well as military and general fitness enthusiasts.







Wichlinski works with simple progressions to ensure safety and efficacy of the chosen exercises. “I utilize a variety of tools, while incorporating Olympic lifts, strongman training, basic bodybuilding to a certain degree, high intensity conditioning and anything else I believe would be effective to the athletes training in their chosen sport,” Wichlinski said. He uses barbells, dumbbells, kettlebells, sandbags and various other implements in addition to incorporating bodyweight gymnastics trainingto elicit profound results.

“I believe the most unique thing about The Strength Shop is our ability to incorporate multiple disciplines of athletics and fitness to really maximize the true physical and mental potential of the athlete in a safe and effective manner that keeps the athletes improving and progressing at all times,” Wichlinski explained. “We constantly introduce new ideas, implements and exercises while maintaining a strong focus on the basics that create superior foundations of training and athletics.” The Strength Shop, located in Virginia Beach, is open at 6AM each weekday and from 9-1 on weekends.

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Cressey Performance

www.cresseyperformance.com

Eric Cressey is highly sought after for his knowledge in everything from corrective exercise to althletic performance enhancement, and of course all things baseball. Whether he's giving presentations, co-creating DVD sets, setting records as a competitive powerlifter or writing some of the best training material found online, Cressey's skill and expertise is evident. That's probably why athletes come from all over the world and country to train at his gym.

Cressey Performance offers semi-private training, with no more than six athletes per coach (and often closer to three). Small group coaching provides an affordable, motivating and positive environment that is as enjoyable as it is demanding. Clients are individually assessed and progress is monitored, and individualized programming improves performance and reduces injury risks.

Cressey Performance stands out from other strength and conditioning facilities because of their dedicated staff who go out of their way to seek continuing education to stay at the forefront of the health and fitness industries. They include Peter Dupuis, an experienced soccer player and coach, former baseball pitcher Tony Gentilcore, a regular contributor to T-nation.com, and Brian St. Pierre, an accomplished hockey player turned strength and conditioning specialist and nutrition consultant who helped coach the University of Maine rugby team (and was later sought after as a strength and conditioning coach for the team).

Cressey Performance maintains a sport-specific programming and training mentality. “We are committed to individualized programming for all of our athletes,” said Peter Dubuis. “We offer a positive training environment regardless of the time of day or day of the week.” Cressey Performance offers a unique combination of strength training, nutritional guidelines, and physical therapy all found under one roof. The gym has about 5,000 square feet of fully equipped floor space, which includes a medicine ball wall, free weights, bumper plates, cables, slideboards, plyo boxes, a push/drag sled, chains, bands, a synthetic turf sprinting course and more. ”Cressey Performance offers an opportunity for aspiring athletes to train amongst like-minded individuals,” Dubuis explained.

Cressey Performance HQ is located in Hudson, Massachusetts, with a satellite facility dedicated to baseball and softball instruction in Framingham.



Henkin Fitness Systems

www.henkinfitnesssystems.com

Josh Henkin is best known for implementing sandbags and sandpacks into his training, and creating both books and DVDs on sandbag training fundamentals. But what's refreshing about this innovator (who actually created new sandbag products and even teaches sandbag certifications) is that he'll use any tool appropriate to the situation. “We aren't married to any one particular methodology,” Henkin points out. “My only goal is to identify the most efficient and effective means to helping my clients achieve their goals.” Having suffered from his own injuries, Henkin searched long and hard for corrective exercises. The former Division 1 basketball player is focused on both the performance and safety of his clients, incorporating any tools available that will keep training fun, challenging and focused.” Since we have everybody from professional athletes to elderly people that are recovering from hip replacement surgery, these methods are diverse and specific,” he explains.

Henkin incorporates the TRX system, barbells, kettlebells, sledgehammers, bands and chains in addition to the sandbags and sandpacks he's created. (He also sells the Ultimate Core Strap, which attaches to any suspension trainer, cable or band system). Henkin's philosophy involves finding new innovative ways to solve training problems rather than trying to squeeze clients into pre-existing ideas. Instead of trying to make one piece of equipment into something it's not, Henkin is adamant about using equipment effectively and appropriately--barbells for deads and presses, sandbags for rotational movements, shouldering, getups and more.



Henkin's program and products focus on subtle variations on common exercises that avoid redundancy and hit muscles in different ways. Changing position, grips, load placement or even equipment is challenging, fun and effective, providing versatility while minimizing muscle imbalances and creating well-rounded, resilient athletes.



Staley's Bed and Barbell

www.bedandbarbell.com

World-renowned fitness specialist Charles Staley has authored over 1000 articles on training and training concepts, been featured on CBS and the Today Show, developed training software, created training systems and coached Olympic-level athletes. But he really likes working with average Joes. “Our passion is introducing the many benefits of strength training and barbell sports to people who might not otherwise experience them,” Staley says. “ This includes over-40 folks, women, and people who, for whatever reason, never envisioned themselves enjoying strength training.”



Live-in training is virtually inaccessible for the aforementioned demographics outside of Staley's Bed and Barbell, which is a residential teaching facility located in the Phoenix area. “Our guests live on site while they learn the essentials of strength sports, including Olympic weightlifting, powerlifting, and strongman,” Staley explains. Guests are also provided with information on injury prevention and program design.

In addition to training sessions every other day and some group workouts, guests have access to hiking trails, a heated salt-water pool, and a spa. There's also a huge backyard (apparently with llamas and goats), a barbeque, an outdoor fire pit and bicycles in addition to a big-screen TV, an X-Box 360, laundry facilities, a full kitchen and wireless internet. Gym equipment is also available--everything from kettlebells and bumperplates to medicine balls and freeweights to sandbags and a C2 Rower to various strongman implements (Monster tires, atlas stones, kegs, farmer’s walk, logs, etc). And some fancy stuff, too, like a vertical jump measurement system and Myotest and Tendo force-measurement devices.

Staley is often described by clients as humble and approachable, and as approaching situations from new angles and often picking up on things other coaches miss. This is particularly useful for folks who are somewhat resistant to training. “We think a big key to our success is that we give PERMISSION for people to be athletes again,” says Staley. “We help people improve their relationship with physical activity: specifically, we offer a better solution to the millions of people who think fitness means tedious aerobic sessions on the treadmill, boring stretches, and painful crunches.”

Dan John

danjohn.net

Dan John came to Utah to throw the discus for Utah State University and, luckily for the athletes at Juan Diego Catholic High School, he never left. John serves as the Strength Coach and Head Track and Field Coach. Still performing at elite levels at the age of 52, he's also a multiple state champion in discus, hammer, shot, Highland Games and Olympic Lifting. He has coached at John Powell Discus camp since 1994 and coached multiple State Discus champions without a discus ring or throwing field. He also invented one of my favorite exercises--the goblet squat--as a training exercise for his students. John's writing, found in T-Nation, Men's Health and his own newsletter Get Up, focuses on the basics, which, as he puts it, are simple but never easy.



Dan John's backyard and garage gym are highly sought after by athletes. ”It's odd to think that people come from around the world and professional sports to work in my garage,” John points out. “My pullup rack is two cut pieces of PVC, some straps and bike hooks (figure it out yourself). My plates are a mishmash of toss aways and give aways and I have spent nothing on my gym. Yet, people come. Some laugh at the thing as it looks like a garage and a deck and a backyard, but, later, they will write and speak fondly of what they did.”

John's focus is always on the basics: deadlifts, squats, snatches and sled dragging, with some horizontal rowing, pulldowns and pullups, overhead presses and Olylifting thrown in. His garage get-up (forgive the pun) also includes dumbbells, kettlebells, a farmer's walk bar, chains, an old bench from his house, a dragging sled, a wheelbarrow, a homemade lifting platform, a big rock and an army duffel bag filled with 150 lbs. worth of rock salt.

Starting with just a bar, two 25 lb. plates and two 35 lb. plates, Dan John says the key to starting out is to just get stuff. “It can be low end or junk,” he explains. “It's okay to snatch a crappy weight on a crappy bar. If you don't snatch 300 pounds yet, why are you worried about your bar? Make do. I didn't have squat standards for years, I had to clean every squat or put it on sawhorses and drive it up. Make do.”

Humble and enthusiastic, Dan John keeps his focus on what matters. “You prove to the world that you are 'elite' by performance, not by what you write on the internet or wear on a shirt,” he points out. Last words of advice for garage gym novices? “Finally, have a grill. I have entertained NFL athletes, assorted badasses, 'elite' athletes and, well, you name it. Sure, we train hard, but the fifty pounds of meat and the gallons of beer after the training is where the real knowledge is administered.”

Mike Boyle Strength and Conditioning

www.strengthcoach.com
www.bodybyboyle.com

Michael Boyle is a world-famous strength and conditioning coach, highly sought after by elite athletes for his sports performance training expertise. He's been listed as one of the nation's top-100 trainers in Men's Journal, and his gym was recently named one of America's Top 10 Gyms by Men's Health. His clients include many professional athletes and college athletes and even celebrities such as Jennifer Garner. His book, Functional Training for Sports, has been translated into German, Chinese and Japanese.Boyle studied to be an athletic trainer at Springfield College and competed in powerlifting. He volunteered for Boston University for three years, working primarily with their football team. Boyle continues to train the BU ice hockey team.

Mike Boyle Strength and Conditioning has two facilities, one in Winchester and one in North Andover. What makes MBSC unique? “More space than equipment,” Boyle says. “That is unique in a fitness facility. (We have) 30 yards of turf to run, jump and push sleds and a staff of coaches that are second to none.” The Winchester facility is 10,000 square feet and expands to 35,000 square feet in the summer in order to accommodate returning athletes. The North Andover location is 7,000 square feet with 45x20 yards of outside field turf located just behind the building.

“I hate the term functional because it is oversued but, it is what we do,” Boyle explains. “We have everyone from Mom's to major leaguers in every sport. We don't exaggerate, these people are here every day.”