There's nothing special about Mike Carroll's heavy-duty weightroom -- except the results

when they grow up, and a typical response is “The ice cream man!” And that’s OK — kids are kids and ice cream is the most perfect food. But * ‘ : = ask any serious strength coach what they would secretly *, want to do with their lives, and a typical response is ) “Owna gym.” Not a franchised health club with airresistance machines and perky instructors who teach rubber-band aerobics — but a free-weight, use-chalk-ifyou-wanna, hardcore gym. And that’s exactly what Mike Carroll is doing.

Along with his business partner, Chris Marchetti, Carroll nuns The Edge Training Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. With the exception of a treadmill in the corner of the gym (with lots of flashing lights for which Carroll has yet to find a use), The Edge is a freeweight gym for serious trainees. Their client list runs the gamut of Olympic champions and professional football players to middle-aged housewives who are determined to get into the best shape of their lives. Want to get ready for the NFL Combine? Carroll will make you faster. Got a weightlifting or powerlifting competition coming up? Carroll will refine your technique and make you brutally strong.

Got a problem with your spouse and just want someone to talk to? Carroll will give you a blank stare and show you the door.

Carroll was a member of the wrestling team during the years he attended the University of Maryland and studied political science. But his wrestling aspirations were cut short when injuries from a motorcycle accident required steel rods to be inserted in the femur and tibia of his right leg. Eventually, Carroll recovered, and after working a series of jobs in sales, he went on to become a personal trainer and then sales manager at several :

In this exclusive interview, Carroll gives us an inside look at what it takes to make it as a personal trainer and strength coach in the private sector. easier to find clients. Unless you have a pre-existing reputation, most trainers will have to start at a major health club BFS: A/ the major health club chain, what was their approach to th business of personal training?

Carroll: They think of training as a way to generate revenue for the club, and they have two concerns. One is to generate revenue, second is to reduce liability. This club had their own certification program, and they taught their trainers liability first and results second.

“results second?”

Carroll: Don't do anything that has a high risk of injury —or rather, BFS: y, vou weren T destined Jor a career in politic 1 strength coaching? road had plenty of detours, for sure. as a sales rep for Pepsi. that I don’t drink soda. thing | didn’t believe in, 1 wanted to work doing something that made the squat, don’t go to parallel. And use mostly machines. in powerlifting and Olympic lifting. But the jobs I had were mostly sales, one What they think has a high risk of injury. For example, in the bench press, they will teach you not to bend your arms beyond 90 degrees; in BFS: When you started at the club, how did you get your own clients?

Carroll: You had two ways of getting clientele. The salespeople try to match 4 client and their goals with a particular trainer. They also match them up with who they think are the better trainers who are go:

BFS: Did you do anything special to prepare yourself for a career the club expects from their trainers on staff coach?

Carroll: Book smarts and colle e work only take you so ly, Iget results with their members. The other way is for the trainers to try tosign up current members for training; it's a big part of what went to the school of hard knocks and experience by training with BFS: What’ it like for trainers trying to sign up members for personal training? powerlifters, Olympic lifters and others in this profession.

Carroll:

BFS: Are ‘here any certifications that you would recommend to There's « tremendous amount of pressure, and it works from financial goals are broken down into the different segments of the those interested in this field? teach the lifts. You need to prove that you can gym business, such as membership enrollment and training revenue. That's further broken down into the number of sales staff and trainers, so that everybody basically has a financial goal that they have to meet.

BFS: Wan) certifications say that trainers can make $100 to BPS:

What was the turnover rate for trainers?

Carroll: it was very high — you either sank or swam. The $150 an hour. Isn't this unrealistic?

Carroll: Absolutely. | think they do a real disservice in trying to § promote the business that way. That's not to ay that there Some trainers pulling in that type of money, t segment of the ove ull field. typical trainer would last six months, so over the course of a year you would turn over your entire department BFS: How long were you a trainer? Carroll: manager.

BFS: What was your first job as a trainer? Carroll: | started working in a privat For about a year, then | was promoted to fitness years ago. About four years later | heard thata major » health club was looking for a trainer, so T applied and got the job, BFS: Why did you switch clubs? Carroll: The first studio wasn't very busy and was not in a good location. A large BFS:

And what did that job entail? goals but also the financial goals of an entire department.

BFS: Ih) did you leave that job and go into business for yourself?

Carroll: | much prefer to work with athletes who have specific such as training for a competition, as opposed to general physical fitness 20% s. Also, | like to train with squats and the Olympics lifts, not just putting someone on a machine for three sets of ten, 20 worldwide in downhill skiing; Ade Jimoh, a defensive back for the Washington Redskins; and Tristian Gale, a gold medalist in skeleton BFS: How did you come up with the concept of The Edge? in the 2002 Winter Olympics. We also have many top athletes training Carroll: The Edge was a concept that my business partner Chris here on their own, such as Chris Witty, an Olympic champion and Marchetti and | came up with.

In looking at the industry and the their training. We wanted to offer an environment suitable for training BFS: How do jou do the initial assessment of elite athletes in the specific ways athletes need for competing at a high level. We put like these? the concept in place in December of 2002, and we opened the doors in Carroll:

2005. then design a program specifically to address those weaknesses. If an What | like to do is figure out what their weaknesses are and athlete has weak hamstrings, I might prescribe glute-ham raises.

BFS: Why did you choose the location you did? other thing we try to do is spend some time on technique; even though you may have a college athlete who Went through a college strength attract a more afÒuent clientele. The location we chose was right off a program, their technique may not be what it should be for optimal major freeway and we were lucky because we got 4 great deal on the BFS: What is the major problem you see with strength coaches working with young athletes, especially those in the private sector?

Carroll: Trying to become sport coaches! One of the biggest problems in the strength coaching profession is sport coaches trying to influence the stretigth training program. Now I'm seeing strength coaches doing the same thing in trying to give sport-training advice. It's in the best interest of the athlete if the coaches understand their role and stick to itl BFS: You've done some powerlifting. What are the major issues yout see with that sport? Carroll: Powerlifters have become too caught up with the numbers and are doing almost anything to increase those numbers, such as changing to new equipment, getting more lenient rules in some federations and not having drug testing.

There are too many federations, and the differences in rules make it impossible to compare athletes from different federations.

BFS: How cid you plan yourfacility in regard to equipment BFS: Whats the problem with the sport of Olympic lifting? Why selection? haven't we been able to make the sport grow?

Carroll: We wanted a facility that was going to be designed around Carroll: | don’t think it’s been marketed properly. Also, we have too athletic training. The Olympic lifts are first and foremost, as they many other sports that are far more high profile so that weightlifting develop speed and power. This meant lifting platforms and heavy-duty power racks were the number-one requirement. We knew that BES put Out high-quality equipment and offered great prices, so we looked at BFS: Zell us about your work with Dr. Shepard's Olympic lift- BES first for all of our equipment needs, ing team, Team BFS?

Carroll: [twas an interesting experiment and a success- BFS: Did you buy everything all at once? ful one, as he was able to have something like 60 new Carroll: athletes compete in at least one sanctioned weight- We bought most of what we've got all at once because we Could get a better deal that way, plus buying equipment from the same | line is always more pleasing aesthetically. lifting competition. 1 also liked the idea of Greg trying to promote such an important sport because | believe the Olympic lifts should BFS: What type ofclients have you been able to attract?

Carroll: We work with every level, from general fitness trainees all the way up to world-class athletes. Our client list includes Jeremy Bloom, a mogul skiing World Cup champion; Travis Cabral, another World Cup champ in mogul skiing; Justin Johnson, ranked in the top program.

Mike Carroll demonstrates proper bench press technique to Chris Wity, Olympic Champion and world record holder in speed skating, and Team BFS liters Gina Smith and Autumn Howe.

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From BFS Magazine — July/August 2005. Part of the BFS Magazine Archive (1980–2014).