When it comes to building a great gym, sometimes simple is best
The past several decades have been the age of the monster health club. Tens of thousands of square feet, hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of cardio and hightech weight training machines, hot tubs, saunas and…well, you get the idea. Praxis Olympic Weightlifting Center is nothing like those clubs. Not even close. “The premise for Praxis is to provide a facility for the sport of Olympic-style weightlifting, sports training and personal fitness,” says Mike Carroll, co-owner of the gym along with Debbie Millet.
Carroll adds that their 1,700-square-foot facility, located in a high-traffic area in Sandy, Utah, didn’t require high startup costs. “A great aspect of weightlifting is that it doesn’t require a large monetary investment in equipment, as would a gym that is focused on cardio training. Plus we purchased most of our equipment through BFS, so we got highquality products at a great price.” Carroll and Millet, who won the World Masters Championship last year in Hungary, try to have all their clients use some aspect of the Olympic lifts.
“One of the appeals of the Olympic lifts is that when you are training, you are so focused on perfecting your technique that you don’t realize how The staff at Praxis includes co-owner Mike Carroll (left) and ART practitioner Dr. Mark Baker. much effort you actually put into your workouts until you are finished,” says Carroll. “It’s also a great motivator, as you can easily measure your progress and see that you are making continual progress.”
Of course, the Olympic lifts are not appropriate for all the members who join Praxis. “There are some individuals with certain medical conditions who should not be performing snatches and clean and jerks, but it’s also a fact that some individuals are not as limited as they think,” says Carroll. “I started working with a woman in her mid-30s who had back surgery. It wasn’t too long before she was completely pain free, and after a few Praxis is a busy training center that has something for everyone. months she entered our state games in weightlifting and won the gold medal in her division.” On this point, it should be noted that Dr.
Mark Baker is an Active Release Techniques practitioner who visits Praxis on a regular basis to help athletes deal with injuries. Praxis has a large base of clients who want individual training, including pro football players such as Ade Jimoh, a defensive back for the New England Patriots. However, with four lifting platforms the gym also has the ability to work with teams of athletes. “We are located near several public and private high schools, so we can work with coaches to help their athletes in the off-season,” says Carroll. “I also know the BFS system, so I can work with schools to help athletes who have scheduling problems at their schools, especially in the summer.”
One way Carroll and Millet actively promote weightlifting in the Salt Lake City area is by giving exhibitions. Millet, a 41-year-old mother of two who became a world champion after only three years of training, gave an exhibition in July at a girls weight training class at Hunter High School in Salt Lake City. Her presentation was well received, and she hopes to come back when she can to help work with the girls. Praxis Olympic Weightlifting Center may not overwhelm its visitors with flashy cardio equipment and extravagant extras – but bigger is not always better. To be great, sometimes all you have to do is keep it simple.
Debbie Millet, a world champion weightlifter, is co-owner of Praxis and promotes the sport by giving seminars at local high schools. Here she is shown presenting at a girls weight training class at Hunter High School in Salt Lake City, Utah.
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From BFS Magazine — September/October 2008. Part of the BFS Magazine Archive (1980–2014).
