Powerlifting USA Magazine

HARDCORE GYM #98

 

July 2010 - Vol. 33 No. 9

EXTREME RIPPED FITNESS

by Rick Brewer | rick[at]houseofpain.com
www.houseofpain.com

 

Last month we talked about the W.A.R. House Gym. We saw Willie Wessels, Andy Bible, and Rob Kolberer in action. We also played a little “Where’s Waldo?” game to see if you could identify the home state of that gym. Sadly, you bombed. It looks like the reference to an Ohio powerlifting meet tricked everyone—no one guessed the correct state. (You only get ONE guess per lifter, folks.) So this month, we’ll go somewhere else—how about Utah?
Extreme Ripped Fitness (ERF) is one of the new class of serious gyms that has a budding Facebook presence. ERF is in a suburb of Salt Lake City, Utah and, well, I’ll let them tell you:


Rick, thanks for your interest in our gym—what a compliment. Your articles on hardcore gyms are always very interesting, entertaining, and inspiring. (Look at me blush; my head is bright red! RB)


My name is Jody Tripp and along with my husband, Brad, we set out almost four years ago to fulfill our long time dream of building a hardcore gym. Brad and I originally met in 1984 in Montana. We both have always been involved in competitive sports, and after we met we joined a small hardcore gym and started training together. Once you train in a hardcore gym it is hard to train anywhere else. As soon as Brad started training, he began competing in powerlifting. It was about three kids later before I began powerlifting. We love the fact that we can enjoy the sport of powerlifting together. Our journey led us to Salt Lake City, Utah, where we joined a fitness center that somewhat met our needs. But soon after we joined, it was bought out by a larger chain—and became what I refer to as a white carpet gym. It was simply not comfortable, and I felt like a number—not a name—so that is when we decided our dream was about to become real. (No one ever asks me about my dream, but it involves a unicorn, a bearded female dancer, and a singlet. RB)


We made our plans, and Brad set out to buy equipment from a larger gym in California that went out of business. Brad took a couple of friends and four semi trucks, and soon brought back enough equipment to get us started!


We originally set up in Draper, UT, but later found a much better location in Sandy, UT. We moved into a 10,000 sq.ft. building that was originally a place to go paint-balling, so (needless to say) we had our work cut out for us in the construction phase. We did a lot of the demo and build-out ourselves.


We didn’t mind a little hard work because we knew the end result would be worth it. We also added some of the best trainers we knew.


There were no serious powerlifting gyms in the Salt Lake City area, until we built ours. We wanted serious athletes to be able to come train on the right equipment, so they could excel in their iron sport. Other gyms (in the SLC area) try to discourage powerlifters from using their facility, and you can forget about the use of chalk. 


We have chalk. We also have: competition benches, lots of bands and chains, deadlift platform, monolift, power-racks, a full line of hammer strength, 2 jungles complete with lions and tigers, over 50,000 lb. of free weights, dumbbell sets that go up to 190, sleds, tires, kettlebells, reverse hyper, glute-ham, grippers, rolling thunder, forearm/grip machines, medicine balls, several SQ, BP & DL bars (including cambered, safety squat and olympic bars), several squat boxes, chalk boxes, and bumper plates. (Okay, okay—I might’ve lied about the tigers. And maybe there aren’t very many lions. RB)


COMPETING TO PROVE IT
In April of 2009, we sent 15 of our powerlifters to Idaho Falls, ID, for Nationals; we all brought home first place.  I was able to bring home world records in the bench and deadlift. The amazing support we get from our powerlifting family is what keeps us inspired and always moving forward with PRs.


It was great to see the National results and pictures, which included some of our team, in the July 2009 Powerlifting USA issue. Brad competes in the bench only, where he has been in the high 600s. I compete in the full meets (you go girl! RB), and sometimes push-pull meets. My best lifts are right about: 300 squat, 200 bench, and 350 deadlift (all raw). 


April 3, 2010, we hosted our first annual APF/AAPF meet. Come ask us how it went! We also had an Extreme Ripped Fitness unsanctioned raw division in order to encourage new lifters. We tried to draw in some of the teens, to get them interested in lifting.


Our gym logo is also something that is very important to mention because our son Kyle is the artist! All three of our children are teenagers now, but they have been a big part of the gym! Plus, they still enjoy lifting! Our youngest daughter, Chase, competed in our recent April APF/AAPF Powerlifting meet!


HERE IS TO EVERYONE FOLLOWING THEIR DREAM; if you are in the Salt Lake area, stop in and check us out.


Extreme Ripped Fitness
8700 South Sandy Parkway
Sandy, UT 84070
801-572-1112
www.extremerippedfitness.com 

 

Thanks to Jody & Brad Tripp for including us in their big dream! Okay folks; we made it easy for you to find the gym this time—Extreme Ripped Fitness is in Utah! Go say hey!
If you look at last month’s PL USA article, there is actually a really big clue about the location of W.A.R. House Gym. Until next month, keep training, and keep guessing! Email me at rick@houseofpain.com.


*photographs courtesy of Extreme Ripped Fitness