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By DEREK MAUL | The Brandon News

Published: April 9, 2007

At nearly 40 years old, personal trainer Rob Zulkoski is a great advertisement for fitness. Mind you, it doesn't hurt one bit that he runs his own gym.

"Dec. 1, 2006, I expanded my business and opened a fitness studio in the Lithia Crossings shopping center," Zulkoski said.

The 2,400 square foot facility provides everything necessary for the serious workout – including, of course, motivation.

"Now I can give more personal attention," Zulkoski said. "Hands on one-on-one. I've got the experience, the education, the referrals and the testimonies. It's a custom program. No one comes in the door and does their own thing."

Needless to say, Zulkoski is serious about fitness. But it's an earnestness that is wrapped up in a genuine passion for people. And it is an enthusiasm that has been cultivated since his childhood in Nebraska, where Zulkoski grew up the oldest of five children.

"My dad was the oldest of seven and he wanted to be in the best shape," Zulkoski said. "And he always was. He was always active. So I started messing around with it."

Playing in the outfield and batting cleanup for the Wayne State University baseball team, Zulkoski used fitness to enhance his natural ability.

"Fitness was always in the back of my mind," he said. "I was good but never got picked up or drafted."
So he walked away from the baseball diamond, taking an internship with a large Tampa business.
"Corporate fitness," he said, "a nice facility but a little too stuffy for me."

Still, he quickly fell in love with the area.

"I didn't want to leave," Zulkoski said. "I got a job with Lifestyle Family Fitness in 1991 as corporate fitness director and managed one of their Lakeland clubs."

But Zulkoski didn't stop there. He later took a job at the Harbor Island Athletic Club, where he worked as a fitness director.

"I left in1997 and started my own personal training business in Brandon," he said.

He has called Brandon home since 1993, when he married Amy Dziamba.

"I love the weather here," he said. "And I love the sports. It's a fitness area and a pretty decent place to raise a family."

Still, fitness area or not, Zulkoski is worried by the statistic that 66 percent of Americans are either overweight or obsess.

"Not only adults but a rising trend in children," he said. "We're in the day of processed foods and sugars. My philosophy includes, diet, weight training and cardiovascular. We apply wholesome techniques for eating, body fat loss, and toning."

Still, Zulkoski understands that what is needed for the average American to lose weight while gaining a healthier lifestyle will probably require a proactive response. And he believes he can help there, too.
"Changing paradigms," he said. "People eat three times a day and I feel that's vastly wrong. Eat more often and spread it out. My goal is to maintain muscle mass. Then we can more easily control fat. I could care less about scale weight, I want people to feel more comfortable in their clothes, get better quality of sleep and reduce the need for medication. It all falls together.
"God has given you a body, take care of it."

According to Zulkoski, everything is working as planned, too. For example, the new business is taking off.

"I hired Davvy Ferraro," Zulkoski said, "I'm getting ready to hire a female trainer, and I'll be hiring a fourth person in May. Things are continuing to grow. I've been in this business quite some time, people believe in what I'm doing."

For Zulkoski's business, as in exercise, the goal is progress.

"People motivate me," he said. "I love seeing people make changes and improvements."

But this trainer has a vision that extends well beyond the gym.

"I do a men's boot camp at church Monday and Thursday evenings," Zulkoski said. "Consistency is the key. Even for myself I need that extra push."

That's why he believes so strongly in the studio.

"I see fitness as a mission," he said. "People come here because they don't know what to do."

As for free time, Zulkoski's focus is on spending as much free time as possible with his wife and girls.
"We go to Disney," he said. "Plus I'm very much into sports, and I'm interested in graphology (the study of handwriting)."

As for his customers, Zulkoski wants them to know that the first and toughest step to fitness is to start.
"You don't have to be in shape to come in," Zulkoski said. "We can help you with that. Everybody needs to be focused on their health – for their family, for their kids, and their grandkids."

Contact Rob at (813) 571-3700, or visit www.personalbestfitnesstraining.com.

Derek Maul is a writer who lives in Valrico. You can reach him at derekmaul@gmail.com.

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