Body Building Dream Leads To Training Business

By  //  July 20, 2012

Overcomes Injury To Find New Career

BREVARD COUNTY • MELBOURNE, FLORIDA – Sometimes when life closes the door on a dream it opens another.

Howard Wolfe began pursuing a career in body building in 1999 and is now a personal trainer in Melbourne. (Image by Derek Suomi)

In the case of Howard Wolfe of Melbourne, the owner of Hulk Flexx Fitness and Body Building, as one dream came to an end, another was just beginning.

Wolfe was introduced to exercise and weight training by his brother-in-law, Drew Farley, a personal trainer, as a teenager.

He began seriously pursuing a professional body building career in 1999.

Spending the next seven years applying the workout techniques and diet advice he acquired  under Farley, Wolfe was ready to fulfill his dream of participating in a body building competition.

In 2007, he entered his first competition, the “Space Coast Championships,” taking first place in his division and finishing second overall in the competition.

Howard Wolfe competes at the 2007 Space Coast Championships for body building. It was his first competition and he won first place in his division. (Image courtesy Howard Wolfe)

Awesome feeling

“It was an awesome feeling to put so many years of work into body building and to win in my very first show,” Wolfe said.

The dream of becoming a professional body builder was becoming a reality for Wolfe.

In 2008, he entered the “NPC Steel World Bodybuilding Fitness & Figure Championships” in Alabama.

Placing third in two different divisions of the competition, Wolfe was primed for a professional body building career.

And 2009 was to be a big year for Wolfe.

Set to compete in the “Southern States Championships,” a win in his weight class would ensure his advancement to the professional ranks.

But seven weeks into preparing for the competition, calamity struck when Wolfe was injured.

“I wasn’t even working out at the time. I was just bending over to pick something up when I felt a strong, sharp pain in my back,” he said.

The pain quickly passed and Wolfe went to bed. During the night the pain came back and intensified, so much so that it sent him to the local emergency room.

Doctors would advise Wolfe that he had herniated his L-4, L-5 and S-1 discs in his back.

Howard Wolfe works with a client in his personal training business called "Hulk Flexx" in Melbourne. (Image courtesy Howard Wolfe)

Devastating news

Due to the location of the injury Wolfe discovered that he would never be able to build up the muscle groups surrounding the injured discs, effectively ending his burgeoning body building career after just two years of competition.

After completing more than two years of rehabilitation for his injury, Wolfe is now back on his feet and going after a second dream.

He is now helping others achieve their fitness goals as a personal trainer in Melbourne.

“God has a plan for all of us” said Wolfe. “I’ve had an injury and I’ve overcome it.”

That perseverance is a trait Wolfe hopes to apply to his brand of personal training.

Wolfe’s Hulk Flexx Fitness & Body Building offers personal, one-on-one training instruction in an intimate, 600-square-foot gym in Melbourne.

Unlike many other trainers, Wolfe’s clients have his strict attention during workouts.

“My phone is turned off and the doors are closed for the entire training session,” he said. “My focus is totally on the client and helping them reach their goals.”

Equipped with state-of-the-art weights and machines, Wolfe also welcomes his clients to bring their children with them to the gym.

This is an added bonus for those that are looking to get healthy, but don’t have the luxury of someone to watch the kids.

“We have an office space where the kids are welcome to come and bring their own toys and play and the parents can feel comfortable knowing their kids are right there.”

For more information about Hulk Flexx Fitness and Body Building, visit Hulkflexxfitnessandbodybuilding.blogspot.com or call 321-507-0989. His facebook page is Facebook.com/HulkFlexx.

6 Comments

  1. Way to go my brother! That’s my “little” brother.
    Keep up the good work. God Bless.
    Love you, your sis

  2. Awesome Bro, keep up the good work, you always have persevered through to accomplish what you set out to do!

  3. Congrats, brother of mine, not so “little brother” anymore! LOL God definitely does have a plan for each of us! Must always keep that focus! Love you

  4. What a great feature article! We love working out with you and can definately see and feel the overall results. It is also fun to share some laughs with you also!!!

  5. Just saw you, little brother! You were little at one time..but not any more! Yes, He is really my brother..baby of the family!! Just now He is bigger than me..finally…Ha Ha…God Bless You In All You Do. I am Very proud of you!! Keep on keeping on..with God and do all that He has for you..All My love and Prayers…Your Loving, Sweet, Wonderful Sister, Barbara Jane.

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