Years ago, Bruce Salazar suffered a terrible knee injury that left him inactive, which resulted in weight gain. Through his rehabilitation and recovery journey, he began to see a positive difference not only in his physical wellness but also in his mental wellbeing. As it turns out, others took notice, too.
“People observed the change happening in me and asked for advice on how they could get in better shape,” says Salazar, who at the time was studying to become a minister. A light bulb went off, and he decided to also become a certified personal trainer with an emphasis on nutrition and movement.
“I figured this was a nice way to have access to people’s lives in order to help them mentally, physically, and spiritually,” Salazar says. In 2012, he and his family moved to Greenwood where he opened Victory Strength & Fitness. Through the years, the gym has moved locations due to growth. For the last three years, it’s been located at 520 IN-135 next to Ella’s Frozen Yogurt.
“After the new year a lot of people end up going on crash diets in an attempt to drop the pounds they gained between Halloween and Christmas,” Salazar says. “We want to help them create sustainable lifestyle habits so that when they see results, they maintain them.”
Salazar developed a program called Victory Transformation that’s based off the best of everything he’s learned personally from multiple world-renowned coaches. It combines strength, training, and nutrition, and this is the only place in the state that offers the specialized system. When a client first comes to Victory Strength & Fitness, their fitness level is assessed so coaches can find the best place to start. Coaches then customize an individualized program that offers the appropriate challenge, then gradually grow from that point.
“It’s known as progressive adaptation as week after week, weights increase. Clients surprise themselves at what they can do as the program progresses,” says Salazar. They also highly stress teaching proper lifting techniques to prevent injury.
Nutrition is a big piece of creating sustainable lifestyle habits so the system includes recommendations on the proper amount of protein, carbohydrates, and water one should consume daily as well as how to avoid addictive foods. This will maximize the results that one can achieve.
“We help people overcome obstacles and develop better disciplines,” Salazar says. “We’ve seen people of every age and every ability lose as much as 125 pounds to those who want to tone up and lose a stubborn ten pounds.”
Clients can either choose one-on-one personal training or can sign up for a small group (capped at seven students), which also still offers personalized coaching based on each person’s individualized program. Many people prefer the group format to make friends. Class size of seven ensures no one gets left behind or feels like just another number.
“People are desperate for connection and often join gyms to find that community,” Salazar says.
Clients are assigned a specific time to show up; their coach then has their workout ready for them.
“That’s the accountability component that’s missing in a lot of places,” Salazar says.
The top goal most people have is to get leaner and stronger and improve their endurance.
“They get winded going up a flight of steps or they get gassed playing with their children,” Salazar says. “They want to improve their quality of life.”
He’s seen that happen time and again. For instance, a 70-year-old client was sharing how thrilled her granddaughter was because they could now ride bikes together. Another client, who is 56, has endured 14 orthopedic surgeries and has struggled to find anyone who would help him stay safe but get stronger until he found Victory Strength & Fitness.
“He’s been with us for over three years now and is incredibly strong,” Salazar says.
A lot of women in their 50s, 60s, and 70s have been diagnosed with some type of osteoporosis so they come to Victory Strength & Fitness to start a strength training, resistance program.
“It’s cool when they come back and tell us how their scans have improved. With bone density no longer an issue, they report that they can cease their meds,” Salazar says. “We’ve seen similar things for those with high cholesterol or high A1C levels. After learning our system, many have been able to reduce or remove meds or prevent going on them because they trust the process and do the work.”
Victory Strength & Fitness is located at 520 IN-135 Suite I, Greenwood, IN 46142. For more information, call 317-721-2821 or visit victorystrengthandfitness.com.
