LIFESTYLE AUTHOR
Chad Dyer
A GYM FROM SCRATCH n Meet personal trainer Josh Nitzberg who made his Texas Iron PT gym from scratch.
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lue lights shine off of a dumbbell rack, painting its cobalt hues onto the surrounding black walls. Next to the dumbbell rack is other equipment you’d find at a gym — a deadlift platform to its left, a squat rack across the room and a cable machine next to the squat rack. This is the home of Texas Iron PT, an Austin-based gym and company patiently pieced together by personal trainer Josh Nitzberg. However, Nitzberg’s collection of gym equipment wasn’t always for his personal training company. “Initially, I wanted to have a place where I could have friends over and we could work out, have fun and goof off,” Nitzberg states. When COVID-19 shut the doors to numerous public gyms, people
APRIL 2022
looked for alternatives to get their fitness kick. Nitzberg capitalized on this opportunity and founded Texas Iron PT in 2021, offering a personal gym environment for his clients. Nitzberg has been a certified personal trainer since 2018, previously working for larger gyms in the Austin area.
Assembling the Gym
Nitzberg didn’t buy all of his equipment immediately. Rather, it was a slow collection process that started in 2016. “The first piece of equipment was a barbell and some plates,” Nitzberg says. “It’s the most bang for your buck — you get the most versatility with a barbell. It’s not the best piece of equipment, but you can train your whole body, which is a gym necessity.”
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By 2018, Nitzberg’s collection grew to include a deadlift platform — which he made and even burned a Texas outline on its center to make it his own — along with a dumbbell rack made by a friend and a pullup bar. He crammed his equipment into his garage where he and his friends worked out, sometimes opening the garage door to use the outdoor space. Nitzberg preaches about the importance of getting multifunctional equipment. “With home gyms, your biggest limiting factor is space,” Nitzberg says. “Being efficient with your space is important.”
Personalizing Texas Iron PT
Having your own gym or dedicated workout area feels
