Not everyone who comes to Steve Mattheu's gym wants to toss kegs, lift 100-pound sand bags or flip giant tires.
But those are some of the specialties of the Strongman competitor who runs Iron Athletics in Forest Hill.
"A lot of [clients] exercise with heavy books," says Mattheu. "I often have them go around their house and send me photos, so that I can personalize their workout."
By using household items, Mattheu incorporates elements of "functional training," exercises that target the muscles clients use in their daily activities.
His clients range from young, serious weight lifters to a 72-year-old woman who just completed her first pull-up.
"That's huge," Mattheu says proudly.
Mattheu, who graduated from North Harford High School and Salisbury University, started working out as a teenager to lose weight.
"I wanted to make a change," he says. "It became a hobby and I've never looked back."
The 32-year-old began competing in Strongman Challenges — known for car lifting, stone carrying and log pressing — when he was 23. He won the North American Strongman Nationals title in 2009, and has placed first in Maryland's Strongest Man in three different weight classes.
"It's fun to try to lift something different," says Mattheu. "You're not limited to a bar."
Mattheu, who lives in Bel Air, started working at a large, corporate-owned health club but wanted to branch out on his own, so that he could give clients more personalized attention.
In 2012, Mattheu opened his 1,500-square foot training facility. A few classes are offered, but unlike a typical gym, clients only work out there when they're training.
"It's all one-on-one," says Mattheu.
Clients don't have to wait to use equipment. They can chose their own music, says Mattheu, who shares the space with one other trainer.
"You can stretch and lift one-pound weights, or you can flip tires and push the prowler. Everyone fits in somewhere," says client Peter Ridolfi, a 47-year-old Bel Air pharmacist and father of five. "I've done all the crazy stuff, but you don't have to. He makes the workout something you look forward to. He's amazing."