Up Close and Personal with Flex Lewis at the First Project Flex Camp!
April 20, 2015
By Joe Volgey
Photos by Ryan Loco
Boca Raton, FL. Reigning undisputed 3X Olympia 212 Champion Flex Lewis hosted his first Project Flex two-day camp experience to rave reviews. This was no ordinary experience, the Flextraordinary team spent the last four months building out a 10,000 sq. ft. warehouse space complete with offices, a Flex Lewis store and a state-of-the-art private training facility featuring two pieces of never before seen equipment from Andrew Hall at Arsenal Strength including a vertical leg press and a one-of-a-kind 1000 lbs. donkey calf machine.
Saturday 9:00am: Just as the coffee began brewing and the blender started buzzing, the doors were opened to the public for the first time ever. Upon checking in at registration, each camper was given a complimentary draw string bag loaded with samples, a shaker, a bag of Syntha6 protein, a PUSH shirt and an official Project Flex event tshirt all supplied by BSN. Campers were also provided with raffle tickets for a chance to win prizes including products from BSN, meal bags from 6 Pack Fitness, BSN branded training belts from Cardillo Belts, Candice Keene’s ProCakez, bars and chips from Quest Nutrition and a limited edition autographed print.
10am: Event emcee Joe Volgey, Flex’s Brand Manager, kicked off the day by going over the house rules before introducing the staff and the Champ. Flex took the mic and started by telling the story about how he was given the name “Flex” in Wales long before he was a bodybuilder. He then took the fans through the journey from his first show as a teen, meeting Neil Hill, moving to America, living in California in a virtual frat house of bodybuilders while training at Milos Sarcev Koloseum Gym, originally signing with Gaspari Nutrition, winning his first Olympia 212 Showdown title and ultimately signing with BSN. At that point, he opened up the discussion to the fans for a Q&A session.
11:30am: Flex moved on to the nutrition segment of the seminar, discussing the food allergies that have caused him stomach issues dating back to his first pro show in Tampa. After a short Q&A session with the camp, special guest IFBB Figure Pro Candice Keene was introduced to give some insight on her nutrition program and contest prep methodology.
12:15pm: At the break, fans lined up in the Flextraordinary Store for a chance to take a photo with the Champ and take home an autographed 8×10 while shopping for apparel in the store.
12:45pm: Flex’s fiancé IFBB Bikini Ali Rosen, RD, took the mic and picked out the winning numbers for half of the raffle prizes.
1:15pm: Rick and the team at Muscle Maker Grill Deerfield served a healthy lunch for everyone that included grilled chicken, brown rice, broccoli and whole wheat pasta over marinara sauce. Flex and Ali took the mic once again to finish picking out the winning numbers for the remainder of the raffle prizes. They saved the best for last, giving away a limited edition 18×24” autographed print of a Ryan Loco photograph of Flex backstage at the Olympia which is also featured on the wall at the gym.
2:15pm: Immediately following lunch, campers were split into two groups for 1 on 1 hands on training instruction with Flex and Candice in the gym. Flex took his group through a series of exercises, highlighting angles and supersets while Candice demonstrated squats, stressing proper form, and much more. After getting the fans involved in the first 45-minute segment, the two groups rotated and continued to be educated. After the training segments, fans lined up to sign the #WallofFame upstairs outside the locker rooms. Look for the names in gold, those belong to IFBB Pro athletes that have visited this soon to be must visit bodybuilding destination.
4:30pm: After a short break, the gym was opened up to the camp to train while Flex continued to sign autographs and take photos with the fans.
6:30pm: After an incredible day with the camp, Flex closed the gym down for the day. Flex commented, “It was truly a humbling day to see the turnout with fans coming in from all over the US and even from Mexico. One fan drove through the night from Ohio while another came in from Indiana. When I first came up with the idea to host camps, I never thought about how far the fans would come for a chance to spend the day with me and my team. We have people coming in from the UK which is really going to be a great experience to meet fans from back home.”
Sunday 9:00am: The gym was opened to all campers for an open training session, as they anticipated for the Champ’s arrival.
10:00am: Flex arrived with his dog Cosmo, an exotic American Bully, which was a real hit among the campers as they took photos while petting the muscular beast.
12:00pm: Finally, Joe gathered all the campers for a group photo, but first called out one of the campers who complained about losing his pump while waiting. So the camper was called front and center for pushups –the camp joined Joe in counting over 40 pushups before Flex joined in with Ali and Comso for a photo. Flex then closed the gym down to the camp and took to the gym floor with Candice Keene and his team to train. Campers were encouraged to stay and watch the training session, while both Flex and Candice took time between sets to offer tips and answer any questions the camp had for them.
1:00pm: A woman showed up at the door asking if anyone had ordered Subway? Shortly thereafter, Flex had learned that Alex, the promotor of the Korea Grand Prix had called in an order from the other side of the world to provide the whole camp with sandwiches.
2:00pm: Doors closed. The first ever Flex Lewis Project Flex camp is in the books!
Based on the feedback and comments posted all over social media using #ProjectFlex the first camp was a tremendous success. Here are what a couple of fans had to say…
“As a bodybuilding/fitness enthusiast and fan of Flex Lewis, attending Project Flex was truly a life altering experience. Being able to meet Flex at an expo is one thing, but with the camp experience -Flex welcomes you into his ‘home,’ his private gym and his friends & family. As soon as you walk through the doors, a level of comfort and belonging overcomes you and you now see Flex as more than just the bodybuilder you admire, but you begin to see him as an equal. He exhibits class, professionalism, appreciation of his position, responsibility to fans and humility in everything he does. Project Flex is truly a representation of just that. What I took from this camp was how if you believe in yourself, your dreams, work hard to achieve them and always treat people with respect and humility, then you can truly achieve anything.” –Peter Rusted, Personal Trainer
“I had one of the best experiences ever at Project Flex. Great facility, had the opportunity to spend two days with Flex. He answered about of my questions about nutrition and training, but having the opportunity to workout with him was and truly is an honor. He is such a great person inside and out. I highly recommend Project Flex for anyone who loves the sport and wants to learn more about it.” –Zuleica Rezende, NPC Figure
“Project Flex was an amazing experience that I will remember forever. I had to travel from Mexico for it, but it was worth it. I couldn’t be more motivated to take my bodybuilding journey to the next level thanks to all the knowledge given by the champ Flex Lewis and Candice Keene. I found out what it means to truly #BeFlextraordinary and every single fan should too.” –Diego Gonzalez, Mexico
“I won a free ticket on Flex’s Facebook fan page! Being a part of the first Project Flex camp was a unforgettable experience. Getting to talk with Flex and seeing how humble he is, I loved every minute of it. Seeing his passion for the sport and how hard he trains definitely motivates me to follow my goals and dreams of being a pro bodybuilder one day. –Alex Rodriguez, Mexico
“As an aspiring bodybuilder, I really enjoyed meeting Flex Lewis and his crew. I appreciated all the time he and Candice Keene took to share their stories and show us a few tips when training in the gym. I look forward to learning more about bodybuilding and what it takes to be successful. They have inspired me to stay committed to my fitness goals.” –Wanda Santos, Ohio
“I had a great time at the camp learning and meeting others that are also enthusiastic about fitness, lifting, and competing. Whether you’re a pro or an amateur, you can always learn something from those who are more experienced, and who better than the reigning Olympia 212 Champ!? Great advice, tips, workout ideas, and motivation that I will take with me through this season and many more!” –Natalie Graziano
The next camp date is May 30-31st. Tickets are limited and available first come, first serve. You don’t want to miss the next camp as the Champ is already fast at work to bring in additional special guests to maximize the camp experience.
Project Flex dates and information http://www.flexlewis.net/project-flex
Project Flex ticket sales http://www.flextraordinary.com
