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By SEAN C. LEDIG, The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 17, 2007

Updated: 10/15/2007 07:44 pm

CARROLLWOOD - At 12,000 square feet, Body*Tech Fitness Emporium may be small compared with newer chain health clubs.

But what it lacks in size, it makes up for in service and quality, said owner Tim Gardner.

'We're independently owned, and we're not 28,000 square feet like some of the chain gyms,' Gardner said. 'So I knew we had to be more hands-on than they were.

'My staff is very customer-service oriented,' he continued. 'We don't treat you like a number when you come in.'

Hillsborough County sheriff's Deputy Damien Lavallee said that was one of the things he liked about Body*Tech when searching for a gym.

'This is the best gym I've ever been to, and I've been to every one in Tampa,' Lavallee said. 'The people here are the most professional, and they have the best programs for your health.'

A former architect, Gardner said he used to travel a lot for business and for bodybuilding contests.

As an architect, he learned the value of providing good, friendly service to his clients.

Those habits carried over as he met other athletes in his competitive travels.

'I was giving out free advice, so I decided that I should start a business,' he said.

He worked as a personal trainer for several years, before opening studios in Carrollwood and Clearwater in 2000 and 2001, respectively. Gardner opened the facility in 2004.

Gardner said he has been involved in fitness since his days of playing football at Chamberlain High School.

'I started looking at muscle magazines in the late 1970s,' Gardner said. Bodybuilding, he said, 'wasn't as en vogue at that time. People treated it like it was something strange.

'I started lifting in 1977 for high school football,' he said. 'Our coach developed a weight-training program. Most of the other guys didn't want to do it, but I loved it.'
Physical fitness took off as a lifestyle in the early 1980s. Gardner credited the Olivia Newton-John hit song and video 'Physical' for bringing that lifestyle to the fore.

Gardner stresses that Body*Tech is not just another bodybuilding gym. The club offers a variety of programs and equipment for strength and aerobic fitness, including martial arts classes, boot camp training, Pilates and cycling.

Fitness and athletic competition is a family affair for Gardner. His wife, Brandie, has become a successful figure competitor.

She also has become the de-facto face of Body*Tech. Her face and toned physique can be seen advertising Body*Tech on bus benches throughout Carrollwood.

'It's our best form of advertising,' Tim Gardner said. 'We try to stay active in the community, to keep our name out there, but people always say, 'You're the girl on the bus bench.''

Brandie Gardner said it's nice to be recognized. Her sons' teammates in Citrus Park Little League know her from the advertising.

'Some of the kids at Citrus Park Little League see the ad and go, 'There's Reece and Nolan's mom!'' Gardner said.

As a personal trainer, Brandie Gardner said she enjoys working at Body*Tech because she likes to provide a more personal touch for her clients.

'I'd say that we're very personalized,' she said. 'We're a business where we cater to the person, not a number. We want them to succeed, whatever their goals are.'

One of her clients, Whitney Lyle, 22, of Temple Terrace, said Brandie Gardner has helped her find the motivation to exercise.

'I like to do it,' Lyle said. 'It's very inspiring for me.'

Eric Hicks, a mixed-martial arts competitor from Land O' Lakes, said he enjoys the 'homey' feel that Body*Tech has as a smaller gym.

'I can come here and do what I want,' he said. 'People here are serious about working out.'

AT A GLANCE

WHAT: Body*Tech Fitness Emporium
WHERE: 3960 Premiere Drive, North

HOURS: 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 5 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday; 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday; 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday

INFORMATION: Call (813) 908-7763 or go to www.body techonline.com

Reporter Sean C. Ledig can be reached at (813) 865-1507 or sledig@tampatrib.com.

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