Brickhouse Strength: A Local Establishment with Deep Local Ties

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Saucon Valley graduate Chris Fluck has built Brickhouse Strength into a quality brand.

Chris Fluck is the owner of Brickhouse Strength. It is an established health and fitness business providing quality services to a faithful following since 2015.

While growing up as a kid in Hellertown, Fluck led a very active lifestyle in which sports played a significant role. Formally, Fluck participated in baseball, football, wrestling and track & field as a young man.

Beyond the structure of leagues, coaches and the PIAA, he and his buddies enjoyed informal competition and play. “Most of my free time was outside doing something,” Fluck said about his experiences aside from organized sport. “We would play pickup games of street hockey on Poplar Road where I grew up, football at Dimmick Park, and basketball games at Third Ave.” Even with the demanding schedule that confronts student-athletes, Fluck and friends found plenty of time for recreation and play.

After graduating from Saucon Valley in 2004, Fluck took his love for athletics to Bloomsburg University and the University of California, PA. where he would earn a bachelor of science degree in Sport Management with a focus in Health & Wellness. He also began working as a personal trainer. Fluck parlayed his passion and began to examine sport and movement from an analytical perspective. He began to make a career out of the deeply rooted bond he had with athletics.

Chris Fluck explaining to the group the intricacies of the next exercise.

Fluck fed his curiosity and consumed himself with the human body and how it performs. “As I would study and research new training modalities for my clients, I would always look to see what the athletes were doing and how they were training,” Fluck said. “I figured, if the high-level athletes were doing certain things, it would probably be good for the general population to do as well,” He said. “I began to look at all of my clients as athletes.”

Certified as a Strength & Conditioning Specialist with the National Strength & Conditioning Association, Fluck assumes the role of coach with his clients. It is a role with which he is, no doubt, very qualified and very comfortable.

Fluck has spent eight years pacing the Saucon Valley sidelines as a high school football coach. He has also spent five seasons in the Saucon wrestling room. Fluck still coaches football for the Panthers.

Fluck teaches as well as directs the group.

Acquiring a very broad background in athletics and training throughout his years, Fluck is quick to acknowledge a few individuals that have helped shape his coaching and leadership style.

“Growing up as a youth wrestler, Rocky Chunko stands out for his love of wrestling. He coached with passion. Every time I go and watch a Saucon Valley wrestling match, Rocky is there. He loves supporting the Panthers. While in middle school, I had Coach Riefenstahl for football. He taught my teammates and I how to win and how to have fun doing it.”

“As a coach I have worked with some great ones at Saucon Valley. Matt Evancho taught me about organization, how to create a plan, and more importantly, how to stick to the plan. Afterall, what good is a plan if you don’t follow it?” Fluck continued, “Chad Shirk taught me about work ethic. If you want to be successful, you have to invest your time. I don’t think there is a coach in the area who works as hard as he does, and it shows. The Saucon Valley wrestling program has been dominating the league for a long time and I don’t see that changing anytime soon. These types of lessons and memories are ones I will never forget.”

Nazareth High School junior Kaylin Frack has been coming to Brickhouse for over a year.

Now, Fluck is synthesizing the ideas of passion, fun, planning and work ethic to make a name for himself with Brickhouse Strength. Establish in 2015, Fluck has combined his personal experiences and philosophy with proven techniques to provide a quality fitness outlet that is growing in popularity.

Using the resistance bands, Fluck throws a curve ball into his ladder agility drills.

Fluck’s Brickhouse Strength Philosophy

For the Athletes: When working with athletes, strength is my main priority. We want our kids to be able to gain as much strength as possible in a safe manner with quality technique. If you want to run faster, jump higher, and become more agile, then improving your strength is the quickest way to get you there. If we do not have the strength to move our body in a quick and efficient manner, we are going to struggle on the playing field.

“Absolute strength is the glass. Everything else is the liquid in the glass. The bigger the glass, the more of everything else you can do.” Brett Jones

For the Adults: For adults, as we age, our lean body mass begins to diminish. We need to fight father time off to the best of our ability. If we are able to gain or maintain strength as we age, that is a win for us. Now, you might think that your days of strength training are long gone but let me tell you something, strength is one quality we do not want to ignore as we age. The CDC reported over 30,000 people in America have died due to unintentional falls. As we get older, we need the strength to get out of the shower, get up the stairs, step off of a ledge, and get out of bed. Our lives literally depend on it.

Saucon Valley junior Steven Rose pushes 325 pounds ten yards up and back in about 25 seconds.

Brickhouse Strength Primary Services

Functional Strength: This class is built off of our fundamental human movements. During each session, we will squat, push, pull, carry, and more. These sessions work the entire body and each session ends with some conditioning designed to get your heart rate elevated.
Kettlebell Conditioning: The kettlebell is one of my favorite tools to use. It is the ultimate training tool for boosting both strength & conditioning. The odd shape of the object turns some simple exercises into tricky ones as you have to work to stabilize the object. This class will challenge muscles that you haven’t known existed.
Sport Performance: This one is my bread and butter. I have had the opportunity to coach athletes for awhile now and the program we run is geared toward turning each individual into the best possible athlete they can become. Our goal is for everyone to reach their full athletic potential.
Private Training: For those looking for one-on-one training opportunities, I offer them personal training. We use this time to really focus on certain areas of interest for the individual and create a plan that they will be able to accomplish.

Saucon Valley sophomore Jared Harka setting a Brickhouse record on the rope climb.

Brickhouse Strength Keys to Healthy Living

Diet: For the diet, be mindful of the amount of carbohydrates and sugars that you consume. They will wreak havoc on your body both inside and out. Instead, focus on quality fats, protein and eat vegetables whenever you get a chance.
Exercise: When you exercise, try to become a stronger human being. Challenge yourself. Set goals, create a plan, and follow through on the plan. Do not give up when things get difficult.
Non-Exercise Activity: In regard to non-exercise activities, go for walks, read a book, do yard work, help a neighbor, take part in an art class, or some other stimulating activity. These are things designed to stimulate your mind and/or get your body moving. To put it in other words, don’t sit around on your computer playing games or binge-watching Netflix!

Starting from a kneeling position, Harka was able to climb up and down 15 feet of rope four times in only one minute.

Brickhouse Strength Specials !

20 for $20
- Brickhouse Strength is offering 20 days of fitness training for $20. Sign up before the end of March and you have an opportunity to come train with Chris as many times as you like over any 20 day span. This goes for those with fitness goals and with athletes looking to get a boost in performance.
Sports Performance Program
- Brickhouse Strength just launched a new Sport Performance program last week. If you have been on the fence about when to get started, now would be a great time to come by and check it out. Training times are listed below!

The big board at Brickhouse Strength.

Brickhouse Strength Schedule

Athlete training sessions:
- 5:00 p.m. Monday thru Thursday
- 10:00 a.m. on Saturday
Fitness Sessions:
- 6:45 a.m., 8:30 a.m., 9:15 a.m., 6:00 p.m. Monday thru Thursday
- 6:45 a.m., 8:30 a.m., 9:15 a.m. on Fridays
- 9:00 a.m. on Saturdays.

Chris is a hometown guy providing a hometown service. He believes in his approach to health and wellness and lives by the standards he promotes. His methods are innovative, creative and most importantly they get results.

Be sure to check out his website and like Brickhouse Strength on Facebook!

Brickhouse Strength Contact Info: