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CAROL LOLLIS

John Platten, and his wife, Corrie Platten, plan to open Victory Fitness and Nutrition this week at 141 North Main St. in Florence. Here, Platten works with a 3-inch rope used in part of his workout sessions.

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CAROL LOLLIS

Sean Martin of Springfield lifts a 400-pound piston during his workout at Victory Fitness on Route 9 in Florence.

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CAROL LOLLIS

John Platten works at the ropes station at his new center, Victory Fitness, while Michael Schoen of Chicopee swings a weight during the Friday morning workout.

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CAROL LOLLIS

John Platten, lifts and flips huge tire as part of his workout Friday morning.

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CAROL LOLLIS

Sean Martin of Springfield catches and then pushes the tire towards Michael Schoen, of Chicopee while instructor John Platten swings a weight during a Victory Fitness and nutrition work out Friday morning.

NORTHAMPTON - John Platten hefts his custom-made 30-pound sledgehammer over his head and slams it down on a big truck tire, exclaiming "Boom!" with each blow.

For Platten, this is a better way to work out than traditional weight lifting because, he says, it gets more of his muscles working together.

There's a variety of other unconventional equipment at his new Florence business - like yards of 3-inch-thick rope and a 5-foot-tall, 400-pound metal cylinder - all used to the same end.

"We're talking about a more complete body workout," he said.

Platten and his wife, Corrie Platten, plan to open Victory Fitness and Nutrition this week at 141 North Main St. (Route 9). He said he chose the location, vacant since the Real Estate Connection moved out in 2008, because it's close to the running trails at Look Park.

Passing motorists already will have seen Platten and friends at their unusual and vigorous exercises in Victory's parking lot. They swing the sledgehammer, flip the cylinder end over end, make waves and do jumping jacks with the ropes and swing the kettle bells with chains over their heads and between their legs.

They also play a kind of catch with those big tires. "You catch it, you go into a squat and you try to crush the guy on the other side," Platten explains.

Platten said he and other Victory trainers have developed some of the techniques themselves.

Right now he's studying exercise science at Holyoke Community College, while fellow trainer David Mickiewicz has a master's degree in exercise physiology and biomechanics, Platten said.

While the training is geared toward those who practice mixed martial arts, like Platten and other Victory trainers, Platten said it can be useful for anyone. "It doesn't mean you have to be a big, strong guy to be in here," he said. "Every exercise can be scaled down."

Platten said he plans to charge $100 a month for strength training programs, with nutrition supplements included in the price.

He's also planning $10 weekend "boot camps," where "for two hours we're gonna work your ass off."

Victory's 1,000-square-foot studio will be put to other uses, from Zumba dance aerobics to Western-style meditation.

And every night the space will be open for mixed martial artists to practice techniques and spar.

Victory also will have a retail element, where customers can buy sports drinks, vats of egg whites for protein and other natural nutritional supplements the Plattens produce through their other business, Valhalla Labs. Now based in Springfield, Platten said they plan to relocate Valhalla Labs to Northampton soon.

James F. Lowe can be reached at jlowe@gazettenet.com.