Create a mental picture of what you think a personal trainer looks like. Chances are, Robert Beldzik doesn’t fit that image. With a bushy gray beard, stocky frame, and penetrating brown eyes, he looks more like a lumberjack or rugged mountain man straight out of Hollywood’s central casting.
But Robert is indeed a fitness trainer on Key Biscayne, and he has a devoted list of clients. He makes the drive over the causeway from his home on Miami Beach before the sun rises. Armed with a wagon carrying push up bars, resistance bands, kettle bells, and other equipment, he shows up at the Village Green at 6 a.m. to set up shop. He attaches the resistance bands to pull-up bars, lines up an array of barbells, and sets up an agility ladder used to help clients with balance, coordination, and cardiovascular fitness.
He offers high intensity training, sport-specific conditioning, and post-rehabilitation work for all ages, with a focus on functional strength as opposed to body building. “We build stuff that will help carry you through life. So that way, I can work with young people all the way to the elderly.” He’s able to modify the program based on an individual’s fitness level and goals, and he encourages families to work out together.
He’s been working as a fitness trainer for 28 years and started at the Key Biscayne Community Center in 2019. After the Center closed during the COVID pandemic, he moved his operation outside to the Village Green. At first he viewed the move as a hardship but quickly came to view training outside as an opportunity and a blessing. “I had to revamp the program, but working outside offers many advantages. We have a whole soccer field at our disposal and can cover a lot of modalities in one session, from agility work to calisthenics to running and other conditioning.”
Robert has one group that trains together regularly and he also works with individuals, couples, and families in 45-minute sessions. Many of his new clients are passers-by whose curiosity was piqued after seeing his setup on the Green. “They’ll stop by and ask what’s going on,” he says. “A lot of times I’ll offer a complimentary session so that they can try it for themselves. If it works, we’ll keep on going.”
Robert considers himself fortunate to have become part of the Key Biscayne community. “There is a strong sense of community here on the island. I’ve worked with people across three generations. I started working with a grandmother who brought me her daughter and now I’m working with the grandchildren as well. Sometimes all at once! The loyalty is superb here, and the connections are fantastic.”