It’s nearly 15 minutes before the sun will rise over HD Woodson High School, and at this time, Gary “Rocky” Thomas sits in his van waiting for his handful of clients to pull up in their cars on Foote Street and then gather in Marvin Gaye Park.

The ducks haven’t yet made their way into Watts Branch nor have the regulars settled into sharing with their friends in this Deanwood haven. However, the owner of Rock Hard Fitness has already prepared his “work space.” Rocky is a personal trainer who has found a great use of the renovated park to help local residents meet their personal fitness goals at an affordable price.

“The park is a great place to do fitness,” he explains. He points out the fitness trail that has been completed that includes stations with fitness instructions – pull ups, sit ups, toe raises. He points out the stage where he has his clients start mornings off with an intense abdominal work out. “Then you have the stairs that lead out of the park that we climb and plus you have the track,” he says, pointing towards neighboring school’s field and bleachers.

Rocky – a native a Pittsburgh, Penn., and a four-year resident of the area – started his personal training business in 2005. While training himself at Hains Point, he was regularly approached by people amazed at his ultra-defined physique. They wanted to look like him. Many were amazed that his work out solely consisted of sit-ups, pushups, jumping rope and running stairs and other callisthenic exercises.

“The body is a weight,” he makes clear when explaining why a gym membership is unnecessary to stay fit. “It’s all you need.” The interest in his workout led him to his first personal fitness clients.

Two East Washington neighbors were instrumental in bringing Rocky’s services to the park. Sylvia Brown, a local community activist and columnist for East of The River, was interested in bringing the “Boot Camp” concept she had participated in on Capitol Hill closer to her home. Her neighbor, Joe Allen, was a success story who had been a one-on-one client with Rocky.

“Joe lost 20 pounds in eight weeks,” Rocky beams and explains also that the results came with the strict adherence to his recommended nutritional plan of 1,300 calories per day. “You can lose two pounds a week.”

Brown, who was interested in finding ways to implement healthier lifestyles in her community through greater use of the park, was one of the first participants. “He helped us realize everybody can exercise, and we don't need an expensive gym membership or equipment to get healthy.” A cornerstone of Rocky’s mission is to make his training sessions affordable. His three-day-a-week group sessions, which run eight weeks, cost participants less than eight dollars an hour. Participants bring their own jump rope and mat or towel.

He has trained 25 clients, who range from beginners to experienced, in a short time period in Marvin Gaye Park. “With the park, I can work beginners and experienced people at the same time,” he explains. After the first session, Thomas systematically assesses each participant and breaks the group into smaller groups at different levels. This allows each participant to have an individualized workout.

The current group consists of mostly women from the neighborhoods surrounding the park, including a Seventh District police officer who participates after completing her 12-hour shift. Another participant, Tanya Ballard Brown, comes from her Petworth home to work out with Thomas every Monday, Tuesday and Thursday morning. She learned about Rocky’s results as most of his clients do, from a friend.

Ballard Brown’s friend, Lottie Joiner, heard about Rocky through one of the local listservs when Sylvia Brown first informed the community. Joiner is now on her second boot camp with Rocky. She says that when she started, her reasoning for getting up before the sun rose to work out in a dark park was simple: “I wanted to lose weight for my birthday.” When her birthday rolled around, she recalls, “My pants were loose and I wore this dress – I was hot!” Happy with her results she continues with Rock Hard Fitness’s spring class.

Rocky continues to show the community that Marvin Gaye Park is a phenomenal platform to utilize as a workout station. Rocky will continue classes in the park on an eight-week cycle. He is currently recruiting for an all-women fitness class that will run from 6:15 p.m. to 7:15 p.m. at Hains Point. Rocky plans on offering a free demonstration at the Capital Hip Hop Soul Fest on July 26 in Marvin Gaye Park.

For more information about Rock Hard Fitness call Rocky Thomas at 202-302-4447 or e-mail rock.fit@hotmail.com.