The Complete History of MetroFlex Gym: From 1987 to Today

In 1987, Brian Dobson opened a warehouse gym in Arlington, Texas. He was a national-level bodybuilder and powerlifter from Detroit, 402-pound bench, 705-pound squat, 700-pound deadlift. He wanted a place where serious lifters could train without distractions.

What he built would produce 8 consecutive Mr. Olympia titles, generations of IFBB Pro athletes, and become the most legendary training facility in bodybuilding history.

The Foundation (1987-1989)

MetroFlex Gym opened at 2921 S. Cooper St. in Arlington. Heavy free weights, minimal machines, no corporate atmosphere. Dobson built it on principles rooted in his Christian faith: discipline, service, generosity, and treating every person who walked through the door with respect.

For two years, it was a solid training facility with a growing reputation among serious lifters. Then in 1989, a police officer named Ronnie Coleman walked in looking to stay in shape. The way Brian Dobson remembers it, he saw world-class genetics and made an offer: train for bodybuilding, membership is free.

Coleman took it.

The Dynasty (1990-2005)

Coleman won the novice division at Mr. Texas in 1990. By 1998, he was Mr. Olympia. He won 8 consecutive titles through 2005, tying Lee Haney's all-time record. Every title was built at MetroFlex Arlington with Dobson coaching and training partner Gus Carter loading the weight.

The 2003 documentary The Cost of Redemption captured Coleman squatting 800 pounds and leg pressing 2,300. Carter turned to the camera: "800 solid pounds!" That footage became the most iconic training film ever recorded and put MetroFlex on the map worldwide.

The Champion Factory

MetroFlex became a magnet for elite athletes who wanted to train in the environment that built Coleman.

Branch Warren, the story goes, found his way in through the back door, couldn't afford membership. Left as a 2x Arnold Classic Champion (2011, 2012) with 9 IFBB Pro wins and a runner-up finish at the 2009 Olympia. He now produces the Branch Warren Classic NPC shows in Denver and Houston.

Johnnie O. Jackson pulled an 832-pound raw deadlift at age 40 and won the 2009 Olympia World's Strongest Bodybuilder competition. One of the strongest bodybuilders to ever compete.

Josh Bryant, independent strength coach, trains clients at MetroFlex Arlington. Master's in Exercise Science, world-record strength coach, coached Julius Maddox to the all-time 782-pound bench. He co-authored MetroFlex Gym Powerbuilding Basics with Dobson and has trained over 20 athletes to 600-pound bench presses.

Peter Edgette became the youngest person to bench 600 pounds raw at 22, breaking his coach Bryant's own record at the MetroFlex Wild Game Feast.

Cory Mathews, known as "The Preacher," earned his IFBB Pro card at the 2012 NPC Nationals training alongside Coleman, Dobson, and Carter.

The Culture Behind the Champions

Dobson's faith shaped MetroFlex from the start. He and gym members started a homeless outreach in Fort Worth that's still going, now carried forward by Open Door Church. The wild game feast he hosts every year, elk, venison, wild boar, black bear, brings the entire community together. Strangers become family. That's not a tagline. That's how the gym has operated for nearly four decades.

MetroFlex also became a competition platform. The NPC Ronnie Coleman Classic has run for 30 years, drawing 800+ competitors. The Branch Warren Classic runs in Denver and Houston. MetroFlex Battle for the Yard in Murrieta saw Danny Grigsby pull a 1,030.7-pound deadlift in 2023, an all-time world record.

MetroFlex Today

MetroFlex operates licensed locations across the United States and Japan. Each is independently owned but shares the same DNA: serious equipment, serious lifters, a culture built on respect and faith.

Nathan Payton runs MetroFlex Houston, one of the most successful sports nutritionists in history who has coached athletes to 8 World's Strongest Man titles, including Brian Shaw, Martins Licis, and Tom Stoltman. MetroFlex Japan opened in Saitama in 2024, the brand's first international expansion.

The original Arlington location is still operating. Same address. Same iron. Brian is relaunching the MetroFlex Apparel line, tees, hoodies, training shorts with the iconic branding. Nearly four decades of building champions and still going.

Share your MetroFlex story at metroflexgym.com/your-story.