Eric Braate turns to elite training team to prepare for Ironman

HOUSTON – With 133 days until KPRC 2 meteorologist Eric Braate competes in the Ironman World Championships in Hawaii, there’s a hidden Houston gym that’s helping him train.

IX Innovations is the brain child of Abdul Foster. He opened the gym in 2014 inside a non-descript building that is tucked away along a southwest Houston street.

“We wanted to have a place where people felt comfortable,” Foster said. “We wanted to make it a performance-based facility to where people can concentrate on their goals specifically and achieve them.”

Foster said the gym is meant for anyone of any fitness level, but they do have professional athletes who use the facility.

“I originally decided to work with professional athletes because, I wanted to help my brother,” Foster said.

Thanks to his help, Foster’s brother, Arian, had one of his best seasons in the NFL.

Foster’s mission doesn’t stop with his gym. He’s got a new book, “Next Generation Football Training,” that’s aimed at helping young football players, but it has a message that can benefit anyone looking to improve their sport.

“We wanted to make it simple for, in particular, the young athlete to know how to work out,” Foster said. “Nowadays, there's so much science in what we do that a lot can kind of get lost in communicating that to somebody especially an athlete who just wants to concentrate on their sport.”

Foster said whether a person’s goal is to lose weight, recover from an injury or lead a healthier life, remember to take it one day at a time.

“I think there's just so much that people can get lost in when it comes to health and fitness that you can become overwhelmed,” Foster said. “Do the best you can for that first day and then don't worry about tomorrow until you're there.”

Foster’s book is on sale now at TorenTech, Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

To follow Braate's journey to Kona, click or tap here to visit our special section. Click or tap here to donate to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, the charity Braate is raising money for during his Ironman competition.