Awards & Pictures
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I was extremely fortunate to get the perfect part-time job, (20 hours a week, federal contractor position), working at NASA Headquarters in DC (91-93) as an exercise physiologist during my graduate school years in Exercise Science at George Mason. 
A stack of 45 pound plates at WST showing one of the two Iron Island Gym plates Dr Ken gave Bob.
Sign on the outside door entrance at WST in Washington, DC
Another prominant sign on the wall at WST in Washington, DC
Bob at age 52 (2006) clearing traffic for Dan Cenidoza doing the Farmers Walk around the busy downtown city block, (around WST in Chinatown), Washington, DC. (It was right across the street from the Verizon Center where the Caps and Wizards play.) Dan, (upper right), can close the number 3 Gripper, and has the record, only putting them down once going around the entire block with 110 in each hand. (220 total) Bob did it after Dan and only put them down twice going around the whole (4 street) city block. Shoulders, hands and forearms fried!
Bob doing 9 Reps on the Hammer Strength Chest Press machine with 360 pounds at WST.
Bob, (with hair!), at age 25 and a bodyweight of about 180 pounds doing squats in the Spangdahlem Air Base gym. He is training for the European Military Powerlifting Championship at Aviano, AB Italy. This appeared in THE SPANGLED BANNER, (the base newspaper at Spangdahlem Air Base Germany in the spring of 1980). Bob finished first place at the Aviano meet a month or so later.
Bob in 1993 , age 39, when he worked at NASA.
Bob in 1977, age 22, training in the Bitburg Air Base gym in Germany.
Bob in 1977, age 22, in the Bitburg Air Base gym in Germany.
Bob completing his first attempt with 505 pounds at a meet 1n 1980. On his third attempt he set a new PR with a triple bodyweight deadlift of 555 pounds in the 181 pound weight class.
Bob in his mid twenties, 180 pounds, deadlifting a car in Germany.
Pervis Ellison training at Whelan Strength Training in Washington, DC.
Click on the picture above to read the Boston Globe (Sports) article about Bob training Pervis Ellison who previously played for Washington and maintained a home in FT Washington, MD, right outside DC.  Bob trained Pervis for the Celtics during the off-seasons of 97 & 98. After the first summer with Bob, he gained over 20 pounds of muscle and was named a team captain when he returned to Boston by then coach Rick Pitino.  Pervis's transformation got a lot of attention in the Boston media. Pervis also credited Bob with saving his career in another article in The Sporting News.
(Volunteer) Strength Coach Catholic University (Spring, Summer and Fall of 1991) I loved doing this but could not continue doing it for free. I also just started the part-time job with NASA, had already started my personal training business and was still in graduate school. Busy times!  Above is a letter of recommendation from then football coach Rick Novak. I also worked a lot with some basketball players and got to know Bob Valvano, (brother of the the late Jim Valvano), as Bob was the basketball coach at Catholic at the time. Bobby V is now on ESPN radio.
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Anyone who lived in DC knows Ben's Chili Bowl. It has been in business since the 1950's and is a Washington, DC Institution!

Ben's Chili Bowl Owner, Ben "Kamal" Ali, (Son of Ben the founder), was a client at WST for many years! We are still friends and he recently sent me this video. 
David Wright who got a consultation with Bob and managed to find a way to train in a war zone.
Former Citadel wrestler and current U.S. Air Force officer R. J. Hicks who is training to make the USAF wrestling team. R.J. is a repeat Web Strength Coach (WSC) client.
Performing Strongman Minister Jeff "T-Rex" Bankens, A Repeat Web Strength Coach (WSC) client..
Per Hedberg, Stockholm Sweden, A Repeat Web Strength Coach client
Client Officer Richard Wilson
​David Sedunary, Australian Rules Football Coach, Broken Hill, Australia - A Repeat Web Strength Coach Client
Competitive Strongman ​Lennart Fredriksson from Degerfors Sweden, A Repeat Web Strength Coach (WSC) Client.
A Cross Section of Some other Whelan Strength Training (WST) Clients in Washington, DC from 1990 to 2012
I did not quit my job as a Federal Agent in 1990, (and start graduate school in exercise science), to be a photographer or writer. The only reason I have these pictures is because the main magazines I was writing for at the time wanted them to go with the articles especially Hardgainer. By 2004, these magazines had stopped publication and the pictures and articles stopped too. I was back to being a strength coach 100% of the time which was sort of liberating as I hate to write. It is hard work. I was never going to write for any of the magazines that feature drug users that's for sure and I turned down several offers. This industry gives far too much credit to writing as far as I'm concerned.
Melvin Tuten doing the Farmers walk around WST after a full body one hour workout. 
Victor Peck carrying the 200 pound sandbag around the 3rd floor perimeter hallway at WST @ 720 7th ST. Notice the names on the bag like the Stanley Cup. I put men's names on the bag if they successfully carried 200 pounds around the course. I put women's names on the bag if they carried 150 pounds around the course. After a few years (too many names) and a few sandbag changes (they get worn out from dropping them) we stopped putting the names on the bag, but it was fun. Guys would kill themselves just to get their name on the bag.
Stephanie Jirard who is one of my all-time favorite clients and a good friend. She was with me all the way back to the original location on N Street. She also has some of my original Jubinville equipment in her home gym. 
Jamie Sullivan of the NCAA Champion Princeton Lacrosse Team.  Jamie trained with Bob for a few summers and grew up in Maryland right outside DC.
Al Coleman ... one of my all-time favorite clients to train.
Jules Camara 6'11" Kentucky Wildcat Center.
Vern Veldekens at WST on 720 7th St.
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Mpumi Masimini All American from Howard.
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Themba Masimini (Howard Football) who almost made the Baltimore Ravens and was one of the last cuts.
Big Joe Frazier also played Howard Football
Joe Aben, one of my all time best clients. 
Craig Montgomery, another hardworking client doing the farmers walk around the block with a trap bar.
 Al Coleman playing with some Atomic Athletic toys at WST outside near Sandbar Alley.  Roger LaPointe in background.
Jon Schultheis training hard at WST.
Joe Aben (R) and Al Coleman ... Joe was another favorite client for me to train. A hard worker with a great attitude.
My good friend Art Brown who showed it is never too late to start training. Art is now in his eighties and I still keep in regular contact with him.
Bob with Jay Spaid, another great client. Most of my powerlifting trophies have been smashed during my many moves, but you can see a few that survived on the upper right.

Andrea Rippe who was one of the strongest women and best clients I have trained.​

 Whelan Strength Training (WST) moved twice since 1990.

This Picture shows the first WST location (from 1990 -1995) on N St. This was the apartment gym that was mentioned in some early articles. I actually lived here too! This place was crammed with equipment and this picture only shows a small angle of the overall equipment here. I moved to a commercial space in 1995 at 720 7th St (Chinatown, DC) above a Chinese restaurant and Buddhist Temple. Drew Israel writes about this place in his article, "A day of training and eating in Washington, DC." We did the sandbag carry in the perimeter hallway of the building and the other tenants would open their doors to watch. We moved to the last location and stayed there for 15 years (right down the street) at 800 7th St in Chinatown in Feb 1997 (to Sep 2012) in a deal with the same landlord who begged me to move there. She was afraid we had too much weight on that 3rd floor! WST expanded in 2000 and took over a Starbucks storage room next door and had 3 rooms packed with hardcore equipment. 

SANDBAG ALLEY TOUR

WST was one of the first places in the country to do sand bag training almost 30 years ago in the mid 90's. This was even before Dinosaur Training came out in 96. Iron Island Gym and The Pit were among the few other places. Now this has become mainstream. 
King of Sandbag Alley 6'7" 330 pound Melvin Tuten. 325 pound Carry After Brutal Workout.

Queen of Sandbag Alley is Andrea Rippe carrying the 175 pound sand bag at a bodyweight of around 130! Pound for pound, she was the best!
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The course had a tough time limit so you couldn't rest too long. It was only done
​as a finisher AFTER a hard one hour whole body workout.

Big Daddy Joe Bunton starting out with the 150 pound sandbag at sandbag alley.
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Joe after making the first turn on the 250 foot long course.
Bob is giving Joe some encouragement to finish. He has gone about 2/3 of the way to the end of the course. He must dunk the sandbag in the barrel at the end to get credit.
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Big Daddy heading down the home stretch. Almost done! Go Joe! Finish!
Joe did it and is breathing like a steam engine!! Good work Joe!
Joe still recovering.
Joe is now fully recovered. "I Feel like a million bucks! Lets go have a steak!"
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Vern and his Bucket

Vern Veldekens training at WST @ 720 7th ST doing a Barrel Lift.
Vern's Bucket next to Eric Weinstein. (Bucket named after Vern because he used it way more than anyone!)

WST - A Twice Blessed Gym
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​Father Tom Hart doing wrist rollers at WST. Father Tom blessed the gym first. See blessing framed on the wall at WST Below.
Another Priest, Father Paul Makar, who trained at WST for several years, gave the gym a BOOSTER BLESSING about 10 years or so after the first one. It was a 40 minute ceremony almost like a Mass complete with vestments and oils for the walls etc ... just in case the original one was wearing off!  (Ha ha!) Father Paul wrote the Foreword to my book Super Natural Strength.
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Father Paul Makar

Be Sure To Also Check Out The Videos & Podcasts In The Testimonials Section

​OPPRESSOR OF CHAMPIONS                                                                                                                                                                               ALL ROUND GOOD GUY
SOLDIER OF FORTUNE                                                                                                                                                                                          INTERNATIONAL LOVER
WORLD TRAVELER                                                                                                                                                                                                                  CASUAL HERO
BON VIVANT                                                                                                                                                                                                                                PHILOSOPHER

                                                                                        "MAXIMUM" BOB WHELAN
                                                                                         (772) 646-0549
WARS FOUGHT                                                                                                                                                                                    TIGERS CASTRATED
BEARS WRESTLED                                                                                                                                                                          COMPUTERS VERIFIED
EQUATIONS SOLVED                                                                                                                                                                           BARS QUAFFED DRY
VIRGINS ENLIGHTENED                                                                                                                                                                     GOVERNMENTS RUN
REVOLUTIONS QUELLED                                                                                                                                                                                                   TEST ROCKETS FLOWN
Way Back WST Tour below.