By day, Robert Iniquez is a mild-mannered salesman with Golden State Lumber.

 By night (or early morning), the ambitious 28-year-old is nothing short of a superhero in sweatpants … in the eyes of his clients.

 Iniquez is the owner and lead trainer at CORE Athletic Performance, a 16-month-old training facility finding its niche among the Central Valley’s high school athlete and stay-at-home mom.

CORE prides itself on a service that extends beyond the plates and dumbbells, ropes and tires that fill its warehouse in Industrial Park. With more than a decade of experience in training, Iniquez goes out of his way to cultivate a personal connection with each of his clients.

He learns about their lives, their wants and their wishes, and more importantly, what drew them to CORE. That information, Iniquez said, is paramount in helping a client maximize their potential.

“Whenever they feel unmotivated, you can talk to them about it. I’ll tell them, ‘Remember why you started. You couldn’t walk to the park with your kid. You didn’t want to miss out on all that stuff,’ ” he said. “I try to keep that personal connection with each and every person that walks through here. Learn a little and use that, so they don’t feel like they’re just a number.”

 It’s a tried-and-true method.

Iniquez has used it to win the battle against the bulge at home.

The Los Banos native said his mother, sisters and brother are overweight but have made considerable strides since carving out personalized diet and workout plans with Iniquez, a former two-sport athlete in high school and college.

The key: A heart-to-heart conversation first, workout second.

“It was about finding what truly motivated them and getting them on the right diet,” Iniquez said. “There’s something about seeing someone put in that work and transform their bodies. I really enjoy helping people and watching athletes grow and seeing them do thing they couldn’t do two weeks ago. That alone keeps me motivated.

CORE’s clientele is eclectic, ranging from college-caliber athletes like former Sierra sprinter Emmanuel Elijah to Manteca soccer player Sialei Manulelua to working Moms and Dads.

Now, in conjunction with The Manteca Bulletin, Iniquez hopes to add one lucky Bulletin reader to his gym. Iniquez is offering a year’s worth of training and nutritional advice to a reader, who will be asked to chronicle their journey – the good times and bad – on the pages of the newspaper.

“I’ve always had a passion for fitness and working out. I was in sports for a long time. I have an overweight family, as well,” said Iniquez, who also plans to launch a Biggest Loser-style contest later this month. “It’s a passion of mine to help people get into shape.”

Iniquez and his staff strive to give each client a dynamic workout, using a style and technique he cultivated during his time in and around the weight rooms at Modesto JC and Fresno State. What’s more, members have full access to CORE’s trainers.

“When I was their age, there was nothing around like this for me,” Iniquez said. “Once I got into college, I realized that had I learned the stuff I should have learned at a young age, there’s no telling where I would have ended up. It put me behind the curve, behind guys who had this kind of training.”