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Each morning in an old garage tucked off of Church Street, dozens of sweaty bodies convene to knock out 50 minutes of circuit training before the start of the workday. Co-owner Libby Diaz is extremely friendlynot the militant-style instructor one might expect at a place called Fit Factoryyet helpful as she makes the rounds correcting her guests' form during the tabata-style routine.
In 2012, Diaz started offering outdoor boot camp classes in Centennial Park under the name libFIT and then moved to a temporary space on Charlotte Avenue for a year. She and her husband Jonny, both former Florida State University athletes, were inspired to open their own facility after cultivating a network of active friends in Nashville. They capitalized on the libFIT crowd, rebranded the concept, and debuted the 6,000-square-foot Fit Factory in December, immediately drawing locals looking for the next best high-intensity workout.
'Our motto is ‘building a fit community one friend at a time,' and that's something that's really important to both of us,” Diaz explains. 'My goal is to learn the names of anybody who walks into the door and, next time, they'll be greeted by their first name. The relationships we build here are hopefully what will set us apart.” And the Diazes aren't the only ones doing the welcomingtwo gleeful Goldendoodles, Bodie and Rudy, greet gym-goers and interact with patrons before and after class. 'I think everybody comes just for them,” Diaz jokes.
Fit Factory is similar in concept to CrossFit in that each day, the group follows a different workout consisting of strength intervals, designed by the Diazes. But unlike CrossFit, there are no barbells or Olympic lifts involved; instead, workouts might include push-ups, broad jumps, rowing, snatches, kettlebell swings, overhead lunges, and one-legged squats on the TRX bandsome exercises require hand weights, while others do not.
'It's total-body every day, but you may do a little bit more arms one day or a burnout that might be more leg-involved on another day,” Diaz explains. 'A lot of people who attend regularly come at least four or five times a week. No matter if you come Monday, Wednesday, or Friday, you'll get a full workout.”
Classes are held five times a day from Monday through Friday and in the morning on Saturdays. The first visit is free, and packages start at $99 for 10 classes or $119 for unlimited monthly visits. The Diazes also offer hour-long personal training options that start at $50 a session.
207 McMillan St., 727-463-3893; fitfactorynashville.com