A new workout facility has sprouted in the Gulch, and it’s serving up more than your average gym.
Located at 125 12th Ave. South, this fitness boutique divvies out high intensity training and state of the art equipment in the confines of 6,000 trendy square feet. With industrial décor and a rotating collection of artwork for sale on the walls throughout the facility, Fit caters to the finer tastes of its GLBT clientele. A fact that comes as no surprise considering the company is gay-owned and operated.
Fit’s owners Bryan Berndt, Dan Kocon and Tash Weddle modeled the gym after the boutique trend made popular in the northern and western parts of the country.
“The trend is to offer smaller gyms that reside in the heart of local communities,” Berndt said.
The smaller gyms appeal to clients who prefer an intimate, urban setting with no waiting in line for equipment, Berndt said.
To make the boutique-size gym successful means utilizing every inch of space and offering top-notch personal training and intense classes including group spin, pilates, kick cardio and circuit training, Berndt said.
Fit offers competitively priced memberships and discounted memberships to couples, including same-sex partners. But exercise seekers don’t have become members to break a sweat at Fit. The gym offers non-members day passes to use the facility and all classes and personal training sessions are available on a pay-per-use basis.
The owners have teamed with area condominium developments, including Encore and Icon, offering fitness packages to their residents.
Weddle said she and Fit's other personal trainers and instructors offer direct, to-the-point training tailored to each client's specific needs.
"Everything in a client's workout is there for a reason," Weddle said. "In my line of work, I have to be good at getting results, so we use a structured plan to accomplish each client's goals."
Weddle has worked as a personal trainer for 12 years and has worked with athletes at several universities including University of Tennessee, Kent State and Purdue as a strength and conditioning coach.
The three business partners met shortly after Berndt and Kocon moved to Nashville three years ago and began training with Weddle. A few months later, they had the idea to start their own gym and the rest is history, Kocon said.
"The planets aligned and things came together," Kocon said. "The hardest part was finding the right location, but once we did that things fell into place."
The trio has based their business model on provided a high end, cost effective product to a niche market.
"We wanted to create a comfortable environment where people can come and work out and not feel intimidated or disparaged," Kocon said. "They can come and be comfortable with who they are and work toward what they want to become."