Date opened: The first location opened seven years ago on the North Shore's Cherokee Boulevard, and moved across the street to a much larger space at 646 Overbridge Lane in September 2018. Owners Eric and Emily Griffith purchased CrossFit Mayday at 8142 E. Brainerd Road in March 2018 when the previous owners moved, and they recently changed the name to CrossFit Brigade East. "Our community is just thriving," said Emily Griffith. "We saw [the East Brainerd location] as a way to expand that."
What sets the business apart: The relationships among people who work out at the gym make it unique, Emily Griffith said. "We've been able to cultivate and attract people who are really driven to get better at life and support one another. Our focus has always been on working really closely with people. It's almost more like a church than a business." Both owners are heavily involved, and at least five staff members work at the business full time, which she said is also unusual.
CrossFit Brigade East clients work out at the East Brainerd gym.Chance to compete: CrossFit Brigade is hosting an in-house competition Saturday, Feb. 2, beginning with two to three workouts at the East location and finishing up at the North Shore gym. CrossFit Brigade also participates in the worldwide CrossFit organization's CrossFit Challenge in the spring.
Staying safe: CrossFit is a high-intensity strength and conditioning program blending body-weight exercises, Olympic-style weightlifting and cardio exercise, and has a reputation for causing injury. The Griffiths said they try to prevent that at their gyms by slowly introducing movements, or "bulletproofing," to make people more resistant to injury. They also emphasize taking care of the body after hard workouts, and partner with local recovery experts and businesses including Chattanooga Holistic Medicine to offer clients services such as dry needling, cupping and massage.
Whom it serves: Clients range in age from a 6-year-old kid to a 66-year-old police chief, Emily Griffith said.
Take the challenge: You can still join the gym's six-week nutrition challenge which started earlier this month. Participants track their sleep, exercise, nutrition, hydration and other aspects of their lifestyle and win points for positive behaviors in the game-style challenge. "We have some awesome transformations during that time," said Emily Griffith. "One reason it's so effective is they're having a good time and looking forward to being there."
More information: Call 401-8588 for the East Brainerd location or 402-0450 for the North Shore studio, or visit crossfitbrigade.com.
- Compiled by staff writer Emily Crisman
CrossFit Brigade East clients work out at the East Brainerd gym.