review: Fit Factory Nashville

Last week I took a little fitness adventure to Fit Factory, located in Nashville’s midtown neighborhood. If you want to check it out too, you should — your first class is free!

I turned up a few minutes before the 6:30 pm class started (I know — me, working out in the evening? That took some serious motivation) to check out the studio and sign in for class. The Fit Factory, is, in fact, what looks like an old factory or warehouse. The place is HUGE inside! Six thousand square feet of sweat space.

Fit Factory has all the basics of a boot camp/Crossfit – ish gym, plus some extra add-ons like TRX bands and a ping pong table (!). They also have a large waiting area, bathrooms, cubbies, and a shower. Unlike some of the smaller studios I’ve been to (like GetFit615 and HOTBOX Fitness), Fit Facotry’s enormous, light-drenched space made me feel immediately excited to run around and rev up my heart rate. I mean, check out the view from the open garage door!

As soon as I walked in, I was greeted by Jonny, co-owner of the Fit Factory. Johnny got me signed in right away on a fancy iPad and snapped a photo of me so that they can add it to their collection — which they use in order to remember members’ names. What a thoughtful touch!

Johnny and his wife Libby opened Fit Factory in November 2014 as an expansion of Libby’s previous fitness group, LibFit. The two clearly know what they’re doing when it comes to group workouts; they started class right on time and had every exercise clearly planned out. Also, bonus points to them because they were just so incredibly nice. I can’t put my finger on exactly what it was about these two, but I immediately felt welcome and encouraged as a newbie in class. The whole experience was the opposite of intimidating.

After a short warm-up and stretch session (5-10) minutes, Jonny presented the first circuit. I LOVE how the workout was digitally presented on a huge screen (so I didn’t have to try and read handwritten instructions that were messy or small). After visiting so many studios, I have a deep appreciation for the little things

The lineup was wall balls, rowing machine rows, seal walks (a walking plank of sorts), box jumps, muscle ups with TRX bands (a full upper body move), and kettlebell deadlifts. I was familiar with most of the moves, but the muscle ups and seal walks caught me off guard! Ouch.

We broke off into groups during the workout and completed each station in two minutes, with a one-minute transition period between each station. I paired up with another class member who was also unbelievably nice. We cheered each other on and high-fived after each station. What is it with these Fit Factory people and their positive attitudes?!

We did the same circuit a second time around, this time going for a minute at each station with 30 seconds of rest between. Let me tell you — the second round of seal walks was no joke! I felt challenged but wasn’t completely wiped.

We ended with a seven-minute “finisher” round. This one was tough, but since it was more cardio-focused I thought it was easier than the previous rounds.

With about five minutes left to spare in the one-hour class, Jonny and Libby took us through a cool-down and then we were done, right on time. I appreciated that they saved just enough time for a proper stretch after class — I feel like instructors often rush through or skip over stretching at the end of class.

Good workout! Fit Factory basically nailed all of the key things I’d want in a fitness studio: a large studio; a clean studio (seriously, some of the studios I’ve been to have really dirty floors!); plenty of equipment; upbeat instructors; timely start and end points; modern equipment; and ample parking. Other perks: a shower, a water cooler, and awesome views. On the potential downside… they do have two dogs that hang around the studio. Well-behaved dogs, of course, but if you’re not a dog lover then you might not be too jazzed about that.

Here’s the final rundown:

• Website: http://www.fitfactorynashville.com/
• Social media: FB, Insta, Twitter
• Class I attended: Thursday 6:30 pm group training
• Class duration: 60 minutes
• Fit Factory pricing: $5.50-$12 per class, depending on membership
• Calories burned: 275
• Difficulty: 6.5
• Good for: People new to working out, people who are self-motivated (there’s instruction, but it’s kind of a get-what-you-put-into-it workout) people who like making friends in class, people who like dogs, people who don’t like gangster rap
• Logistics: Classes offered Monday-Saturday. Parking is free and available. There’s one shower.
• Bring: Water, or a water bottle. Fit Factory has a water cooler .
• Music: Unlike most studios, Fit Factory had less rap/pop. It was more guitar-y rock. Some of the music may have been Christian?
• Vibe: Really friendly and welcoming. Nothing too advanced for beginners. Lots of encouragement.
• Would I sign up for a membership? I liked this studio and might consider a membership if we lived closer. I wouldn’t say that Fit Factory was the toughest workout of my life, but I still enjoyed the class and community and felt like I worked up a good sweat. The workout itself was on par with those I did at Shed and GetFit615, but the duration was longer, the studio was more upscale, and the instruction was better. And it appears as if the pricing is more competitive.
• Was I sore the next day? Not too much, but I did feel a bit tight in the shoulders and abs! Like I said, those seal walks caught me off guard

Thanks for having me, Fit Factory!