Armor Gym in Knoxville, Tennessee, is a facility with various amenities, offering something to suit everyone — except quitters. Previously named “Arsenal Strength Training,” the gym recently went through a rebrand that revolves around the concept of, “What is your battle?”
The idea of Armor Gym came to Chris Adams in 2012, when he and his business partner had a vision to create a gym that “filled a void” in the industry.
“We wanted to build a gym that encompasses a lot of different things we thought the market was missing, particularly the immediate local market in Knoxville,” said Adams. “You see a lot of group training and CrossFit boxes, so we wanted to incorporate something related to that, while still having a full-service gym.”
The company completely rebranded in just one day. On June 1, 2017, the name officially changed to Armor Gym, along with the facility’s logo, employee uniforms, website, social media, signage and even key tags.
“There was months of preparation behind the scenes, but the transition was such a smooth, seamless process,” said Adams.
The inspiration behind the name came from “The Armor of God,” explained Adams, stating that you use armor for protection, in addition to offense. “Basically, [we want to help members put] on armor to go out and face any emotional, mental, physical or spiritual battle they encounter,” he said.
The club’s ultimate goal is for members to walk out feeling better than when they walked in. “We want to help them flip the switch so they have a positive environment and experience and are able to work out their frustrations,” said Adams.
Aesthetically, the goal was to create a high-energy, motivating, fun and upbeat atmosphere. Luckily, Adams’ partner was in the construction business, resulting in a high-end facility built from the ground up, including: 10-foot doors, granite counter tops, an outdoor fitness area and a top-notch stereo-system that blasts different genres of music.
Adams said he knows exercise isn’t something everyone loves. Therefore, he wants to give people who don’t love exercise different outlets to try, in hopes they discover something to fall in love with. The facility’s amenities mirror the idea of inclusiveness, containing child care, prepared meals, athletic testing, personal training, team training and more.
The club also pays tribute to a population it calls “heroes” — veterans, military, fire and police — by providing them with discounted membership prices.
One of the most popular features of the gym isn’t the equipment, but rather a large mural of the club logo for members to take photos by.
“We have people changing their social media profile picture to one of them in front of our new logo — you can’t buy that type of advertising,” said Adams.
