Have you ever looked up a word in the dictionary and it defined exactly what you wanted to say about a subject? Fortify means “to protect, to make strong, to strengthen mentally and to increase the effectiveness.”
Fortified Fitness Studio embodies those words; here, owners Wayne and Stephanie Burns train, empower and teach development in “physical, nutritional and spiritual growth” through fitness.
To live and train to be “Warrior-Ready” is part of their regimen, which strongly emphasizes setting goals and inspiring others to live intentionally, with purpose.
Wayne says belief in the Lord and his teachings led him in his 40s to initiate a lifestyle change after winning a Biggest Loser competition at work. A few years later he and his family attended a Ninja Warrior Clinic, an experience that sparked his passion for “doing obstacle training.” Everything started falling into place. He began to utilize his craftsmanship by building an outdoor obstacle course, and neighbors flooded in to watch and participate.
If you have never watched American Ninja Warrior, imagine doing jumping bars, traveling using rope swings and running up a warped wall. Eventually the Burns family started hosting summer camps in 2017 and were so overwhelmed that, within a few months, they opened up Fortified Warrior Ninja Obstacle Complex on Park Avenue, located in the same building as The Ascent climbing facility. This is right down the road from their smaller gym, Fortified Fitness Studio on Middle Tennessee Boulevard, which hosts small group fitness classes and personal training sessions.
Many kids and adults are extremely excited to conquer the ninja obstacles and “find that they can do more than they thought,” Wayne says. “Others may find that some of the obstacles are harder than they appear on TV or watching someone else do it.” Because Fortified incorporates and emphasizes “the importance of strength, endurance, agility, balance, strategy and teamwork” over time, individuals of various levels of athletic ability can succeed and enjoy themselves in the both gyms.
The Ninja Complex recently received a visit from Isaac Caldiero, the only ninja to win a million dollars on American Ninja Warrior. How cool is that?
Even more amazing: look out for Wayne on American Ninja Warrior 10, but I am not spilling all the beans!
The Burnses definitely speak an amazing story and offer the people of Murfreesboro an opportunity to experience a physical challenge normally only watched on television, where the top competitors make it all look simple.
Warriors, visit iamfortified.com for more information on Fortified membership levels, class schedules and how you can try out the ninja course yourself. The business will expand in the near future, so be on the lookout!
