Brianna Cromartie is well known for her gritty personal training style.
Clients said her tough love is only matched by her volume, a trait she would sometimes get scolded for as a youth.
“They would say, ‘Brianna is too loud. Stop being so loud. ’Now my loud voice is impacting so many souls,” Cromartie said.
Aside from having thick skin, empathy, and customer service skills, Cromartie said a great trainer must possess a likeable personality.
“They understand that my hardness is not coming from just wanting to be mean,” she said. “It’s literally coming from me wanting to see them thrive.”
Cromartie Fitness, located at 1900 South Clinton Ave., initially served as a way to showcase her personal love for health and wellness. But it quickly grew to more than 200 members within seven years. Cromartie said her purpose is to create a safe space for Black and brown women to work out and feel comfortable.
Racquel Stephen
/
WXXI News
Brianna Cromartie owns her own fitness center at 1900 South Avenue, Ste 760, where she trains more than 200 women about health and wellness.
“People look at the gym and sometimes they get intimidated. They see all the equipment, but it’s beyond just the gym,” she said. “It’s beyond the fitness. It’s mindset.”
Clients value Cromartie’s toughness and spunk. It’s something Destiny Parkes considered before signing up.
“Well, she’s a Black woman like myself,” Parkes said. “And I know she will hold me accountable and have me ready.”
Cromartie said her program is also about forming meaningful bonds with other women. She said she wants women of color to understand that fitness can be an outlet.
Racquel Stephen
/
WXXI News
Brianna Cromartie owns her own fitness center at 1900 South Avenue, Ste 760, where she trains more than 200 women about health and wellness.
“Wedo have a source. We are a community. We can come together…all together,” Cromartie said.
Cromartie spent her youth on the track breaking records. As a Section V track and field Hall of Famer for Aquinas Institute, she said she instills the same principles her coaches taught her when training her clients.
“I tell them show up when they’re stressed, show up when they’re happy,” she said. “Show up. because I’m showing up too. And we’re going to become a masterpiece.”
Cromartie said her consistency is what separates her from other trainers. She said she measures success by her client’s willingness to walk through her doors and show up for themselves.
