Inside the former National Brewing Co.—known for once making National Bohemian beer—is CrossFit affiliate Push 511. The gym sits east of downtown Baltimore in the city’s Brewers Hill neighborhood.
“This part, at some point, was kind of like more warehousing for beer,” co-owner Ardyth Hall says.
The 4,500-square-foot space includes touches of Charm City—like the Natty Boh icon atop Popeye’s body on the outside of the men’s bathroom door.
“’Cause spinach is good—very good Paleo,” Hall says.
On the inside of the door is a warning: “Failure to turn out lights = 10 burpees.”
“And you know you don’t like to do burpees,” Hall quips.
Ryan Flammang, one of nearly 200 members at Push 511, started CrossFitting in 2008 at another affiliate.
“It basically keeps me sane,” says the firefighter and paramedic. “It’s addictive, and once you come and it gets in your brain, it sticks.”
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Additional reading: My Tribe by Jeremy Striffler, published Feb. 16, 2012.