CrossFit Black Five never runs short of laughs and smiles.
Former personal trainer Darren Freeman and former engineer Craig Massey head up the coaching staff at the affiliate in Manchester, England, and the two have been described by members as being similar to a “married couple” and sharing a “bromance.”
“They’re so funny together. They just bounce off each other in terms of the banter,” says member Caron Denny, smiling.
A fondness for the staff is felt among all members at CrossFit Black Five, which affiliated in May 2012.
“The coaches, the people we train with that’s the best part about the gym—the family atmosphere,” Mark O’Brien says.
For Freeman, it’s the members who make the affiliate great.
“For me, it was the enthusiasm of the members,” he says. “As a (personal trainer), people don’t want to be there. They get a gym membership bought and they figure that’s enough, whereas in CrossFit, everybody wants to get better . That’s what sold it for me.”
Video by Mike Koslap.
6min 33sec
Additional reading: Virtuosity 7: One Spirit by Robin Blackburn, published April 26, 2015.