At Atomic Athlete, members are not just part of a gym—they are part of a team, according to manager Brittan Morris.
“We call all our members ‘athletes’ and our trainers ‘coaches,’” Morris said. “It’s the kind of atmosphere where you can come be a part of a team. [Our members] do as much stuff [together] outside of the gym as we do in the gym.”
Located in a 15,000-square-foot South Austin warehouse, the strength and conditioning gym provides daily group training classes, ranging in difficulty from beginner to advanced. In addition to traditional equipment, such as weight racks and exercise bikes, the gym also includes a lounge area with foosball, cornhole, table tennis and a bar.
“We like to train hard and party hard,” Morris said. “If you come in here and work hard, you’ve earned a beer.”
Atomic Athlete was founded in 2009 by Jake Saenz, who previously led fitness programs at Austin-area parks. With the help of co-owners Tod Moore and Jordan Smothermon, the gym has since expanded five times leading to the current facility off Ben White Boulevard, Morris said.
The vision for the gym was to create programs that avoided some of the common pitfalls of competitive group fitness classes by focusing on injury prevention and technique. Classes have specific focuses, such as Olympic lifts and strength training, as well as programs customized for groups such as military members. Private coaching, online training and drop-in class passes are also available.
Morris said trainers aim to build an all-around better athlete, whether someone is going into the military or trying to improve their every day life.
“Everyone is an athlete in their own right,” he said.
Gym member Eamon Casey said he could already see improvements in his health after going to the gym for only a month.
“The difference from week to week is already dramatic,” Casey said. “Having the structure and having coaches who know exactly what they’re doing and are there to help you get better is an enormous comfort.”
