By Ben Cox
Photos/Ben Cox
Carriage House Fitness started in a garage and now has been at its stand-alone location at 1845 S. Main St. since 2018.
The idea started as a garage gym on College Avenue with original owners Natalie and Pete Lira in 2009. After a move to a rental space on Walnut Street without running water due to expanding numbers, the Liras eventually landed at their permanent gym location in South Jacksonville.
The Liras both come from physical fitness backgrounds. Natalie Lira was a college gymnast who transitioned to powerlifting after an injury. Pete Lira, a former NCAA Division I football player, coached and taught physical education at secondary and college levels.
The Liras devoted their passion and knowledge to teaching fitness coaches at the Carriage House, essentially giving each person who entered the doors of their gym a personal trainer. The teachers would then meet people where they were on their personal fitness journey.
“Pete got ill about a year and a half ago,” Tod Dillard says, “So, we purchased the gym from Pete and Natalie in April 2024 with the idea of keeping that sense of community and family going.” Dillard along with his sister, Torri Tarrillion, purchased the gym from the Liras, bringing along with them the cross fitness training teachers and a sense of community that they hope to continue to foster.
“We focus on our members and their long-term success. We combine crossfit methodology with strength training and mobility. We focus on long-term growth.”
Tarrillion adds that it’s also about functional fitness, “As you’re aging, this training is giving you skills that if you drop something [at home], you can pick it up without hurting your back.” The programs can be modified to fit any person’s age, body type and schedule so that any person walking in off the street can find a way to get in shape, stay healthy, see strength gains and stay mobile.
Depending on the day, clients work on movements to target specific areas of the body or endurance. “The program gives you the base modification,” Tarrillion says, “Based upon the person coming off the street and their schedule, maybe you’re not working out for the full 20 minutes so we can modify it to do the reps in 10 or you can take it and further refine it based upon the person’s prior experience.” The gym has a wide age range that attend classes and participate. Currently, there is a 13-year-old regular as well as some who are 70+ years of age.
The certified cross training coaches are the ones who help to modify the workouts, which work closely with each individual to ensure long-term success. “Each of our coaches have a different expertise that they bring to it,” Dillard says.
“This gym survives because of our coaches and people love our coaches here. That’s a huge part of our gym,” says Stephen King. King is one of coaches at the gym and has been a part of the Carriage House family since 2013.
Continues King, “Natalie and Pete took great pride in coaching their coaches. All of the ones here come from the Liras and they continue to pass that knowledge along.” King, a Jacksonville firefighter, works with fellow firefighter Curt Rueter to help modify the cross training workouts.
Tarrillion says they have set up affordable rates to get people in the door to start their fitness journey. “The first thing we do is offer five classes for free over a two-week period,” Tarrillion says, “That’s just to see it and get a feel for it. And then, we basically have punch cards, which are offered as low as $100 and that gives you ten sessions. Then, we have a two-time-a-week membership that’s $60. Then, we move into an unlimited package, which starts at $85 for an individual. We have family and couples rates that can take it down even further than that per person.” Tarrillion says the five free sessions are given to everyone who comes through the door the first time and then the first month of membership is always half price.
They always encourage people to start with the two days per week membership and then build up to more along the way. “We are pretty confident that once you get in here, you will like it and want to come back for more,” Tarrillion says.
One of the subscription plans called “Unlimited Plus” is for those who have odd schedules or cannot attend classes but still want to work out five days a week for $5 more on a regular unlimited membership. “You can get a passcode and come workout anytime you want,” Dillard says, “It can be any of your exercises or workouts, or could be that you just want to get a lift in.” The goal with the plus membership is to help get rid of frustrations for people who can’t make a class, people who go on vacations and for swing shift workers.
The classes vary up each month. The classes and various challenges are as much social as they are for health and wellness — adding further to the family atmosphere centered around the world of fitness. Community and love of the gym is why the group wants to keep the Carriage House carrying on.
