NASHVILLE, Tenn. — For Alex Wayne, fitness was never a side hobby, it was the plan from the very beginning.
“I knew in high school that that’s what I wanted to do,” Wayne said. “I got my first certification when I was 16.”
That early decision would set the foundation for a career that began as a part-time high school job and evolved into a full-time calling.
Today, Wayne is a coach at CrossFit East Nashville and has been recognized as Best CrossFit Coach in the Nashville Fit Magazine Best Of 2025 Issue, a testament to both his longevity and community-first approach that defines his coaching style.
Originally from Ann Arbor, Michigan, Wayne was introduced to the CrossFit industry early on and it wasn’t accidental.
While most certifications require participants to be 18 or older, CrossFit allows certification beginning at age 16.
“That’s kind of what led me to do [fitness] through CrossFit originally.”
What kept him there was more than just the workout, it was the environment as a whole that kept him coming back.
“I liked the type of workout it was,” he shared. “The high intensity training with that kind of group setting and the movement was very cool,” he said.
At the time, Wayne was also a competitive Olympic weightlifter.
That overlap created a natural transition. Olympic lifting is a foundational element of CrossFit, and Wayne found both familiarity and expansion within the sport. CrossFit allowed him to take what he loved within Olympic weightlifting and add even more value to it.
“It has a bigger community aspect to it, which I really enjoy,” Wayne said.
But ultimately, it was the people that sealed it.
“It was so much fun to work with the people that do CrossFit,” Wayne said. “I’m sure you probably hear people when they talk about CrossFit, it’s about the people. They’re not saying that for PR training. It’s just the truth.”
For those unfamiliar with CrossFit, Wayne explains it as both structured and constantly evolving.
“The more technical explanation is a constant variety of functional movements performed at high intensities,” he said.
However, one of his favorite attributes about it: “It’s always different every day.”
Unlike traditional gym routines that often repeat the same movements weekly, CrossFit thrives on variety. “CrossFit still does that progressive overload, but it gets harder.”
That constant variation is a major reason people stick with it long-term.
“You never know what’s coming next,” Wayne said. “And it keeps it kind of fresh and fun for people.”
Wayne describes CrossFit as a sport rather than a workout method.
“CrossFit will describe itself less as a training program and more as a sport,” he said. “The sport of fitness is the idea.”
That mindset changes how athletes approach the gym.
“You’re competing to do your best,” he said. “But also a little bit about it is trying to do better than the person next to you.”
However, the competition doesn’t diminish the camaraderie, and Wayne says community and friendship is a huge pillar in CrossFit.
“Each gym is kind of like its own team in a certain way,” Wayne said.
At CrossFit East Nashville, that team mentality is intentional, structured and familial.
Before Nashville, Wayne’s athletic journey took him deep into competitive Olympic weightlifting.
“I competed nationally in the under 25 category,” he said. “And junior categories when I was under 21.”
While training in Michigan, Wayne worked alongside elite talent.
“I trained with the University of Michigan weightlifting team,” he said. “Through that, I kind of had some very, very high quality professional coaching.”
Though he didn’t claim a national title, the experience was formative and allowed him to find many similarities in the world of CrossFit today.
“It was fun!” Wayne said.
Before landing in Middle Tennessee, Wayne’s path to Nashville included gym ownership and entrepreneurship.
“I moved to Missouri and opened a CrossFit gym and lived there for a few years,” he said.
Eventually, opportunity pulled him down south.
“I got a job doing mobile personal training in Nashville,” Wayne said. “I sold my gym, came out to Nashville, and once I got back into a groove and had built up a clientele, I had some free time and wanted to coach CrossFit again.”
That’s when he connected with CrossFit East Nashville.
In 2025, CrossFit East Nashville was also named Best CrossFit Gym in Nashville, making Wayne’s individual recognition feel even more meaningful.
Classes run one hour and are carefully designed to balance intensity with education.
“We’ll explain what the workout is for the day,” Wayne said. “Then we go through a kind of a general warm-up.”
Before the workout begins, athletes practice movements and skills together before hitting the ground running.
“It is almost like a drill instructor scene, or boot camp kind of look,” he said. “You practice the skills prior to getting into the intense part of it.”
That preparation is critical, especially for beginners, where intimidation might linger around.
“You give the coach opportunity to help you get better before you start.”
New members often receive extra attention, and peer support plays a major role.
“A lot of times you see people who don’t know how to back squat or deadlift when they start a class,” he said. “And then they have a dang near perfect one by the end.”
Wayne says you will be set up for success before dominating the gym floor at CrossFit East Nashville.
Wayne practices what he preaches and does his best to stay active and fit outside of the gym.
“A big portion of me staying fit is being active in training just as consistently as the people at the gym are,” he said.
CrossFit, he explained, is meant to enhance life beyond the gym.
“You don’t do CrossFit to be better at CrossFit, unless that’s what you want to do,” Wayne said. “You do CrossFit to be better at everything else.”
That includes running, walking dogs, and other outdoor activities. He says beach and pool season are his biggest motivators to keep healthy all-year-round.
“At certain times, I’ll be much more strict about what I’m eating, and then other times, it’s a little bit more loose,” he said.
And when it comes to indulgence?
“Indian food of any sort,” Wayne said. “I love curry!”
He laughed, adding, “It makes me lethargic for about a day.”
For Wayne, the recognition from Nashville Fit Magazine is meaningful, but the work doesn’t stop here.
With a career that began at 16, evolved through competition, entrepreneurship, and relocation, and now thrives in Nashville’s fitness community, Alex Wayne embodies what CrossFit aims to be: challenging, inclusive, and deeply human.
As he put it, it’s about showing up, pushing yourself, and doing it alongside people who want to see you succeed.
If you are ready to hit the CrossFit gym floor, give Alex a follow or book a class on CrossFit East Nashville’s website.
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