The training area at 1776 Fitness Group beneath the painted flag mural

Coached by people who have done it

Personal training

Every trainer on the floor holds an accredited certification. Your first session is free, and packages bring the price down from there.

First session free

Come in, talk through what you want, and train. No card, no commitment.

Built around you

Programming starts from your history, your goals and what you actually enjoy doing.

On the floor, not in an office

Our trainers work the room. If you have a question mid-set, ask it.

The team

Meet your trainers

Antonio Lopez

NCSF certified personal trainer, sport nutrition specialist

Athletes, adults and seniors, youth

Antonio was born and raised in North Carolina, where he grew up playing football, competing in track and field, and wrestling. Being a three-sport athlete meant an intense and varied training routine, and it is the foundation of how he coaches today.

He holds a bachelor's degree in Exercise Science from Catawba College with a concentration in human performance and a minor in athletic coaching. He has years of experience with adults and seniors, youth, and athletes from a range of sports.

Antonio is also a licensed massage therapist and body work specialist, working with clients in his own studio inside the building.

Ava Votta

ASFA certified personal trainer and group fitness instructor

Women's training, pre and postnatal, group circuit

Ava moved to North Carolina shortly after welcoming her son and has built a life helping others get stronger inside and out. She holds a master's degree in behavior analysis and has competed in bodybuilding.

Her work covers weight training, kickboxing, group fitness and nutrition. As a mother she understands the physical and emotional demands of pregnancy and postpartum recovery, and supporting women through those seasons is where her coaching matters most.

If one-to-one training is not the right fit, Ava also runs group circuit classes that any member can join.

Will Gilleland

NASM certified personal trainer, performance exercise specialist

Sports performance, wrestling, strength

Will wrestled Division 1 at NC State, where he was an ACC Champion, before joining the US Army. He was medically retired after a combative training injury and turned to coaching to stay in sports performance.

Leading as an Army sergeant shaped how he trains people. His programming mixes mobility, resistance and conditioning around your sport, your goals and what you actually enjoy doing. Wrestling is his specialty, but what he teaches applies anywhere.

He also holds a degree in Health Science and is a NASM group fitness instructor.

Terri Redmond

Certified personal trainer, black belt in kickboxing

Muay Thai, combat sports, conditioning

Terri has spent more than twelve years in Muay Thai and martial arts and holds a black belt in kickboxing. She works as a Muay Thai instructor and head coach, so she is used to taking someone from their first round on the pads all the way to a fight camp.

Her training covers strength and conditioning, functional fitness, mobility and endurance, along with weight management and fight-weight preparation for competing athletes. Beginners get the same structure the fighters do, built around safe technique and a plan you can keep up with.

If you want the conditioning without the contact, her martial arts based cardio work is open to any member.

Megan Harris

Certified personal trainer and nutritionist

Powerlifting, nutrition, mobility

Megan played soccer for more than sixteen years and competes in powerlifting, and her programming pulls from both. Agility, endurance and conditioning on one side, strength, power and lifting technique on the other.

She is also a nutritionist with a medical background, which shapes how she builds a plan around your body, your goals and your lifestyle. That covers weight loss and body composition, mobility and functional movement, and strength work for everyone from first timers to athletes.

Nutrition guidance comes with her training, so the work on the floor and what you eat are built as one plan.

Recovery

Never Back Down

Train hard, recover properly. Our in-house massage therapist and body work specialist works with members on massage, cupping and other recovery methods, in a studio inside the building.

Book a session

Booking is handled by Never Back Down Training & Wellness.

Equipment detail inside 1776 Fitness Group

First session is on us

Call 980-635-1779 or stop in during staffed hours and we will pair you with the right trainer.

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