WHO WE ARE

Monochrome image of a small bicycle and a whiteboard with workout notes outdoors, featuring trees and shrubs in the background.

Gifford Fitness started in the spring of 2016 in a Lino Lakes garage with a small group of members committed to health, fitness, fun, and a positive environment.  Lifting with hand-me-down barbells and weights collected from friends and family and sled sprinting up neighborhood sidewalks, we dodged dogs, kids, and curious neighbors while building our idea of the perfect gym.

We wanted to create a place where anyone, regardless of age, gender, ability, sexual orientation, race, weight, political beliefs, or level of health could come to become a better version of themselves.  We wanted to build not just better athletes, but better people – better mothers and fathers, better community members, better students, better leaders. We believed that building health and longevity, building incredible athletes, and building kinder and stronger human beings didn’t have to be mutually exclusive ideas.  We were able to open our physical gym space in New Brighton shortly thereafter, funded exclusively by founding members who shared our vision.

Today, Gifford Fitness in New Brighton has grown to house several life-changing programs led by passionate and dedicated coaches, and is filled with many inspiring and committed members, all who still live and breathe the core values developed through our grassroots origin.

Meet the Staff
Join our Team
Two people are inspecting barbells, one person appears to be coaching or instructing the other.
A woman performs a weightlifting exercise outdoors in front of a house, lifting a barbell overhead.
A young man with glasses, beard, and short hair sitting on stacked weight plates in a gym, wearing a gray hoodie and dark pants, looking to his right.
A woman practicing deadlift with a barbell, assisted by a man kneeling beside her, outdoors on a mat, surrounded by trees and foliage.
Woman lifting heavy barbell in gym with garage door and another woman in background
A woman lifting a barbell overhead outdoors on a fitness mat with trees in the background.
A man sets up for a snatch with a barbell in a gym, wearing a gray t-shirt, black shorts, and sports shoes, surrounded by gym equipment.
A young man with glasses, writing on a notepad, is talking to an athlete with long hair, wearing a headband. They are outside near some workout equipment.
A man standing on a driveway, facing away, watching a woman bending over and lifting a barbell outdoors.

History of Gifford Fitness

  • The community of Gifford Fitness starts with a small group of athletes training in a garage in Lino Lakes, MN. The initial space and startup costs are funded exclusively from a group of Founding Members. From conception of idea to the day we opened our doors was 6 weeks.

    Gifford Fitness opened with a diverse adult program that featured functional fitness and a weightlifting club. Owner operated with a small team of 1-2 part time coaches, “2016 era” Gifford Fitness was as grassroots as it gets.

  • Gifford Fitness launches it’s first age group program - GiffyFit Teens - with a group of 13 athletes in the Summer of 2018, introducing Gifford Fitness to a new generation of athletes.

    Gifford Fitness qualifies an athlete to the Masters Weightlifting Championships in Buffalo, NY and places 3rd. This qualified them to compete in the World Masters Weightlifting Championships later that year in Barcelona, where they also placed 3rd.

  • Gifford Fitness expands its Teens program, going from 13 athletes to 300+ and partnering with several high school and club teams, including the Minnesota Force and Irondale High School Girls Swim and Dive. The goal was to provide a safe solution to the constantly changing sport and fitness landscape in 2020 - 2021.

    At the end of it’s first season of the expanded GiffyFit Teens program, multiple longstanding school records were broken, and hundreds of young girls were introduced to the power of weightlifting.

  • Gifford Fitness more than doubles it’s operating space, expanding from a 1500 sq ft. single room to multiple rooms and an outdoor space totaling over 5000 sq ft.

    Gifford Fitness hosts it’s first 24 Hours of Heroes event - raising over $4k in just a few weeks for several veteran and domestic violence charities.

  • The 24 Hours of Heroes partners with the Alexandra House, an emergency shelter for domestic violence victims and survivors. Gifford Fitness raises $10k for the shelter.

    The GiffyFit Youth Scholarship pogram is launched, helping fund training for kids and teens in need.

  • Gifford Fitness launches GiffyFit Kids - a expanding our age group programs to include pre-k, kids, teens and adults!

    GiffyFit Teens has assisted in the breaking of several long standing school records, All-American and college athletic careers. Gifford Fitness starts working with the St. Anthony Volleyball and Softball teams, as well as the Irondale Boys Swim and Dive program.

    The 24 Hours of Heroes raises over $21k for the Alexandra House, providing services for 100 people utilizing the emergency shelter.

    Partnerships with Mayhem Rugby Club and the Twin Cities Amazons are formed.

  • Gifford Fitness launches GiffyFit Legends for ages 55+ , fulfilling the Gifford Fitness mission to create a gym for any age and fitness ability to build lifelong health and performance.

    Gifford Fitness employs 10 college-educated and professional coaches, partners with several local schools, and is a home to a community of hard workers.

  • Giffy Gives is established. Our mission based and charitable 501(c)(3) that focuses on raising funds for health, shelter, and emergency service charities as well as fitness and education scholarships for youth.

Two women wearing blue tank tops with inspirational words, smiling and hugging after a race. One woman is wearing a headband and running shorts, while the other is wearing black leggings. A third woman, blurred, is running in the background on a sunn
Group of people participating in an outdoor fitness class, running with medicine balls on an open paved area with trees and blue sky in the background.
A man lifts a barbell with green weight plates in a gym. He wears a blue t-shirt and has a beard. The background shows weight racks and a logo for Gifford Fitness.
A group of people sitting in a row, wearing athletic clothing and sneakers, participating in a workout or fitness class, some smiling and raising their hands.
A woman with glasses lifting a barbell overhead during a workout in a gym, with a world map and water bottles in the background.
A fitness class in a gym, with women doing wallballs and a woman on her hands and knees on the floor. Two people, a woman with a red bandana and purple leggings, and a man in a white coach shirt with red shorts, observe and instruct.
Group of teenagers in a gym, some wearing soft baseball shirts, posing playfully and smiling.
A woman lifting a barbell with weights in a gym, facing away from the camera, with a woman sitting on the floor in the background.
Group of seven young adults in graduation gowns and caps standing in front of a wall with a red lion logo, smiling and posing with arms around each other.
A woman with a gray hoodie with 'COACH' written on the back, standing in front of a group of people in a gym with a lion logo on the wall, at Gifford Fitness.
Person wearing knee braces standing on a wooden platform in a fitness gym, surrounded by ventilation fans and workout equipment.
A woman in a gym is performing a side plank while holding a small orange dumbbell in her right hand. She is wearing a gray T-shirt with red text and black leggings. The gym has black mats, fitness equipment, and a red wall with a white lion logo in t
A girl performing a deadlift exercise with a barbell under the guidance of a trainer in a gym. The girl is dressed in purple tie-dye shirt and orange shoes, and the trainer is wearing a pink shirt, gray shorts, and striped socks.
Group of children standing in front of a whiteboard with workout instructions, inside a gym with fitness equipment and a Gifford Fitness logo in the background.
Man performing a chin-up, wearing a dark T-shirt with a superhero logo and a white cap.
Two young women are outdoors on a grassy field, engaging in a running drill with yellow cones. One woman wears a red tank top and patterned shorts, while the other wears a light blue sleeveless shirt and black shorts.
A young boy in a blue shirt lifting a barbell in a gym while others observe.
Six people doing handstand exercise against a brick wall in a gym, with a Gifford Fitness logo in the center.
A young woman in athletic attire adjusting her shoes on a rowing machine in a gym with other people in the background.