BUSINESS
10 years of New Start Fitness, a Knoxville gym that feels like family
This story is part of Black in Business, now in its fifth year of celebrating the diverse voices, visions and ventures shaping Knoxville
Sophia TiedgeKnoxville News Sentinel
July 13, 2026, 10:42 a.m. ET
- Brooks Dean built his Knoxville gym, New Start Fitness, over the past 10 years.
- Dean, a Black business owner, fosters a diverse and welcoming community at his gym.
- Members describe the gym’s atmosphere as family-like and encouraging.
- Dean is known for his personalized coaching style, meeting members at their fitness level.
Fans whirled and speakers blared music as groups gathered around bench press stations for their 5:45 p.m. workout at New Start Fitness. One group cheered, “Push, push, push,” as a woman benched 95 pounds but couldn’t complete the second rep
Brooks Dean, weaving between groups offering advice and encouragement, stopped in his tracks and tapped her on the shoulder before pushing her back toward the bench. “Try again,” he said
Dean has spent the past 10 years building his Inskip gym from the ground up, earning a clientele along the way that values his leadership style and the New Start Fitness “family.”
As a Black business owner, Dean said, the success of New Start Fitness shows that a strong community can be built by people from different backgrounds with a common goal
“No matter if you’re Black, white, whatever,” Dean told Knox News, “we’re all doing something together.”
Brooks Dean started like any other entrepreneur: with an idea
Giving up isn’t in Dean’s vocabulary
“He meets people where they are and pushes them to where he knows they can go,” said Sydney Mollica, who has been attending classes at New Start Fitness for a little over a year
The gym started as nothing more than an idea Dean shared with his wife, Jama, after his own fitness journey inspired him to share his passion with others
“What are you gonna do?” he remembers his wife asking. “You can’t have one foot in and one foot out.”
So, when Dean’s boss wouldn’t let him shift to part-time work to pursue the business, the aspiring entrepreneur put in his two weeks’ notice without hesitation
“What if you put all that money in and it doesn’t work?” someone asked
His response: “But what if it does?”
Knoxville gym New Start Fitness ‘feels like home’
Dean remembers only five people showing up for his first class. A decade later, New Start Fitness has four trainers offering a variety of weightlifting classes, including HIIT training and muscle group workouts, with enough members to support a book club
“Brooks is like family,” said Alyssa Sanchez, who picked New Start Fitness as her local gym after moving to Knoxville from out of state. “Everyone is family here.”
Allie Raymes didn’t feel like she fit in at the local workout studio where she exercised. But when she walked into New Start Fitness, people were “flocking to me, welcoming me.”
“And they were so encouraging,” she said. “That’s what I see every time I’m here.”
When Will and Alexis Johnson don’t have anyone to watch their 2-year-old son, Dean lets the couple bring him to the gym. To the Johnson family, Will said, New Start Fitness “feels like home.”
New Start Fitness ‘makes it work for everyone’
The attitude at New Start Fitness starts with Dean and his “wonderful sprit,” Raymes said
“When you think you’re at your limit,” she said, “he digs a little bit deeper.”
Dean views his role as more than just a fitness coach. He tries to understand people’s lives outside of the gym so he can better tailor his workouts − and he doesn’t stand at the front of the class barking orders. Instead, he walks around the room cracking jokes with each person and asking about their day
Longtime member Ryen Sackman said Dean has guided her through every season of life and continues to coach her today − just weeks away from giving birth
“He makes it work for everyone,” Sackman said
And it all worked out for Dean, who views his job as a blessing each day. His role in life is to help people change theirs, even if that’s putting on some muscle or losing a bit of weight
“This,” he said, “is what I was supposed to do.”
Want to give New Start Fitness a try? The gym is located at 4652 Fennel Road in Knoxville, and customers can book classes at newstartfitnessknoxville.com
Sophia Tiedge is the Growth and Transformation reporter for Knox News. Email:sophia.tiedge@knoxnews.com
