Meet Melissa Bamford of Poplar Avenue’s Grit Group Fitness
At Grit Group Fitness, Melissa Bamford is proving that group fitness can be a force for community, resilience, and belonging. Meet this inspiring new FACE of Memphis! Image: Grit Group Fitness
Going from academia to small business ownership is not your typical career path, but this week’s FACE of Memphis is exactly where she belongs — building a stronger Memphis, one workout and one connection at a time. Meet the powerhouse personality behind Grit Group Fitness, Melissa Bamford!
You spent years as a sociology professor before shifting into the fitness world. What inspired you to make the leap?
Sociology and group fitness go hand in hand for me. While I was in grad school at Florida State University, I fell in love with Les Mills classes and became an instructor. Since Les Mills classes are found all over the world, I was able to keep teaching when I moved to Memphis.
During my nine years at the University of Memphis, I taught five or six sociology classes every semester. Between the course load, political climate, and COVID, burnout hit hard, and I needed a change. I turned to the thing that had always been there for me: group fitness.
How has your sociology background shaped how you approach fitness, community, and resilience?
Sociology teaches us interdependence — the idea that we’re all connected and need other people to survive in this world. When you have a third space outside of home and work, you can experience group co-regulation, which basically means our emotional and physical states become altered when we interact with others, leading to meaningful connections.
For many people, working out might only ever be a solo activity. But for people like me who love connecting and a bit of competition, group fitness is where the magic happens. I’ve made most of my friends through group fitness classes!
Grit is “science-backed, people first.” What does that philosophy look like when someone walks into one of your classes?
We have choreographed programs, but we teach to the people in front of us. If it’s your first time doing BodyAttack, I’m not going to ask you to do a bunch of tuck jumps. If it’s been a little while since you’ve worked out, we’ll encourage you to start slow so you can still walk the next day.
We know that the best workouts are the ones you do consistently. Some gyms are built on a model of people paying for a membership and never showing up. Ideally, we want our members to show up as much as possible and try all our class formats so they get a little bit of everything: strength, cardio, and flexibility. When we notice you haven’t been attending as much, we’ll send a text or note to encourage you to book a class and bring a friend!
Some gyms focus on aesthetics. Why was it important for you to build a space centered on strength, belonging, and everyday resilience instead?
External motivation doesn’t work for everyone, especially in the long term. The aesthetics that the fitness industry sells match the body types of less than 5% of the population. If your personal goal is to get a six-pack, that’s great, but we focus on functional strength that will carry you into old age. The fitness industry would have us believe you already have to look a certain way just to set foot in a gym space. Not here. Show up as you are.
What does resilience mean to you, and how do you hope your members carry that out of the studio and into their everyday lives?
Resilience means finding a way, even when the path is dark or uncertain. You carry the light to find your way. At the beginning of class, I often say, “You already did the hardest part: showing up.” Every time you show up for yourself, you build resilience.
You’ve described Grit as a neighborhood hub as much as a fitness studio. How do you see it fitting into the larger Memphis community?
When people think of group fitness in Memphis, I want them to think of Grit. Our instructors are passionate about their classes and take time to learn about each member who walks through the door. We have people of all ages and backgrounds who teach and attend classes here.
Once a month, we offer a free community class with a rotating format. Anyone can join. We recently did a free BodyPump technique workshop that was completely full!
I foresee our members participating in other health-related events around Memphis (a group of us just did the Cooper Young four-miler together) and working to get more people in our community interested in fitness when they see how much fun we’re having!
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
We only get one life, so if there’s something you want, go for it. Do it alone if you have to. Take the trip, go to the restaurant, attend the concert, and take a fitness class. You’ll find your people.
Aside from faith, family, and friends, what are three things you can’t live without?
My cats, Bell and Simone; wine nights with my girls; and potatoes — literally in any form.
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Gaye Swan
As a professional writer of over 20 years, Gaye is an avid traveler and enjoys highlighting food, culture, and attractions around the South. While Gaye is passionate about life in Memphis, she grew up in Meridian and is still a Mississippi girl at heart.