The owners of HG Sply Co. on Lower Greenville have had a secret up their sleeves for some time, but now it’s all coming to fruition — right next door.
The Gym of Social Mechanics will open in February in the spot to the immediate left of HG Sply Co., Lower Greenville’s wholesome-eating, paleo-diet centric restaurant.
Social Mechanics is like the second puzzle piece to HG Sply’s bigger picture. Managing partner Elias Pope says the philosophy of the gym closely ties to the philosophy of the restaurant.
“Living HG is all about eating right, having fun and indulging in food and drink. It’s about truly enjoying your life as a community,” Pope says.
Similar to CrossFit, Social Mechanics centers around “functional fitness mixed with the theory of the group moving the individual forward,” Pope says.”It’s about getting together as a team and being better than you can be on your own.”
That’s where the “social” part comes from, Pope says, but unlike CrossFit, Social Mechanics focuses on the functional aspect of fitness, such as movement, rather than “hurting yourself.”
In other words, it’s for people who are turned off by the intensely competitive nature of other group exercise programs, says co-owner Mark Zakem.
“So many people don’t exercise because they dread exercising,” Zakem says. “We’re trying to reach that group of people who know they need to exercise but want it to be as fun as possible.”
Construction on the building is complete and the equipment is starting to arrive. There’s a large main room, which you can see from the sidewalk through the huge front window, as well as a cozy room in the back for the kiddos to hang out and watch TV.
There’s also a flight of stairs outside the back door, which leads to the rooftop patio that’s being remolded for outdoor dining for HG Sply as well as sunrise yoga for Social Mechanics.
Social Mechanics will offer hour-long classes throughout the week. Members will pay monthly, so they can participate in as many or as few classes as is convenient for them. Social Mechanics will operate under what Zakem calls a “group hybrid” approach, meaning there will be two coaches in every class. That way participants can have the benefits of both a personal trainer and group exercise.
