Formerly Courage Fitness, Durham CrossFit is on a mission "to help people reclaim, maintain, and enhance their physical freedom so they can live the active life they want and deserve." With over 50 years of combined experience between trainers, this gym has the knowledge necessary to give each individual a unique fitness plan that fits them.
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Hours:
Monday: 6:00 AM – 10:00 PM Tuesday: 6:00 AM – 10:00 PM Wednesday: 6:00 AM – 10:00 PM Thursday: 6:00 AM – 10:00 PM Friday: 6:00 AM – 10:00 PM Saturday: 8:00 AM – 10:00 PM Sunday: 9:00 AM – 10:00 PM
CFD is the best gym that I ever belong to. The workouts are challenging but doable. The coaches are by far the best in the world. They teach not dictate. And they care about your goals and progress. And the community is just amazing there.
Jeremiah Rowley
Nov 24, 2025
5
I have been a member for over a year. The trainers are professional, knowledgeable, and real. I personally have noticed positive changes in my physique. The trainers take the to time to learn the best movements for each client and they learn each clients goals personally and adapt the workouts individually. I have had multiple injuries (not from working out) and my trainer was able to adapt all my movements to not exasperate my injuries.
Christophe Lafargue
Nov 19, 2025
5
I really enjoy being a member of courage fitness. All of the coaches are fantastic, and each bring their own flavor and personality to the work out. I like that I can join fixed classes, but the gym is open otherwise. It's a great environment and atmosphere, and the staff and members are super welcoming to anyone.
Gary Fogg
Nov 19, 2025
5
I couldn’t ask for a better experience at Courage Fitness. The atmosphere makes you actually want to show up to work out. Dave C. is an exceptional trainer who Is very knowledgeable and genuinely cares about maintaining enhancing your physical fitness.
Everyone at the gym has a great energy.
Katherine Grady
Nov 10, 2025
5
Courage fitness has a wonderful family atmosphere with amazing coaches, fantastic accountability, and no cookie-cutter training. Their focus is truly on providing the best plans, goals, and encouragement for each individual member. Your needs will not be overlooked at courage fitness.
Katie Paul
Oct 30, 2025
5
I love CFD. I’ve worked out there for over 13 years and this is a gym that’s grown with me and my life. I have the support and flexibility to lift on my own, and in different phases of my life I’ve taken different classes, coached, etc. At this point CFD is just a facet of my life as I pursue aging with muscle. The community is friendly and supportive of all people!
Scott Harmon
Oct 30, 2025
5
Best quality fitness programming I’ve ever experienced. Physical Freedom is the goal, because it enables the kind of life I want to live. The culture is fun, healthy, respectful, and encouraging. The coaching is excellent. I’ve been training here for over ten years.
Derik Jones
Aug 10, 2025
3
This review is a tough one to write because I’ve been a loyal member of Courage Gym for 1.5 years and truly loved working with the personal training staff — especially Nick and Amer. Both are phenomenal coaches. Nick, you are truly amazing at what you do. I was able to drop 45 pounds and gain a ton of muscle, and I couldn’t have done it without your guidance and expertise. You have a rare talent, and I hope you never stop doing what you do best.
Now, while my experience with the trainers was exceptional, this review is directed toward the management and ownership of Courage Gym.
When I first looked into the gym, I used the chatbot on the website. It actually impressed me at first — the responses were professional and informative. But after that, it took weeks to get a class or consultation scheduled. That delay nearly pushed me away, and in the end, I just walked in out of frustration. To the owners: this is a major red flag. You’re potentially losing serious clients due to this breakdown in communication.
Once I finally got in, things went smoother. Erica helped pair me with a trainer who specialized in bodybuilding, and that kicked off what would be a very productive 1.5 years.
That said, there were some ongoing facility issues. The cable machine was broken for five months, which is way too long for a key piece of equipment to be out of commission. Additionally, there were multiple times when all the prime workout areas were filled with PT sessions, forcing us to train in awkward, cramped spots. Not a dealbreaker — but definitely not ideal.
My biggest issue, and ultimately the reason I left, was that despite paying $900/month for personal training, I was not given full, independent access to the gym outside of training sessions to practice between sessions. After 1.5 years of loyalty, that restriction felt unreasonable. I would have happily stayed longer if that small request had been granted.
In conclusion:
The personal training staff deserves 5 stars — they are the glue holding this place together.
The gym as a whole gets 3 stars — due to management issues, broken equipment, and poor communication.
If those issues get addressed, this gym has the potential to be truly great. Until then, the amazing trainers are the best part of Courage Gym — and Nick, I’ll always be grateful for your support and expertise.
Kirk Roy
Jun 12, 2025
5
Great vibe. Well structured class and stimulus. Coaching was on point! Will return next time I am in town.
Philip Borden
Apr 24, 2025
5
I’ve been going to CFD for ~6 years now and have loved it! The coaches are friendly, attentive, and effective in their methods, and for me the workout program works to help keep me in shape. I’d definitely recommend this gym!
