Over 25 Years of Athletic Excellence
D1 Training was founded with a simple but powerful idea: bring the experience of Division 1 athletics to communities everywhere.
The Vision
Will Bartholomew, D1's Founder and CEO, built this brand on a simple belief: the training experience of collegiate and professional athletes should be available to everyone. A Nashville native, Bartholomew spent four years setting the pace for the offense of the University of Tennessee Volunteers. By 2001, it seemed a professional football career was all but certain, and as an undrafted free agent, Will started training camp with the Denver Broncos.
Then, shortly before the season began, the unthinkable: the SEC standout went down in practice with a career-ending injury, essentially tearing every ligament holding his knee together. He came home to recover and map out the rest of his life, and it wasn’t too long before he was missing the turf and training of a Division 1 school.
The First D1 Location
In 2002, Will secured a small place for rent in a Nashville community: 2,500 sq. ft. of open space. He did the work himself, installing patio cover for a turf surface, laying out the weight room, painting, and more to get the first D1 Training location open.
“What I really wanted to do was provide the general community the same experience I had as a Division I athlete—unbelievable coaching, guidance, and an environment where people could come and train with purpose.” – Will Bartholomew, Founder & CEO
Early Growth & HQ
After its initial launch in 2002, the model began to gain traction. In February 2005, D1 developed its campus headquarters, establishing a centralized hub to support operations, programming, and growth.
Pro Athlete Partnerships
That same year, in April 2005, NFL quarterback Peyton Manning, Will's college teammate at Tennessee, partnered with D1 Training. This early endorsement helped further validate the model and expand its visibility within the broader athletic community.
Establishing the Scholastic Model
In 2007, D1 formalized its approach to scholastic training by establishing three distinct age-based programs: Rookie (7-11), Developmental (12-14), and Prep (15-18). This structure allowed D1 coaches to meet youth athletes where they are and develop them progressively as they grow, laying the foundation for the scholastic training model D1 still runs today.
Launched NFL Combine Training
D1 prepared hundreds of athletes for the NFL through its combine training program each winter. D1 saw athletes drafted or signed to all 32 NFL teams, most notably training Tim Tebow, who was drafted in the first round in 2009.
Launched 5-Star Training
In 2012, D1 launched Five Star Training, the official programmatic foundation that D1 still stands on today. Built on Division 1 strength and conditioning principles, every 54-minute workout is broken into five structured components: dynamic warm up, performance, strength, core & conditioning, and a cool down.
National Expansion
By 2015, D1 had grown to 32 locations and had partnered with some of the top athletes across the U.S. Will was getting great interest from people wanting to bring D1 Training to their own communities.
“We just had so many inquiries from people in different cities wanting to be in this business,” Will says. “Franchising made a lot of sense. For us, it was a no-brainer to bring people in.”
The D1 Fitness Franchise Begins
In early 2016, D1 launched its franchise development program and awarded more than 50 territories. This marked a major step in scaling the model nationally while maintaining consistency in coaching standards and training methodology.
Franchising allowed D1 to expand its reach while staying grounded in the principles that defined its early success.
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Manning Passing Academy to Coach Summit
For 17+ years, D1 coaches have run the speed training at the Manning Passing Academy. In 2018, D1 expanded its involvement, adding new components to create the D1 Coach Summit, a two-day experience designed to educate and develop D1 coaches across the system.
Launched Franchise Summit
In 2020, D1 launched its first annual Franchise Summit, bringing together owners, general managers, and the Home Office team. The belief is simple: Iron Sharpens Iron, and the whole network gets better when we strengthen and challenge each other. Past speakers have included Tim Tebow, Eddie George, Scott Greenberg, and other athletes and industry experts.
Adapting Through Change
When the pandemic shut down gyms across the country, D1 did not wait. Within weeks, D1 launched a virtual training app that allowed coaches to deliver personalized programming and stay accountable to their members. D1 also paused royalty payments for franchise owners during this time, standing behind the network when it mattered most. Athletes kept training. Coaches kept coaching. The community held together.
Find a way, make a smart play.
Opening 100th Location & Beyond
In 2024, D1 hit its 100th location. D1 continued to expand its ecosystem with additional initiatives including a gear store, podcasts, and the D1 app, introduced to better serve owners, coaches, and athletes while enhancing the overall D1 experience.
