Fitness brands and gyms around the country are cutting ties with CrossFit after CEO Greg Glassman posted a controversial tweet.

Some gyms in Western New York like Nickel City Athletics say they removed everything from their building that was associated with the brand.

"We were not super thrilled to see what the CEO had said on Twitter, especially right now with everything so intense," Christopher Heeb said, the owner of Nickel City Athletics.

In a recent post to Twitter, Glassman said "It's-FLOYD-19" in a response to the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation that tweeted out “Racism is a Public Health Issue.”

The post sparked immediate backlash. Social media users felt that Glassman was mocking the death of George Floyd and the coronavirus Pandemic.

The controversial tweet has brand names like Reebok, athletes, and gyms cutting ties with the well-known workout brand.

Nickel City Athletics in Buffalo is one of those local gyms that have removed the brand from their business. The owner says the second he saw the post he acted immediately even painting over his studio.

"We decided to de-affiliate with CrossFit," Heeb said. "We grabbed some paint, slapped it on right away and made a formal announcement, we also changed all of our social media handles.”

Glassman later issued the following apology:

"I, CrossFit HQ, and the CrossFit community will not stand for racism. I made a mistake by the words I chose yesterday, My heart is deeply saddened by the pain it has caused. It was a mistake, not racist but a mistake."

Heeb says even though his gym cut the cord with CrossFit, that doesn't necessarily mean he'll change his method of training within the CrossFit style.

"We will still have the same passionate coaching style and the same passion for changing people’s lives through fitness".

Heeb says he saw the apology tweet from Glassman, but his decision to keep the de-affiliation from CrossFit is final.