NASHVILLE, Tenn. — For Kevin Klug, fitness was never just a career path. It was part of the foundation of his life long before Klug Fitness became a recognizable name across Nashville.
A former three-sport athlete from Minnesota, Klug grew up around competition, strength training and the structure of athletics. He later went on to play college football at Minnesota State Mankato, while his identical twin brother, Karl Klug, played for the Iowa Hawkeyes before being drafted by the Tennessee Titans in 2011.
“Through athletics, I lived in the weight room quite a bit,” Klug said.
After college, Klug made the move to Nashville. At the time, he did not have a fully mapped-out plan for his own future, but he knew he wanted to be close to his brother and the NFL world he had hoped to enter himself.
“He made it to the NFL, I did not,” Klug said. “However, no matter what, I’m going down to Nashville and watching him play.”
That move would eventually lead Klug into the fitness industry in a way he never expected.
When Klug first arrived in Nashville, his goal was not necessarily to become a trainer. He initially hoped to work in football scouting, even interviewing with the Tennessee Titans.
But as one door closed, another one opened. Klug still found a way to stay connected to athletes by helping them become the best versions of themselves at D1 Training. “That’s where my first job came from as a trainer. I was there for 4 years.”
That first job gave Klug the chance to stay connected to the athletic environment he knew so well. It also helped him build the foundation for the kind of coach he would become.
“It was a great building block for me so I could get exposed to coaching athletes,” Klug said.
While he worked with athletes, Klug also trained the general population, gaining experience with a wide range of people, goals and fitness levels.
A few years into his training career, Klug received an opportunity that would completely shift the direction of his life and business.
“I had a friend ask me if I wanted to go travel with country artists, which I knew nothing about,” Klug laughed. “I ultimately said yes to it.”
That yes turned into six years on the road, traveling across the country with some of country music’s biggest names.
The list of artists he toured with includes Lady A, Sam Hunt and Luke Combs and so many more.
“I toured with 3 artists, 2 years a piece,” Klug said. “Lady A was a year 2014 and 2015. Sam Hunt was 2016 and 2017. And then Luke Combs was 2018 and 2019.”
While touring may sound glamorous, for Klug, it was also the start of one of the busiest seasons of his life. Most people on tour traveled Wednesday through Sunday and used Monday and Tuesday to rest. Klug used that window to build a business waiting for him back home.
He is quick to point out that he did not go into business ownership with some polished blueprint. In fact, he admits he did not fully understand what he was getting into.
“That was the pace I was willing to go to start a business,” he added.
Whether Klug is training a country artist, a busy parent or someone simply trying to build a consistent routine, his first step is always the same: getting to know the person.
“The first step is just talking to them like a human being and seeing what the canvas is,” Klug said. “What have they been up to in the last 3 months? Even 5 to 10 years.”
For Klug, training is not just about pushing someone through a workout. It is about understanding their lifestyle, injury history, preferences and goals. He says that is the way a client can feel comfortable and maintain longevtiy in their training.
“I get the whole story of what they enjoy doing outside of the gym,” he said. “Hopefully then we can complement what we are doing in training to support that,” Klug said.
That approach becomes especially important when working with performers whose bodies are part of their livelihood. With artists spending hours on stage, the goal is not to destroy them in the weight room. The goal is to help them stay strong, healthy and capable of performing night after night.
The idea behind Klug Fitness becoming a fully mobile gym did not start as a grand business plan. In fact, Klug was originally hesitant about the business model.
During his final months touring with Lady A, Klug said members of the famous band encouraged him to bring the same training experience he provided on the road to people in Nashville.
“I had lunch with Hillary [Scott] and [Jason “Slim” Gambill],” Klug said. “They both encouraged me to start something in Nashville. They said to buy a van and just take equipment to people’s houses and train them exactly like how you do out here.”
At first, he was not sold.
“I said no initially,” Klug laughed. “I was thinking of like an electrician van. You should have seen the first mockup, it was pretty bad.”
Still, the encouragement stuck with him.
“I’m forever grateful for them believing in me and pushing me to do something bigger than maybe just working at a gym too,” he shared.
Today, Klug Fitness has grown into a mobile personal training company with five coaches and five vans. The concept is simple but highly intentional: bring the training, the equipment and the coaching directly to the client.
Today the business is celebrating 10 years of bringing a workout on wheels.
For new clients, the process will start with an initial chat with Klug himself.
From there, he uses the same approach he developed while working with artists on the road. He learns about the person, their goals and the realities of their day-to-day life.
“You learn about people and see what’s going on in their life,” Klug said. “Do they have kids? What’s going on with their sleep? Just get the full picture of what’s going on in their life. That way we can meet them where they’re at.”
Once he understands the client’s needs, Klug pairs the client with the right fit.
“I have a great team of coaches and I typically try to pull from the college strength and conditioning background,” Klug said. “Since that’s kind of the environment I’m from, they understand the discipline of this type of coaching.”
While some clients have home gyms, they do not need one to work with Klug Fitness. The company brings equipment directly to the client and trains them simply in their home or driveway.
The vans are designed to carry enough equipment to create a strong, effective workout without relying on bulky machines.
Instead, Klug Fitness brings strength and conditioning tools that can be used in driveways, garages or outdoor spaces.
“We take everything out of the van,” Klug said. “We have a squat rag, barbells, a trap bar, dumbbells up to 75 pounds, resistant bands, sleds, battle ropes and your own body, because let’s not forget about that.”
One of the biggest values Klug Fitness brings is convenience. Clients do not have to fight traffic, find parking, pack a gym bag or talk themselves into leaving the house after a long day.
“That’s one of the many values we bring is we are saving drive time for all clients, and they just walk out of their front door and we just start training them.”
That ability to meet people where they are physically and mentally is a major part of the brand’s identity.
Klug describes his coaches as adaptable, flexible and able to meet a variety of client needs. Every client is different, and Klug believes the coach has to be able to adjust.
Today, Klug Fitness serves clients all over the Middle Tennessee region including many big names who have shouted out the mobile gym empire.
“I at the end of the day, you make mistakes along the way as a business owner,” he admitted.
Today, Klug is also a father of three. His youngest, a baby girl, was born just weeks before the interview.
While he is proud of the business, Klug does not want his work to become his entire identity and hopes to be known as a husband and father first.
“I don’t want to be defined by my work,” Klug said. “I’m actually working really hard on not letting work define me because it does consume a lot of me.”
His goal now is to continue building a strong company while still saving enough energy for the life that matters most outside of work.
“You’ve got to leave some in the tank for the family. That’s something I’m striving for,” Klug said.
Still, he acknowledges that there is pride in what he has learned and built along the way.
“I didn’t go to school for business. I didn’t know a lick about business,” Klug said. “I’m proud of the things I’ve learned along the way.”
One of the most meaningful parts of Klug Fitness today is its charity work. Each year, the company hosts charity workouts, and for the last three years, those efforts have supported the Gary Sinise Foundation.
The Gary Sinise Foundation builds homes for severely wounded veterans, and Klug Fitness raises money to help customize home gyms for those recipients.
For Klug, this work is deeply fulfilling.
“That has been very fulfilling beyond anything that we do in business here,” Klug shared. “It’s a soldier who has committed his or her life to serving the country. It’s an honor to do a workout and help build a home gym for them.”
The impact has continued to grow.
“In the years past, we’ve had $16,000 raised for these guys and we’re doing again this year in September,” Klug said.
After the funds are raised, Klug works with the individual recipient to understand their needs, create a shopping list and install the gym.
While some business owners dream of rapid expansion, Klug is focused on refining what already exists. His goal is to keep improving the day-to-day operation while maintaining balance in his own life.
He is not chasing growth for the sake of growth.
“I want to have something left in me to be a great dad at the end of the day.”
That mindset reflects much of what makes Klug Fitness unique. It is high-level training without ego. It is professional, personal and built around meeting people exactly where they are.
For more information, Klug says people can find the business on Instagram or their website.
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