NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The journey that led Rose Coppola into Nashville’s fitness world didn’t begin in a gym at all it began in New York, with a frustrated mom, a homesick college freshman, and a reluctant move to the South. Today, she’s one of the city’s most dynamic trainers, known for her mobility-focused coaching and creative energy. But before she ever stepped inside a studio, she was simply trying to find her footing in a new city, unaware that her life was about to pivot in a completely new direction.
For trainer and creative Rose Coppola, the road into fitness didn’t begin with a plan, it began with a move she never wanted to make.
“I moved to Nashville 12 years ago to go to Belmont University,” Coppola said. ” I spent my first semester in New York and am originally from Pittsburgh, so I’m a northeast gal, and when I transferred to Belmont, I was actually not happy about coming over here.”
Coppola admitted college began with the typical freshman spiral.
“I was doing the class class freshman 40 just drinking and partying all the time and my mom was like you need to shape up.”
Coppola describes herself as a lifelong creative and says she loves to sing and make music. “I’m a creative person,” she explained. She ended up auditioning for Belmont’s commercial voice program mainly, in her words, “to get her [her mom] off my back.”
But the real turning point came when her mom bought her a package at a local cycling studio.
“My mom actually found a cycling studio called KrankFit (closed now) out in the Green Hills area. I started going to crank and just absolutely fell in love with indoor cycling. The lights off, lots of music and I was like damn I love this.”
That first class changed everything.
Indoor cycling became Coppola’s gateway into fitness.
That summer, she got certified in indoor cycling, returned to Belmont as an instructor, and soon expanded into both group fitness and personal training.
Even after teaching for years, the pandemic pushed her deeper into the industry.
“I think it’s once Covid hit, that’s when I was like ‘I wanna get back into personal training and started picking up on my own clients,’” Coppola said.
Today, she trains full-time at Soho House Nashville and Crew Training Club, where she also creates the strength programming.
“Everybody’s welcome there, Coppola said”
When asked who her ideal client is, Coppola said her original passion was working with gym beginners.
“Two years ago I would’ve said that the right client for me is somebody who’s scared of the gym and doesn’t know where to start,” Coppola mentioned.
But her focus has evolved.
“What I’m just really excelling on is mobility. Somebody that’s in pain or maybe someone behind a desk all day, basically somebody who’s just living with pain thinking that that’s just life,” Coppola explained.
She lights up most when she can help someone feel better in their body.
“I’m like ‘Yo you’re in pain. Let me help you!’”
Coppola lives a full, creatively driven life outside of training.
“I will admit that I’m a hustler so I work six out of the seven days,” she said. “However, I also write music and do acting with my free time. I’m trying to just constantly push my creative self.”
She also loves to check out local farmer’s markets and says the Richland Park Market is her current favorite. “That one slaps,” she expressed.
Other ways she stays active and well in Middle Tennessee is through hot yoga, and spending time with her husband, who brings his own passion to their home: cooking.
“He’s a lawyer but he loves to cook,” she said. “We build a really healthy relationship with food because it’s not fun when you feel like you’re restricting yourself, or you’re guilty when you eat something you feel you shouldn’t have,” Coppola adds.’
Coppola is quick to credit those who supported her in the industry, especially in a field that can feel hard to break into.
Her biggest shoutout goes to her longtime mentor, Carmen Morgan.
“She taught me so much,” Coppola explained. “She’s encouraged me to get so many certifications and she cares about the science about people’s health.”
Rose says Carmen gave her the greatest gift: to believe.
She hopes to be the same guiding light for other trainers emerging on the scene.
For trainers struggling to stand out, Coppola offered clear, powerful advice: “I would say certification is key. Learn as much as you can, specialize as much as you can. Your knowledge is the value that you have,” she said.
Coppola trains clients at Soho House Nashville, Crew Training Club, and independently around the city.
You can find her in Instagram and are encouraged to DM her to get started on your fitness journey today.
Rose has got you.
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