NASHVILLE, Tenn. — When local trainer and instructor Steven Hines says he never expected to work in fitness, he means it.
“I was a horrible athlete growing up,” he laughs. “I tried every sport. I wanted to be athletic so badly, but nothing clicked. I very happily fell into the music and theater world instead.”
That unexpected beginning has somehow shaped one of Nashville’s most relatable and refreshingly honest fitness voices. His story includes time spent in Knoxville at the University of Tennessee to and even getting laid off 30 minutes after his Barry’s Bootcamp audition… on the same day he was offered the job. Talk about great timing!
“It was just this funny whiplash on a random Tuesday,” he says. “They were like, ‘We want to offer you the job,’ and then 30 minutes later: ‘Your position has been eliminated.’ That was the moment he knew the fitness life was made for him.
Today, Hines splits his time between Barry’s Nashville and Crew, the East Nashville cycling and strength studio he helped build alongside his close friend, founder Dylan Jenkins.
Steven teaches, trains and leads rooms full of riders… and then he clocks into a whole other career. He also works full-time as the VP of Client Services for a Pittsburgh-based ad agency.
“Unemployed to very employed in a matter of minutes,” he jokes.
Before he was coaching tap-back intervals or whipping towels at Crew, Hines was blasting a trumpet inside Neyland Stadium.
“I played trumpet from fourth grade all the way through college. I was in the Pride of the Southland at UT, and it was such a huge part of my life.”
After college, he worked in marketing in downtown Knoxville, where one of his clients turned out to be Orangetheory Fitness.
“That’s how it all started. I was going to classes so I actually knew what my clients were talking about, and I ended up really liking it.”
A friend eventually dragged him to his first cycling class.
“I hated it,” he says immediately. “I was like, ‘This makes no sense. I’m good at music, why am I not good at this?’ But I kept going, and I fell in love with it.” That truly is the secret sauce to cycling classes…keep going!
That love carried him through two years teaching at CycleBar Bearden, then to Nashville in 2022, where he helped open Crew by doing whatever was needed: “I was bolting cleats, cleaning, anything,” he says. Simply because he believed in the vision.
Moving to a bigger market was both exciting and intimidating.
“I was really proud of what I built in Knoxville,” he says. “I had community there. But I was eager — nervous, but eager. Nashville is very welcoming, but it also has a little bite. Everyone’s moving fast, everyone’s grinding.”
But the challenge sharpened him.
“Nashville has pushed me, but it’s also given me the confidence to push back and stand firmly in who Steven is.”
How does he do it? Not pretending to be the loudest, hardest, most intense coach in the room, but stand firm in his intentions, personality and experience.
“At Barry’s, I literally said, ‘I’m not a natural ass-kicker.’ And the talent lead told me, ‘Good. Don’t be. Lean into what you are. Be the towels-waving, ponytail-whipping, music-loving instructor.’ And it was refreshing.”
With new studios popping up constantly, Hines says the key to standing out in Nashville is surprisingly basic.
“You just have to be yourself. And every time I haven’t done that, it’s failed.”
He laughs about the pressure to be edgy, hard, or hyper-cool.
“Every time I try to play this super gritty, cool vibe? It’s not me. I wanna play Lady Gaga. I wanna celebrate birthdays and bachelorettes and wave towels. You have to lean into your strengths.”
Instead of chasing trend cycles or extreme choreography, he starts classes by scanning the room and greeting riders by name. “It sounds so simple, but making people feel seen is what brings them back. Not teaching the ‘hardest’ class. Nobody cares.”
Hines’ cycling classes are known for their upbeat pop, nostalgic surprises, and songs that make people yell “oh my God, are we really riding to this?”
His personal Mount Rushmore of spin artists?
Lady Gaga (“Obviously.”)
Beyoncé
Rihanna
Luna
EDM artist Nyna (“for a little moody vibe”)
He loves adding one curveball track to every playlist.
“Yesterday I played ‘Miss Independent’ by Ne-Yo and got weird looks, but by the end it was a vibe,” he laughs.
Outside the studio, Hines says his wellness routine is simple and flexible.
“Consistency is hard, even for instructors,” he admits.
“I try to sleep eight hours, drink water, eat well enough. I don’t track macros. I’ve tried, but it feels restrictive for me.”
His favorite recovery spot, is Lolu. And when he is not plunging in a cold tub or sweating it out in a sauna, he loves eating at Redhead Stranger for those tacos quesadillas and margaritas.
“I live in the middle. If I want chips, salsa, and a Paloma, I’m gonna go get it.”
With Barry’s, Crew, a full-time agency job, and a growing Nashville presence, Hines shows no signs of slowing down, though he insists the real goal isn’t spotlight, intensity, or competition. It’s connection.
“I think my purpose is just making people feel welcome, seen and encouraged. That’s what keeps the fitness world alive, not perfection.”
And that’s exactly why Nashville riders keep showing up for him.
Give him a follow on Instagram and get in the saddle with him today.
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