NASHVILLE, Tenn. — For Nate Stoner, fitness became much more than a way to stay in shape. It became the foundation for his career, his purpose and, ultimately, the community he’s building through Outlaw Training Club.

Originally from Bloomington, Indiana, Stoner moved to Nashville with his family when he was 6 years old. After spending several years in Los Angeles with his wife, the couple returned to Middle Tennessee two years ago to be closer to family and pursue a dream of owning a gym.

“I grew up playing sports my whole life but decided not to play in college and instead attended the University of Tennessee Knoxville,” Stoner said. “I realized about a year into college the thing I loved most about playing sports was being in the weight room. By the time my senior year started I knew I wanted a gym of my own.”

When the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted his senior year, Stoner used the unexpected downtime to earn his personal training certification and begin building a client base in Nashville.

“I fell in love with helping people and sharing my passion for fitness,” he said.

An opportunity soon took him across the country.

“I got a job offer in Los Angeles California to come train at a high-end boutique gym, so my wife and I packed up all of our stuff a week later and drove across the country,” Stoner said. “I trained out there for 3.5 years and absolutely loved it, but we wanted to be back in Nashville and closer to our families.”

That decision ultimately led to the opening of Outlaw Training Club, where Stoner now offers group fitness classes, personal training, infrared sauna sessions and cold plunge recovery. Alongside his brothers, Riley and Chase, this became a family business eager to serve you.

“After long consideration with my wife and brothers back home we decided to move back and open Outlaw Training Club,” he said. “My family has been a huge part of our success over the last year and a half and I couldn’t be more thankful for the community we have built.”

When he’s not spending long days at the gym, Stoner enjoys getting outside for runs through Shelby Bottoms or downtown Nashville.

His passion for fitness, however, was born during one of the most difficult seasons of his life.

“My freshman and sophomore year of college were really hard,” Stoner said. “I always thought I would have been playing college football so when I made the decision not to I felt like I lost a lot of my identity. I had bad anxiety and really the thing that helped me the most was getting back into the weight room.”

For Stoner, training became a form of therapy.

“Fitness for me was an escape from that anxiety I dealt with,” he said. “When you’re picking up a heavy barbell or doing assault bike sprints, you can’t really focus on anything else except the task at hand, and that’s exactly what I needed. That escape gave me a passion that I wanted to share with other people.”

While many people focus on the physical benefits of exercise, Stoner believes the mental transformation is just as powerful.

“Everyone thinks about the physical aspect of training but it’s always been a mental thing for me, and I know a lot of my clients over the years have said the same thing,” he said.

For anyone struggling to begin a fitness journey, Stoner encourages starting small rather than aiming for perfection.

“Consistency over intensity!” he expressed. “For someone just getting back into a routine just try to be consistent. Even if it’s a 10-minute walk. Stacking consistent days will eventually set you up for a routine that you won’t want to skip.”

He added that fitness doesn’t have to begin with long gym sessions.

“When I was first getting back into fitness, a lot of my days weren’t 90-minute max effort gym sessions,” Stoner said. “They were 20-minute walks outside or bodyweight workouts in my house. Try to find something active that you can do on repeat day after day.”

To learn more about Outlaw Training Club or connect with Stoner, visit his website and Instagram.

Author: Tala Shatara