Community Highlights: Meet Amanda Raymon of The Body Shop Nashville

Today we’d like to introduce you to Amanda Raymon

Hi Amanda, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
When I was about 13 I started battling body image issues, as most teenage girls do. I danced, ran track and cross country and developed an obsession with the scale leading to an eating disorder. My Aunt and Uncle were both competitive bodybuilders, and they took notice and introduced me to weightlifting. They taught me that you have to EAT to build muscle, and before I knew it I had switched from excessive amounts of cardio and barely any food to squatting, deadlifting and benching heavy weights and eating a LOT of the right foods. I didn’t realize it then, but that was a pivotal moment in my story. I went to Belmont to pursue a Bachelor of Music in the fall of 2005. Not long after graduation I partnered up with Carley Chilton, and we started the band Aberdeen Green. We toured the country, had some incredible opportunities working with and opening for major acts, and in 2018 we released an album recorded by Paul and Nick Worley called “The Crooked Road.” Fast forward to several years ago when a dear friend (Bird), who happened to be a personal trainer and Orangetheory head coach, starting writing workout plans for me. I can’t explain it, but it ignited something inside of me. I transitioned into creating my own workouts, and really took an interest in educating myself about fitness. I now am an A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer and a NAMS Nutrition Consultant. In 2018 I began competing in Bodybuilding competitions, quickly rising to the national level. In 2019 I began coaching at Orangetheory Melrose, and in 2020 I opened my own personal and small group training studio, The Body Shop Nashville.

On August 5th after a long struggle with infertility, my husband and I welcomed our daughter Ryla Joy into the world. I am now experienced and almost certified as a pre and post-natal exercise specialist. I stepped back from Orangetheory for now, but you can find Ryla and I training clients in The Body Shop (which Is based off my farm in West Nashville). Fitness has completely changed my life and given me an undeniable sense of purpose, as well as an opportunity to help others change theirs. My joy comes from motivating and teaching people how to become their best selves. In the not so distant future I plan to host health and fitness retreats on our farm in Nashville, but for now I am solely focusing on my clients’ success and being Ryla’s mom <3

I live on a small farm on the Northwest side of Nashville with my husband and our six month old daughter, our two dogs, a cat, chickens, bees, and a potbellied pig named Mushu. You can find me on instagram at @thebodyshopnashville and book training or nutrition counseling at www.thebodyshopnashville.com .

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Honestly, yes, Before my career in fitness I was in a band called Aberdeen Green. We hustled. We spent our hard earned waitressing money for night time sessions on the row (because they were cheaper at the time) and toured with a broke-down-van kinda rig with my potbellied pig Mushu for month-long legs because we couldn’t afford to come back home in between. So stereotypical, but that shit is real. We swam upstream for years to eventually write with heavy-hitters, record an album we poured our hearts into with The Worleys, play The White House and The Ryman, but we still got shut down by record labels, and at the end of the day, couldn’t make a living. The evolution of my career started while I was still heavily involved with the music industry, but itching to do something that genuinely served others. As soon as I started entertaining the thought of a career in fitness, which has always been a huge part of my life, God opened a door and said, “It’s about time you figured it out.” I got my coaching job at Orangetheory while I was studying to become a personal trainer, then opened my business during the pandemic. Once I finally chose the road God laid out for me, life became much easier, and I have loved and appreciated every minute of it,

Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
At The Body Shop Nashville I provide personal and small group training and retreats on our relaxing and inviting 15 acre compound in West Nashville. My clients chase strength goals, rather than numbers and measurements, and the aesthetics and health benefits always follow. I am also a certified Nutrition Consultant, and I strive to coach to a healthy understanding of macronutrients, and a healthy relationship with food. Although I love spending time in the gym, my motto is eat more do less, look and feel your best. This is what I help my clients to implement into their lives.

Since The Body Shop is a private studio on a farm, I have the flexibility to allow clients to bring their children. I know how challenging it is to juggle a baby and a workout routine, but it IS possible, and I would love to help make it a little bit more attainable.

Workouts in the gym are always fun, but when the weather gets nice you can be prepared to swing sledge hammers, flip tires, work battle ropes from a fence post or push an ATV uphill, and we are still in downtown Nashville’s backyard. I’d love to create your custom workout plan to see your best results, but if anything, come for the fit-farm-fun.

Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
My husband, Chad. He has always been my biggest cheerleader. He built The Body Shop from scratch, literally. It is the most amazing home/garage gym I have ever seen, and an epic place to train clients.

My dear friend and mentor, Bird, gave me the push to dive into fitness fully, and helped me land my Coaching job at Orangetheory. That being said, my family at Orangetheory – although I have taken a step back from coaching, the experience and relationships I gained from there are invaluable. I am forever grateful. My dear friend Zack, who is also a coach at Orangetheory, has been a huge part of the evolution of The Body Shop, and surely will be part of what’s to come. Thank you Camaren, my first ever client turned best friend, who gave me the confidence to make a business out of my passion and my home.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.thebodyshopnashville.com
• Instagram: @thebodyshopnashville
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thebodyshopnashville
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheBodyShopNashville
• Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/aberdeengreenmusic
• Other: https://www.agrecordco.com