Strength is for Everyone

Stivers Strength is a private training facility in Lexington, Kentucky dedicated to empowering its members to achieve their goals and improve themselves both physically and mentally. We create strong, lean, healthy bodies and have fun while doing it.  Because it’s easy to become lost in a crowd, we are here to offer you small group and online coaching, as well as one-on-one personal training.  Come join our family today! 

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Our Mission

Our mission is to provide an environment of authenticity, hard work and fun, where individuals can reap the benefits of strength training. We create this environment with high caliber, individualized coaching that creates strong, lean and capable bodies.

Our Vision

Our vision is to create a community of people living bold, healthy, and fulfilling lives. We believe strength training and the lessons it teaches are invaluable in creating a strong and capable person. And we believe strong, capable people change the world.

Simple. Hard. Effective. Fun.

Small Group Coaching Schedule

Monday: 9am-1pm | 4pm-7:30pm
Tuesday:9am-1pm | 4pm-7:30pm
Wednesday: 9am-1pm | 4pm-7:30pm
Thursday:9am-1pm | 4pm-7:30pm
Friday:9am-1pm | 4pm-7:30pm
Saturday: 9am-12pm

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“Physical health IS Mental Health” I sat across from this woman who had just poured out her story to me with tears welling up in her eyes. She’d had a couple rough years where she had sacrificed her own health in order to care for her dying mother. Now that her mother had passed she was trying to figure out how to move forward while working through the grief. People find their way to the gym for many different reasons. For me, lifting has been an antidote to suffering and processing negative emotions. It has provided me with the capability and confidence to assuage the feelings of helplessness caused by bullying as a child. It’s given me a reprieve from depression and acted as a solace when life feels unbearable. It’s allowed me to clear my head after an argument and it brings out my best thinking and highest self. Lifting is a buffer between you and suffering. It doesn’t change your circumstances, it changes YOU. It makes you stronger. Not just muscle and bone but YOU right down to your very soul. After a few weeks of training with us this woman sent me a message. It makes me want to cry every time I read it. “I smile when I leave and there is a goodness in my soul that has not been present for a very long time. Thank you doesn’t adequately express my heart but I hope you somehow understand.” I do understand. More than you know. Not your pain exactly but pain nonetheless. Life is freakin hard and people suffer. If we can help alleviate that suffering just a bit, then it will have all been worth it.
DO THIS FOR IMPROVED SHOULDER STABILITY & BETTER PRESSING! A lot of folks struggle to pull their shoulder blades down and back for their bench presses. I’ve found the prone Y raise to be an excellent way to address this issue and create some more shoulder stability due to the direct stimulus to the lower traps. I got this exercise from Evan Holmes as he suggested trying this movement on his page and I love it. I’ve been doing them for a few months now and my shoulders feel really good when I press. Try doing 2-3 sets before your upper body training and see how they feel. Use wrist cuffs so you’re not limited by grip and you can focus on really pulling that shoulder blade down towards your butt as you raise your arm. If you need help finding ways to work around discomfort or you’re having difficulty with any of your lifts DM me and we can schedule a time to analyze your technique and develop a warmup protocol and training plan to get you back to making progress in the gym!
"There's no way I could have done this a couple months ago! At 63 years old, Peggy came to see us when she realized she couldn’t even get up off the floor by herself anymore… This is terrifying for a lot of people. The realization that you’re losing your strength and independence. Struggling with day to day living activities can be extremely disheartening and challenging. Carrying your groceries, getting up off of the floor and even playing with your grandkids can become extremely difficult as you age. But it doesn’t have to be this way! Regular strength training can increase bone density, reduce the risk of osteoporosis, improve muscle mass, balance, and connective tissue strength. Peggy’s been training consistently for the past several months and she can now get up off the floor unassisted AND she’s crushing sets of 10-15 on box squats on the regular. If you’ve found that you’ve lost strength and you’re having trouble getting in and out of your car, going up stairs or enjoying your favorite activities let us help you train safely and effectively and get you back to living life on your own terms. Message me to set up an in person or phone consultation to to build a plan for you!
The Worst Mistake an Injured Athlete can make! Injuries happen. Unexpected joint or muscle pain happens. Setbacks happen, they are inevitable. But, it does not mean that you have to completely stop working towards your goals.  Trey broke his fibula during a collision with another player while playing soccer on Saturday. On Monday he was in the gym doing Bench presses, seated rows, curls, shoulder raises and other upper body work. We’ll start training the unaffected leg later this week as research shows continuing to train the uninjured leg keeps the injured side from atrophying as much. In Trey’s text to me over the weekend letting me know about his injury he immediately said he’d be back in the gym in the same sentence. Trey has an attitude of a champion. Nothing is going to hold him back from the goals he sets before himself. This will carryover into every other area of his life mark my words. Trey’s gonna do great things. On Monday we had a plan ready for him and are ready to work with his doctors and physical therapists as he heals and rehabs his injury. Don’t let an injury or pains get in your way of making gains and progressing towards your long term goals! Let us guide and support you with your training, whether you are experiencing pain or not.  Continue making progress safely and effectively in a sustainable manner and in a positive environment with training plans catered and individualized for you! DM me if you’re navigating an injury and need help moving forward towards your goals!
We’re Hiring! Due to more demand in the evenings we need help! We’re looking for an assistant coach to work in the evenings 4-7:30pm and possibly Saturdays 9a-12p as well. If you have a passion to help people learn to train safely and effectively and have either a degree in exercise science or are a certified personal trainer or strength coach then reach out to me. We coach: •clients looking to lose weight & be healthier •aging individuals trying to build muscle, bone density & stay out of the nursing home as long as possible •athletes looking to be stronger, faster & more injury resistant If you have experience with these populations or a willingness to learn then message me asap.
Time for Eggies! We eat a ridiculous amount of eggs at our house. Usually about 16 or more if all 5 of us are home. 8 eggs for daddy, 3 for Bek and 2-3 for the girls. Eggs are awesome. They’re high in protein and are incredibly cheap compared to other protein sources. You can eat them scrambled with a little salt, throw them in a burrito and add salsa, over easy with a little toast OR my wife’s favorite, toad in the hole (if you don’t know what this is I didn’t either when I got married). Seriously, eggs are an absolute staple in a high protein diet that we recommend for most people (excluding those with allergies). Eggs are great for you and there’s no supposed limit of a certain number per day being healthy or unhealthy. People are not dying of lifestyle diseases because of eggs I can assure you that. If you need fewer calories and more protein you can just do a couple whole eggs and then add some servings of egg whites. I’ve been eating 6-8 eggs per day for decades now but most people would be fine with 3-4. It all depends on your daily protein needs. To vary it up for the girls we rotate through eggs, protein pancakes, Greek yogurt w/fruit etc. What are your favorite ways to prepare eggs? P.S. If you’d like us to create a customized nutritional strategy for you to lose weight or build muscle then send me a message. We can incorporate all your favorite foods so you can live your life AND reach your goals.
Parents, If you want your athlete to actually see progress in strength, power, speed and muscle mass this summer you need to get them signed up THIS WEEK! Realistically they have maybe 8 weeks of productive training time before school starts and we need all we can get to produce meaningful changes. When you sign up your athlete will receive: ☀️3 training sessions per week focusing on correct technique, injury prevention, strength & speed improvements. ☀️Small Group coaching to increase the complexity of skills we can teach and give a ton of focus to each athlete. ☀️Nutritional guidance to either build muscle or drop bodyfat for next season ☀️Flexible training times that allow for either daytime or evening schedules. ☀️Accountability to begin taking ownership of their development and healthy habits such as prioritizing sleep and learning to cook/prep meals. Don’t let your young athlete sit at home all summer and get out of shape and develop bad sleep habits. Set them up for success by investing in quality strength and conditioning training that will serve them for life. Message me to reserve your spot this week. 2 of our 5 spots are gone already.
DONT MISS OUT! ONCE THESE SPOTS ARE GONE THEY’RE GONE! Set your young athlete up for long term success by making sure they are well acquainted with the weight room! In order to tap into their highest potential they are going to need to train with weights. The injury prevention, strength increases, muscle building and bone density effects make it one of the best activities for an athlete to supplement their sport training. Most high school simply lack the resources to properly teach weight training to all the athletes at that school. A lot of well intentioned sport coaches know weight training is important but they lack the know how to properly teach these movements AND there are simply too many athletes to try to teach at once. That’s where we come in! Let us coach your athlete in a smaller setting and equip them with the skills and nutritional strategies to get the most out of their time in the weight room. 2-3 sessions per week can absolutely change the trajectory of your athlete’s development. Message me asap to reserve your spot. We’re only taking on 5 athletes for the summer and 1 spot has already been taken.
“Nathan Stivers was instrumental in Gage being the guy he is today both in physical strength and mental strength. I would highly recommend grabbing one of these spots if they’re still open” We have 4 out of 5 spots left for our summer athletic training program after yesterdays post! Get your young athlete lifting weights properly at a young age and set them up for athletic success and injury prevention. Most high schools have well meaning sport coaches that are simply not qualified to teach your young athlete to weight train properly. Ensure that your athlete develops a foundation of great technique that will serve them for years to come! Contact me today to reserve a spot for your athlete before there are no spots left!
OPENING UP 5 SPOTS THIS SUMMER FOR HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETES Parents, if you want your young athlete to receive proper instruction in the weight room, reduce potential for injury and acquire the strength & speed necessary to compete at a high level then you need to sign them up for coaching with us. The Summer is a great time to focus on building strength and muscle mass as school is out and athletes can get better sleep and food to focus on recovery. If your athlete needs to gain weight then this is the perfect time to do it under the watchful eye of our seasoned coaches. There are right AND wrong ways to gain weight. We’ll take all the guesswork out of the equation and equip your athlete with the training, nutrition and accountability to see massive progress. Message me ASAP to set up a time to chat about our athletic training program. Don’t let your athlete walk into next season weaker, slower and out of shape. The time to build is now!
If you want to build muscle and bone density as you age you’re going to have to actually lift some weight! It NEEDS to be challenging in order to change you. But it shouldn’t be painful. That’s where we come in! We ensure you are lifting heavy enough and often enough to actually build strong bones and muscles while also making sure you aren’t performing exercises improperly or with TOO much weight. If you are concerned with hurting yourself in the gym but you KNOW you need to be resistance training for your long term health then reach out and schedule a FREE consultation. We’ll go over your goals, injury history, medical history, etc and formulate a plan specifically for you to work around any old injuries that may get in the way of you getting the results you want. Everyone needs to lift weights. Let us take the guesswork out of the equation so you can focus on getting stronger while not jacking yourself up in the gym!
B signed up with me a little under a month ago after seeing one of my posts. In our initial talk he said he’d been overweight his entire life and he was absolutely sick of it. Good. He was in the perfect place to make a change. A lot of people simply haven’t experienced enough pain to actually do something about it. It a dangerous place to be unhappy with your situation but not uncomfortable enough to do anything about it. B’s been training at my gym or planet fitness for the past month. I wrote him a training plan, a nutrition plan, took him to the grocery store and also met him at planet fitness to show him around and train with him so he knows what to do if he gets off work late and can’t make it to my gym. B has invested a lot of money into himself and I will simply not allow him to fail. He checks in with me everyday and sends me what he ate and his activity outside of the gym as well. We also talk through a lot of bullshit he has in his head that’s holding him back. This is imperative if you ever actually want to help people change. Well, I’m happy to announce that B has lost 10lbs in a little under a month and he’s acquiring the skills to take care of himself physically for the long haul. B’s gonna lose the weight, and he’s gonna keep it off. He and I will simply not allow the alternative. If you find yourself in a similar position of just being overweight or unhappy with your body composition and are ready to finally do something about it then DM right now. In 3 months you could be down 20 or 30lbs and have built habits that’ll serve you for life!
New piece of equipment at the gym! One of the best things about this piece is making loading for single limb movements so much quicker and easier. Just slap a plate on, grab the handle and you’re ready to go! You are including single leg/arm movements in your training right?!?! DM me if you’d like to learn how to perform these movements properly so you can have safe, productive training for the long haul!
Come see us at the expo area for Run the Bluegrass for free technique instruction and an exclusive offer on our coaching. We’ve helped runners become faster and prevent injury with as little as 2 strength sessions per week on top of their running training. One gentleman shaved 15 minutes off his marathon time and qualified for the Boston! 🤯 Whether you want to improve your race times, lose weight or stay out of the nursing home for as long as possible, we’ve got you covered! DM me if you’d like to chat but can’t make it out in person! @runthebluegrass
When Should You Add Weight to Your Exercises??? A lot of people inadvertently lift the same weight for the same reps for the same number of sets for long periods of time simply because they don’t know when to go up in weight. But this will NOT yield progress! In general we want to be trying to go up in weight, reps etc every time we train that exercise again. I use a checklist with my clients so they know EXACTLY when to add weight to their exercises. 1. Are you experiencing pain? Yes—>Stop the exercise, reduce load or switch exercises. No—>continue down the checklist. 2. Is technique proficient? I like people to shoot for 85-90% technique quality. If technique isn’t being challenged at all then the weight probably isn’t heavy enough. If technique is below 85% proficiency then weight is probably too heavy. 3. Are you maxing out the chosen rep range on the first work set? Yes—>Time to add weight. No—>Stay at the current weight and try to add reps. 4. Are you pushing sets 0-3 reps from failure? Yes—>Good. No—> try to get more reps until you are in this zone while remaining in the desired rep range. If you’re doing sets of 10-15 and you’ve hit 15 reps and feel like you could do 5 more then the weights not heavy enough. If you want someone to take all the guesswork out of your training to ensure you’re making progress in a safe, sustainable manner then DM me the words “LETS GO” and we’ll make a plan specifically for you!
1-on-1 Private Coaching Offer *ONLY 1 MORE SPOT AVAILABLE We have 1 more spot open for a 90 day intensive coaching program for someone who needs to lose at least 40lbs and is finally ready to do something about it. This service is just shy of moving in with you and following you around everywhere to ensure you follow the program. If you’ve been struggling repeatedly to lose the weight and get healthy on your own and you desperately want to take back control of your body and your life then this program is for you. The program includes: •purpose & vision session •personal training @gym 3+ days per week •grocery shopping trip •meal plan •daily accountability check ins •meet for cardio work/walking/hiking etc I will take all the guesswork out of this process and walk alongside you as you implement the changes necessary. If you don’t lose at least 20lbs in the first 90 days then I’ll coach you for an additional 90 days for FREE. So if you want to look better, feel better, have more energy, have better sex drive, be stronger, and live your life to the fullest then message me the word “YES” *this is a high ticket and incredibly personalized offer. If you need something more affordable we have both in person and online coaching options available.
Training MUST be Challenging A common misconception about training is that the more you do it the easier it will get. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Training will always be challenging. It MUST be. Otherwise it’s not creating the results you’re after like increased muscle, greater bone density and less bodyfat. In order for your body to change, training must create a sufficient enough stress to cause it to have to adapt. If the stimulus (training) is too light or easy then the body will not perceive it as a reason to lay down new muscle or bone density. To ensure your training is challenging enough make sure you take your work sets 0-3 reps from failure with good technique (provided there is no pain). If you feel like your training is not heavy or challenging enough to get you the results you want then DM me the word “CHALLENGE” so you can be coached how to safely and sustainably make the progress you’re after! Don’t just go through the motions in the gym, make progress!
AVOID HURTING YOUR SHOULDER WHILE SETTING UP FOR DUMBBELL BENCH PRESSES A lot of people set up for dumbbell benches improperly and unknowingly place their shoulders in a compromising position. Ain’t nobody got time fo’ that! Avoid this risk and get the most out of your dumbbell pressing by setting up properly. The last thing we want to do while we’re trying to get fit and strong is injure ourselves. This is incredibly demotivating and hinders both strength and fat loss progress. Learn how to execute all your exercises properly and ensure you see progress and avoid injury by training with us in person at Stivers Strength Gym. DM me the words “FREE CONSULTATION” to do a deep dive into your lifestyle, exercise technique, nutrition habits and more so you can start making progress towards your goals in a safe and effective manner!
1-on-1 Private Coaching Offer We have 1 more spot open for a 90 day intensive coaching program for someone who needs to lose at least 40lbs and is finally ready to do something about it. This service is just shy of moving in with you and following you around everywhere to ensure you follow the program. If you’ve been struggling repeatedly to lose the weight and get healthy on your own and you desperately want to take back control of your body and your life then this program is for you. The program includes: •purpose & vision session •personal training @gym 3+ days per week •grocery shopping trip •meal plan •daily accountability check ins •meet for cardio work/walking/hiking etc I will take all the guesswork out of this process and walk alongside you as you implement the changes necessary. If you don’t lose at least 20lbs in the first 90 days then I’ll coach you for an additional 90 days for FREE. So if you want to look better, feel better, have more energy, have better sex drive, be stronger, and live your life to the fullest then message me the word “YES” *this is a high ticket and incredibly personalized offer. If you need something more affordable we have both in person and online coaching options available.
1-on-1 Private Coaching Offer I’m opening up 2 spots for a 90 day intensive coaching program for someone who needs to lose at least 40lbs and is finally ready to do something about it. This service is just shy of moving in with you and following you around everywhere to ensure you follow the program. If you’ve been struggling repeatedly to lose the weight and get healthy on your own and you desperately want to take back control of your body and your life then this program is for you. The program includes: •purpose & vision session •personal training @gym 3+ days per week •grocery shopping tutorial •meal plan •daily accountability check ins •meet for cardio work/walking/hiking etc I will take all the guesswork out of this process and walk alongside you as you implement the changes necessary. If you don’t lose at least 20lbs in the first 90 days then I’ll coach you for an additional 90 days for FREE. So if you want to look better, feel better, have more energy, have better sex drive, be stronger, and live your life to the fullest then message me the word “YES” *this is a high ticket and incredibly personalized offer. If you need something more affordable we have both in person and online coaching options available.

Stivers Strength

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356 Longview Plaza
Suite 150A
Lexington, KY 40503

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