Today we’d like to introduce you to Nathaniel Bryan.
Hi Nathaniel, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
My name is Nathaniel “Tony” Bryan. I was born and raised in Charleston, SC, to Patricia Bryan and Nathaniel Bryan Sr. I’m a former Student-Athlete who attended and graduated from GeorgiaSouthwestern State University in Americus, GA, where I played basketball for four years. After my basketball days were behind me, I worked at the Sumter Youth Detention Center as the Recreation Director and also attained my master’s degree in Sports Management from Liberty University.
I got started in my current position as a personal trainer by falling in love with fitness, just like I loved basketball at one time. While working at the YDC, we made an old PE classroom into a makeshift gym with free weights and machines, and the youth who displayed good behavior would be allowed to train in the evenings. So, at the time, I needed something that would help with my competitive spirit, and I wasn’t playing competitive college basketball, so bodybuilding was the next best thing in my opinion, and I’m blessed that God put that on my heart to do. I also got the opportunity of training some staff members at the YDC and helped them to see RESULTS in which I was told that I could make a career of this, and I needed to be certified. I shrugged those suggestions off until it became a constant thought in my head, so I knew that that was God telling me to go ahead and pursue it. I would train people in two gyms in Americus, and I became obsessed with fitness and learning how to help people transform their bodies from something that they did not like to something that they were proud of.
Fast forward, I was blessed enough to find a job at Onelife Fitness because one of my best friends, Robb Ritch, knew someone who was in the business already so honestly, I was apprehensive about leaving my comfort that I almost didn’t take the position at Onelife because of the unknown but my granny (RIP) and momma told me to “Step Out on Faith” so, of course, I trust their words so I accepted the position, and I haven’t regretted not one second. When I got hired things were getting better and better because I told Robb…I didn’t move to chase anything but success and happiness…If it’s nothing beneficial that’s going to help me to be better, then I didn’t want any parts of it.
How I got to where I am today is ALL because of God. He has blessed me so much that I can’t thank him enough because some of the things that he has blessed me with in four short years are things that I couldn’t imagine in my wildest hopes and dreams, and I’m in awe of those blessings daily. From magazine interviews to being named 2023-2024 Marquis Who’s Who In America to training a celebrity is mind-blowing to me still, but I give God the glory for it all.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
No, not at all, but difficulty is what makes the journey that much more sweeter when you accomplish the goals that you set out for yourself. I wouldn’t want to accomplish any of my goals easily because I would be missing those necessary steps that would make me great in the end.
My obstacles have taught me to be resilient, to be able to adapt and persevere through whatever is put in front of me. Family members dying, friendships ending/changing, serious relationships ending, the unknown and leaving your comfort zone, depression, doubt from others, and sadly…doubting myself, but one of the best things I was taught was TRUST GOD. He saw me through all of that and continued to help me to understand myself. The struggle is needed because what do you learn from just coasting by?
My momma and granny are the two people who helped raise me, and when one of those people is not here anymore, it took the drive to keep pushing out of me for a long while, but I can’t stop because Ruth is in heaven, and I can’t let her or my momma down so plus she would be cursing me up and down if I quit anyway lol…so WE WORK. Out of everything that I wrote, I know that doubting myself is one of the worst things because my mental health is very important. I’m a strong-minded person but at times life gets the best of me so I have to battle with my thoughts…I trust God, and I know he won’t put too much on me that I can’t handle, so I’m going to do what I was put on this earth to do, which is to continue to help as many people as I can and have fun while doing it.
“Happiness is the overcoming of NOT unknown obstacles towards a known GOAL.”
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am a Personal Trainer in Atlanta, GA. I specialize in Strength Training, Weight Loss, Body Transformation, Sports Specific Training for athletes, I train 9 to 5ers, Stay-at-home moms, High School and College Athletes, and Grandparents…I’ve trained a lot of different people, and they ALL want one thing…RESULTS.
I’m known for my training style, which is intense, filled with 15+ years of doing things the right and wrong way and learning from it all. I’ve done Powerlifting and gotten hurt plenty of times; I’ve done bodybuilding (Not professionally) and gotten hurt plenty of times, so I’ve learned what to do for RESULTS and what NOT to do to get good RESULTS. I train HARD so I require my clients to train hard also…I don’t require them to do exactly what I do as far as intensity, but I do expect them to give me their absolute best for 30 min or an hour because one thing that I will NOT do is waste people’s time and hard-earned money. If you choose me as your trainer, just know that I’m going to give you my 100%… No Shortcuts or Bullsh*t.
I’m most proud of my patience; my patience is one of my best traits because not everyone is going to pick right up on how to squat properly or how to deadlift with the correct form their 1st time doing it, so I have to teach them proper form and MOST importantly being patient with themselves because it’s slow cooking not a microwave dinner.
What sets me apart from others is my philosophies concerning training and how to approach each session. I just believe in certain things that have been effective for myself and have been effective for my clients. The ones that trust in that and go all in with me see the RESULTS and the GROWTH that comes with my “DIFFERENT” way of training. I dislike doing what everyone else is doing, so I’ll stay on the course I know that has been effective for years. Also, what sets me apart from others is I really LOVE what I do. It’s a blessing and an honor to be able to have someone trust you with their body and say I’m clay; now mold me. I see too many “fitness influencers” do or say anything just to make money, and it’s NOT the only thing we’re in this business for…we’re SUPPOSED to be changing lives, minds, and bodies so people can live long, productive lives. I guess many forgot what this fitness thing is all about. SMH
What were you like growing up?
I was a quiet, shy, introverted kid/teenager, but I loved being around people who knew who I was as a person and loved me anyway. My personality has been described to me as laid back, even keel, stoic, and chill. I don’t bother anyone bc everyone is themselves self, so I judge no one for how they maneuver in this crazy world. I was an only child for a long time so I knew how to keep myself entertained…doing the wrong things just to see how far I could push the envelope before I got into trouble.
I was interested in anything fun, like action figures, video games, and being outside with my friends or my cousins. I didn’t get into sports until maybe middle school; then it was throw-up tackle, one-bounce baseball, and basketball, which helped me to learn how to be more competitive. I’ve always been a laid-back, don’t talk-too-much guy because the loud ones always got in trouble, and I didn’t like or enjoy getting into trouble. Plus, I speak if I have something to say…if not, then I’m quiet and chilling again.
Being the laid-back, quiet type can cause you to be ignored, which I was, and as a youth, I wondered why I didn’t have a lot of friends or why I was not popular, but looking back, that wasn’t my personality. I didn’t trust a lot of people until I truly knew them, so to this day, that’s how I am, based on the way I was brought up. Was it right or wrong in how I was raised? Who knows, but it shaped me into a pretty awesome black man if I do say so myself. What did Nipsey Hussle say? “Just another flawed human trying to get this sh*t right.”
Contact Info:
- Website: https://resultsdrivenfitnessllc.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/resultsdrivenfitness/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@tonybryanrdf
- Other: TikTok @resultsdrivenfitness
