Larry Rawdon NASM-CPT, PN1-NC
Welcome to my about page! While we train together, I’m going to spend a lot of time learning about you and your fitness journey, so let me take this opportunity to tell you a story about a small town kid who dreamed of training in the big city.
I started my fitness journey in high school when I was living in Florence, Alabama. I took an athletic conditioning class for the high school athletes. I was a weak kid growing up and an easy target for bullies, but through this class, I was able to put on mass and build strength. It was the first time I was in a positive gym environment, surrounded by supportive, like-minded people who were just trying to better themselves. It’s where I fell in love with fitness and gained more confidence than I’d ever had before.
Fast forward to my college years at the University of North Alabama (UNA). I was lost and aimless, never feeling called to anything and trying to find what I truly wanted to do with my life. Through all of my changing majors, there was always one constant: I loved being at the gym.
It was my happy place. Naturally, I wanted to share that love with the people I loved most, so I started to bring my friends along to the gym with me, which inadvertently became my first unofficial training sessions. This spurred me to change my major for the final time and I graduated with a BS in Fitness Management.
From there, I moved to Nashville, Tennessee where I worked as a coach at a children’s sport academy called Learn, Play, Grow (LPG) which taught more about both program design as well as how to run a program with enthusiasm and fun. Working with children requires high energy and understanding, so I developed a bottomless well of patience and stamina.
While I loved working at LPG, my real goal was always personal training and eventually owning my own business. So when my wonderful girlfriend suggested we move to New York, I jumped at the opportunity, packed up everything we owned in a U-Haul, and and moved to the Big City with my precious little dog, Baby, in tow.
When we arrived, I started from scratch in the fitness world as a maintenance associate while earning my NASM personal training certificate, and I worked my way up until I became a Tier 3+ Trainer at Equinox. It was there that I began to really hone my craft, learning more about program design, building rapport with members, and how to provide top quality training to clients to ensure they get their desired results. However, I also learned more about my own body and it’s limitations.
In the summer of 2023, I ruptured my Achilles tendon, which forced me to rest and focus on injury recovery. While this setback was unfortunate and took me away from my clients and the environment I loved so much, it allowed me to focus on more personal development and hobbies I had neglected until then, such as earning my Precision Nutrition (PN) Coach Certificate and playing Dungeons and Dragons as a Dungeon Master. It also allowed me the time to seriously consider what owning and operating my own business could look like.
Upon recovering enough to return to work, I realized that my time at Equinox had run it’s course and it was time for me to move on. I knew leaving would be difficult, but I would be taking a massive step toward a long-time dream I knew I was ready to face the challenge.
And thus began my work here, as the owner and trainer of Buffgoatz Fitness. Using all of my experience and knowledge I’ve gained from earning my degree and certifications, working on gym floors, teaching kids how to play sports, and personal training at one of the most reputable luxury gym brands in the world, I now can focus squarely on providing exceptional service to my clients to help them achieve their goals and feel their best doing so.
Ready to get started? Contact me today and let’s get you in the best shape of your life.
