MEET
STEPHAN:
Nearly 20 years in fitness. Still learning. Still training. Still showing up.
I’m Stephan Fouche Sr., founder of NLS Athletic.
I’ve spent nearly two decades helping people become stronger, move better and understand what their bodies are capable of.
But I don’t believe fitness has to become your entire life to make your life better.
You can train hard and still enjoy dinner.
You can care about performance without chasing perfection.
You can start at 25, 45 or 65.
You can be an athlete—or simply want to keep feeling like yourself.
Wherever you’re starting, we work from there.
Come as you are. We’ll get to work.
I KNOW THE SCIENCE. I ALSO KNOW PEOPLE.
My approach to coaching starts with understanding the body—but nearly 20 years of doing this has taught me that knowing the science is only part of the job.
With 20+ years coaching, 18 years with Chicago Park District, youth programming/coaching, exercise-science education and credentials, coaching philosophy and community experience.
Good coaching means knowing when to push.
When to adjust.
When to listen.
And how to build training around an actual human life.
I earned my Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science from North Park University and have continued my education across personal training, corrective exercise, nutrition and kickboxing.
Credentials
NASM Certified Personal Trainer
NASM Corrective Exercise Specialist
ISSA Certified Nutritionist
ISCA Certified Kickboxing Instructor
The credentials matter.
What I do with them matters more.
MORE THAN A WORKOUT
The longer I’ve worked in fitness, the more interested I’ve become in the conversations surrounding it.
What happens to our bodies as we age?
How should women train through midlife?
What does strength look like for men as they get older?
How do we eat well without making food the enemy?
How do we help people stay active for decades—not just survive another 30-day challenge?
Those are conversations worth having.
And they’re conversations I bring outside the gym.
SPEAKING + CONVERSATIONS
Stephan is available for podcasts, panels, corporate conversations, workshops and community events.
His perspective combines exercise science, nearly two decades of hands-on coaching and the experience of working with real people at different ages, abilities and stages of life.
Topics include:
Strength for the Long Game
Training for the body you want to live in—not just the one you want to see in the mirror.
Women, Strength + Midlife
A practical conversation about training through perimenopause, changing bodies and changing needs.
Men, Aging + Performance
Strength, muscle, energy and what it means to remain physically capable as the years add up.
Food Without the Fight
Moving beyond all-or-nothing thinking toward nutrition that supports your life.
Training the Person in Front of You
Adapting movement and exercise for older adults and people with different physical needs.
BRING STEPHAN INTO THE CONVERSATION.
Podcast interview. Panel. Workplace wellness conversation. Community event. Workshop.
No fitness sermon.
No shame.
No one-size-fits-all prescription.
Just useful conversation about strength, health, performance and building a body that can keep showing up for your life.