Not often does a ribbon cutting event with the Jessamine County Chamber of Commerce end with a pull-up from the owner. For Amy Waugh at Voyage Strength Studio, however, the feat of strength was no sweat.

Waugh, a former massage therapist and aesthetician turned personal trainer and strength coach, brings all of her experience with health and beauty to the table—and the training room—at her new Nicholasville training studio.

“My background in fitness started in martial arts about 15 years ago,” Waugh said. “It all started with strength training.” From there, she went on to become a crossfit trainer and a powerlifting coach before getting involved with functional fitness, for which she said the foundation is strength training.

Voyage Strength Studio is Waugh’s first brick-and-mortar physical location, although she has worked her own personal trainer business over the past few years in the Lexington area.

“It was time for me to get my own space,” Waugh said. “I just had too many clients at the place I was at. I needed to create this new movement for women to embrace strength training, because I feel like most women are scared when they go into the gym.”

Waugh said that her goal with Voyage Strength Studio, which is located at 109 Springdale Drive, is to help show women in the area a clear path for strength training to become the best version of themselves that they can be, both internally and externally.

“It’s all about my clients, and helping them get the results that they want.”