Henrico Small Business Spotlight: Strongmates Athletics

Ryan Foray believes there’s a strongmate in everyone. He’s the type of “neighborhood coach” who wants Strongmates Athletics to help you better yourself inside the gym and out.

Foray, a 38-year-old Henrico County local and father of two, has long had a background in fitness. But his dedication to sports was tested from a young age after being born with hip dysplasia – a condition relating to improper hip development or instability of the hip joint. His childhood nickname of “Hip Hip Foray” was a lighthearted tease relating to the serious issue that led to multiple surgeries over the years.

“If you ever saw me walking or running, per se, it looked painful,” Foray said of his childhood. “I wasn't able to do a lot of contact sports, so there was no football, there was no basketball.”

Instead, Foray joined the high school volleyball and swim teams, and his love for sports never faltered. He knew a hip replacement would be in his future, but it wasn’t until 2015 he underwent the procedure at age 27. Rehabbing from surgery gave Foray a “second chance” to build his physical and mental strength.

“I think that was the beginning of what Strongmates was,” Foray said. “It was the beginning of where I started my fitness and coaching journey.”

What began with self-teaching ended with multiple personal training and coaching certifications and a newfound love for strength training. 

“I think from a mental standpoint, I was always in the mindset of lose weight, lose weight, lose weight,” Foray said. “Where my mindset now is, I'd rather be strong than skinny.”

Strongmates Athletics officially launched in January 2025 and has since operated as a mostly virtual coaching and programming business. Foray specializes in powerlifting coaching, Strongman coaching, hip and joint rehabilitation, sport specific training, functional movement training and general muscle building and strength training.

Foray’s programming services include a complimentary consultation and customized training plan tailored to meet a client's goals based upon his or her access to equipment and availability to work out. 

“It has to be something that makes sense for them,” Foray said. “Not just a one-size-fits-all cookie-cutter programming.”

Coaching, on the other hand, is a bit of a step up. After the complimentary consultation, Foray takes a more hands-on approach and communicates regularly to talk weekly updates, coaching cues and form checks.

“It's kind of like when we're teaching somebody how to ride a bike,” Foray said. “I'm letting them use the tricycle, and I'm holding on their hands and then we're kind of working our way to like, all right, you're independent to a degree.

“For the programming, it's more so of I already know you know how to ride the bike. I just want to see you actually do it.”

Eventually, his goal for any client is independence paired with healthy habits. Fostering that long-term success involves putting an emphasis on something often overlooked: time management.

“I want you to also manage your time so that it balances out to the rest of your life,” Foray said. “Because I don't want you to have to live in the gym – no matter who you are.”

Foray is equipped to do everything virtually, but you can also arrange to meet him at your home gym or American Family Fitness in Short Pump, if you’re local to the area. But no matter what your interactions with Foray look like, you can expect to be challenged.

“You should be comfortable with being uncomfortable,” Foray said.

As an active powerlifter with personal best competition lifts of a 551-lb squat, a 432-lb bench press and a 612-lb deadlift, Foray considers powerlifting to be his “bread and butter.”

But he’s here to help anyone looking to better themselves.

Whether you’re a kid wanting to learn how to use gym equipment, someone older trying to maintain physical independence, an athlete training for a specific sporting event, someone looking to rehab after an injury or simply someone wanting to better themselves; Foray says he is more than happy to help.

“We just want to chip away, and it's not an overnight thing,” Foray said. “I believe that you should aim to be at least 1% better than you were yesterday, so that the future version of you can be the best version.”

So, what exactly is a strongmate? For Foray, it’s someone who is strong, both physically and mentally. He believes putting empathy at the core of his training creates an environment where every strongmate can thrive.

“As personal trainers and coaches, we can only control what we see. . . because everybody's going to have their own battles. Everybody's got their own 24 hours,” Foray said. “And one of the logos from Strongmates Athletics is a diamond, so I always say we're always built under pressure. . . but when we work through that pressure, it can turn into something really beautiful at times.”

For details about Strongmates Athletics, visit its website, follow the company on Instagram @strongmates_athletics or email Foray at strongmates.athletics@gmail.com.