FIT PERSONAL TRAINING GYMNASIUM ©  in Washington, DC is DC's premier fitness center. Personal Trainers in DC.

I've been attending FIT for over 3 years now, during which time I left one career and started my own business in an entirely different career, which has been both stressful and time-consuming. However, while I personally may have been "on-again-off-again" with my dedication to fitness during this time, Mike [Everts, owner of FIT] has never been anything but dedicated to my goals and patient with my personal issues. He is professional, sincere and, most importantly, compassionate about his client's needs.
 I feel lucky to be one of those clients and consider both Mike and FIT essential parts of my life.

FIT was just the thing I needed. I knew I needed to do something to get into shape but found a commercial gym overwhelming. I didn't know where to begin. A combination of your patience & skill in explaining the exercises when I first started at FIT along with the personalized program you have developed as I progress has made me a client for life!

When I hit 200 pounds in 2001, I realized I had to do something. I hadn't been to the gym in months, I was very out of shape and wondering if I could ever get back to my normal body tone. Not only that, but I was physically down, totally without energy and not really motivated.
I went to Mike Everts because he was a good friend and I knew he had expertise in fitness training. Instead of feeding me the usual lines about fitness, he set me down and gave me his philosophy. I had bad lifestyle habits that I had to break, and I had to get myself back into the gym. He immediately put me on a very strict diet and put me on the treadmill to get my metabolism back from the dead. We did no lifting at all to begin with, just running and some abdominal crunches.
Most importantly, he asked me to trust him, just at least for two weeks, and he promised me that at the end of the two weeks I'd be very motivated and I'd feel completely different.

Well, I stuck with the strict diet for two weeks, and was up to running 2 miles three times a week by the end of the second week, and doing 100 crunches after each run. He was completely right. By the start of week three I'd lost almost 10 pounds, I was sleeping better, I was exploding with energy, and I could feel real results coming.

So naturally, I was totally motivated --- and we moved to the next step right away. We started toning target muscle groups, balancing things evenly. I see too many guys with huge arms -- and huge guts -- and with Mike's philosophy it's all about balanced health and fitness, with the goal of being healthy and getting your metabolism to a stage where you can easily direct your work out to whatever you want or need.

In all, I lost 16 pounds in the first month, and lost a total of 30 pounds within two and a half months. I was k to a normal diet very quickly -- and with Mike's instruction I began to instinctively know what my body wanted and when, and could easy regulate myself without ever feeling like I was "on a diet." I was soon running three miles four times a week, adding leg lifts to the crunches and getting some ab definition for the first time in my life, and Mike taught me a lot about how to tone each muscle group. With my metabolism flying, I continued to lose weight and add tone, and I was sleeping deeply on a regular routine, getting more things done at work, had a clearer mind and a very positive outlook on life.
In short, Mike Everts finally made me understand my body, and what fitness is really about.

Working with Mike toward achieving my physical fitness goals has been very rewarding. I really look forward to our workouts because of the professional and friendly manner in which he shares his extensive knowledge. Mike helped me to identify my goals and then developed a workout plan to get me there. He adjusts the plan as necessary to match my current situation. I have worked with several personal trainers in the past and Mike is the best, by far.

Beyond reaching the goals my trainer and I set, training at FIT has taught me more than I ever expected about fitness and how to live a healthy lifestyle. I've trained at many other gyms in the area before finding FIT, and this was the first time I felt I was given the correct level of personal attention, care, respect, and very detailed training. After leaving FIT a year ago, I am still continuing the progress on my own.

I came to FIT because I wanted true fitness guidance, rather than the very commercial trainers at my gym. Knowing the owner of FIT, Mike, I figured I would receive the instruction and results I sought. Mike set me up with Alvaro Maldonado. From the start our personalities clicked. Alvaro has pushed me hard enough, that I realize I wasn't testing my limits at the gym, thus not obtaining my objective.

Not only has he taught me how the body functions under different exercises, but he has thoroughly explained to me how my body will react to various workouts. I've learned from him to work my body more efficiently and the results are noticeable! The workout is productive, but it's not all serious. Alvaro knows how to balance a good exercise routine along with a great workout atmosphere. He not only comes prepared with a course of action for my exclusive hour, but he takes the time to answer my questions regarding health and nutrition in and out of my time with him. And again, it's not all serious, the workout is hard but enjoyable... I'm definitely a long term client!

Training with Alvaro has exceeded my expectations in every way. Alvaro treats training as a holistic experience, which has translated into him creating for me a carefully formulated personalized plan that takes into account weight training, diet, and cardio to ensure optimum results. Under his guidance, I have been able to achieve a higher level of physical fitness and feel healthier than ever. I would recommend Alvaro to anyone looking for a personal training experience that goes beyond the basics in order to enable that person to reach his or her personal best.

I contacted FIT in August 2007, after coming perilously close to hitting the 200-pound mark. Until my early-30s, I was naturally thin, and therefore didn't see the need to join a gym or to eat healthy. As I hit my mid-30s, however, the lack of physical exercise - coupled with 60+ hour work weeks as a lawyer and a diet of pizzas, burgers, and cookies - began to take its toll. Before I knew it, I had gained 30 pounds and went from a size 32 waist to a size 35. After complaining that I was intimidated by the notion of going to a gym and that I didn't know how to lose the weight, a friend recommended that I contact FIT, which had worked for him.

My first session with Alvaro focused on my past history with physical exercise (in my case, none), and what I wanted from a training program. After listening to my goals (weight loss, and being able to take my shirt off without being embarrassed), Alvaro explained what I needed to do to meet my goals, and, most importantly, he laid out the strategy of HOW I could realistically meet my goals. We began working together three times a week, and during our sessions, Alvaro explained not only how to do each exercise, but also why it was important to do it and how it fit in with my overall fitness strategy. Knowing that I had done almost no physical exercise most of my life, Alvaro designed my training program to quickly get me acclimated to different exercises for different muscle groups, and he worked with me on developing healthy eating habits.

The results were astonishing: within two weeks I dropped over 10 pounds, and the weight just kept coming off. I've now lost 32 pounds since staring with Alvaro, and I've gone from a size 35 waist to a size 30. Moreover, I have real muscle definition in my legs, arms, and chest, and I'm starting to develop abs for the first time in my life. I've never been this healthy or felt this good about my appearance, and I have Alvaro to thank for it.

Perhaps as important as the fitness results I achieved, is Alvaro's style of training. His workouts are intense, but he is unfailingly nice during each session, taking an active interest in my life, encouraging me to keep going when I want to stop, and gently correcting my mistakes. Additionally, he works around my sometimes crazy travel schedule and has even sent me emails when I'm traveling, reminding me of the importance of getting workouts in while I'm away, and reminding me to watch what I eat. Alvaro is a genuinely nice guy with a great sense of humor, and I'm pleased to say that after a few months of training with him, I consider him to be a friend, as well as my trainer.

Going to FIT is something that I should have done long ago, and working with Alvaro is the best investment of time and money that I ever made. I feel great and look good, and I find myself looking forward to each training session. If you're thinking about joining FIT and working with Alvaro, I strongly encourage you to do so. You won't be disappointed In fact, you'll be very glad you did.

I came to FIT with the desire to tone, firm, lose 20 lbs, and several inches around my waist. Almost one year later and I've not only reached my weight and size goal, but have added more lean muscle definition than I ever thought I would. Without the guidance of Nildo, I would never have been able to achieve my goals.

Nildo's not only an experienced and qualified trainer, but he's persistent, and, more importantly, patient. Additionally, he's friendly, approachable, and more than willing to answer any and every question one may have, as well as offer advice about your fitness regimen OUTSIDE FIT.

I'd recommend FIT and Nildo without reservation.

I've been working out on my own for almost 5 years when I made the decision to train at FIT. I was reasonably toned, but I knew I had reached a plateau. I train with Nildo who I found to be a perfect match for my motivated personality. He pushes me hard and I push myself harder, so the results show.

Last October I began a regimen of physical exercise with Nildo. At the age of 51, I decided it was time to loose some fat, improve cardiovascular functions and body weight re-alignment. Previous attempts to improve my body by joining local gyms and going on weight-loss programs proved to be ineffective mainly because I didn't have the will power to stick with it.

That all changed when I met Nildo. Nildo listens to me, understands my body's limitations, and has successfully helped me reach goals I thought unreachable. The sessions are not boring because they are not monotonous. Nildo's personality is another key to the success I've achieved. We talk about our lives, our goals, and our disappointments. He asks questions about my hobbies. Being an avid golfer, he employs workout sessions to help my game.

Furthermore, the atmosphere at FIT promotes a better workout than other gyms I've been to. All the trainers are courteous and never fail to greet me when I arrive for my sessions.

Finally, it helped my self-esteem when I realized that other people in my age-bracket were using FIT for physical improvement.

Thanks to Nildo and FIT Gym I am stronger and have more confidence. Positive comments from friends and family members affirm that FIT Gym is right for me.

I have to say that I was always skeptical of trainers and training programs, but I am sold! I needed a push in the right direction, and Zach has been really extraordinary in that respect. I really feel like he is more of a motivator than anything, and after each session, I am determined to bring more intensity and power to the next session. He is certainly a valuable asset to your team. He is always supportive when I need to dial down the intensity a bit, but he makes sure that I keep my heart rate going and never makes me feel bad or weak for needing a rest.

I could not be more pleased with how things are going. FIT Personal Training truly stands heads and shoulders above any of the competition. I am not a shy person and will recommend FIT to anyone who will listen! I want to thank you and your whole team, especially Zach for being so supportive towards my aim of becoming healthier!

I didn't enjoy working out before I started training at FIT with Zach. Exercising at home with videos seemed boring, and going to the gym had always seemed very intimidating. I had once even tried using a personal trainer offered through a gym membership but I didn't feel inspired to keep it up and finally canceled my membership.

But in January of 2010, a persistent back pain had worsened and knew I had to finally start focusing on preventative health measures, but I also knew I needed to learn how to do this in a way that I would enjoy and keep it up. It was sheer luck that I stumbled upon FIT. The studio stood apart from the standard gym sales pitch with their philosophy matching exactly what I was looking for. It was there I met Zach, who, from day one, showed a personal interest in my diet, physical fitness, and in stress management. He got me to gradually build a fitness routine which I eventually started to do on my own on the days we didn't meet.

Not only did Zach and other supportive trainers teach me new routines to keep my training interesting, but they also taught me to appreciate the pain that comes with pushing onself to the limit. Zach even showed me ways to get great workouts without even needing a gym!

Today, my back pain is gone, and my body is more toned and muscular. Seeing these changes is a good reminder about how far I have come from disliking working out a few months ago to needing it almost daily. I am pretty proud of myself for making the investment in my physical well-being and truly appreciate the personal care I received from the studio and my awesome trainer."