Allie Andrews

Ballston

Allie is a certified personal trainer with the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA). Years of long distance cross country and track running in high school and college sparked her initial interest in the health and wellness field. She graduated from James Madison University with a degree in Kinesiology and minor in coaching education. But it wasn’t until she began working in the weight room with all types of athletes and started resistance training more, that she found a passion for helping others. She loves motivating people to put in the work at the gym, to then watch that hard work transfer onto the field in their performances.

Allie believes that fitness is ever-changing- there should be no end goal! It’s a journey, not a destination. We should be constantly pushing the envelope and exceeding our goals. A healthy balance of exercise and nutrition will allow you to reach and maintain any goal, without sacrificing life’s best moments!

Andre Azad

Ballston

Andre has been a fitness professional since 2016 and his passion towards personal training grew while obtaining his B.S in Kinesiology at George Mason University. Beginning his career as a rehab specialist, he gained experience through a clinical setting working alongside Physical Therapists, Chiropractors, and Orthopedic Surgeons to ensure his clients’ needs/goals were reached. Andre’s corrective exercise and functional strength background allows him to help his clients reach their goals safely and efficiently.

Playing sports was what really made Andre realize the importance of exercise. The thought of being able to transform yourself into the strongest version of yourself was what motivated him to progress through exercise. Every person’s story is unique so he likes to use a personalized approach and cater to his clients’ needs to maintain consistency and balance throughout the exercise journey.

Blake Jones

Ballston

Blake is a Father, Marine Corps Veteran, and NPC Men’s Physique Competitor. He has worked in the fitness industry for 7 years and began work as a Personal Trainer in 2019. Blake’s goal for his clients is for them to feel confident, educated, and in control of every fitness environment they step into. At his core, Blake is a nerd who enjoys video games and “Batman” as much as he enjoys fitness!

Qualifications:
– Certified Personal Trainer (NCSF)
– Pain Free Performance Specialist (PPSC)
– Nationally Qualified NPC Men’s Physique Competitor

Darnell Hopson

Darnell is a certified personal trainer with the National Academy of Sports Medicine. Having struggled with is weight at a young age, he became infatuated with working out and discovered his love for fitness. Growing up in Georgia, Darnell ran cross country, wrestled, boxed, practiced yoga and was a Crossfit member. He is currently pursuing a Master Degree at Georgetown University. Darnell specializes in many different forms of training styles but is best known for cardiovascular fitness, muscle building, weight loss, integrated stretching and mobility. Darnell prides himself in tailoring each of his sessions based off each individual’s goals and fitness level.

Dustin Babola

Ballston

Dustin grew up in Austin, Texas playing football and baseball his whole life. His competitive nature gave him the opportunity to play at Ventura Community College in Southern California. He then transferred to Texas State to get his bachelor’s in Nutrition and fell in love with fitness and implementing lifestyle changes in order to become the fittest version of himself. Dustin became a certified personal trainer with National Academy of Sports Medicine to help others on their fitness journey. He uses a balanced approach to meet his client where they are and help them instill lifestyle changes to achieve their goals.

Erik Strouse

Ballston

Erik has been in the fitness industry his entire professional career after having pursued a Bachelor’s Degree in Health Promotion/Fitness Management and a Masters in Strength and Conditioning. He first got certified with ACE Fitness in 2006, and has been training clients since giving him 16 years of hands on experience. In addition to his ACE certification, BA, and MS, he is credentialed in Functional Movement Screening with his FMS Level 1, and various other certifications that include kettlebell training and training for seniors. His training style blends all genres of exercise from HIIT and traditional strength to functional training and mobility depending on his clients’ needs. He believes that exercise is about the long game and should never sacrifice safety for the sake of fueling an ego, and that everyone should work toward a flexible, supple body that moves through its natural ranges with ease.

Jonas Price

Ballston

Jonas Price is a certified personal trainer with the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM). He has been an athlete all his life, having played football, basketball, and lacrosse. Most recently, Jonas played collegiate football at the University of South Carolina, where his interest in athletic performance training and body building intensified. He believes in using a variety of training methods to help his clients achieve their personal fitness goals. Jonas’s goal is not only to improve his clients physical health, but also educate them so that their progress in the gym translates into their everyday movements.”

Liam Cousins

Ballston

Liam is a National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) certified personal trainer and graduated with a degree in kinesiology from Virginia Commonwealth University. He has several years of experience competitively wrestling and playing baseball and began strength training at a young age. Throughout college, Liam trained a variety of different athletes in several sports. He strives to motivate and push clients to perform at their best ability, while still having fun during workouts. As a personal trainer, Liam specializes in functional strength, mobility, weight loss, and overall performance allowing clients to reach their goals in a safe and effective manner. Liam believes that you do not have to be an athlete to train like an athlete.

Miz Ali

Ballston

Miz training styles are Sports and agility training along with Functional Training of all ages. Working in the fitness industry since 2008, her passion for health and wellness has only increased. Miz has worked with clients of young ages to senior citizens. Her two main training styles stem from her personal background playing Lacrosse and Basketball since a young age.

Working with her clients she can help develop many skills that are needed for everyday use. Miz is patient and believe in the process of slow and steady growth over time. Working on mobility and flexibility is something always targeted to prevent future injuries.

Rachel Wong

Ballston

Rachel is a passionate personal trainer certified through National Academy of Sports Medicine Certified Personal Trainer (NASM). Previously a flight attendant in Middle East, she began her training journey thorough understanding how important it is to keep the mind and body fit when working in a high pressure environment. With a specialty in strength and conditioning training, Rachel believes that working on stabilization, mobility, flexibility and functional movement builds a solid foundation. She likes to challenge & encourage her clients, to help them meet their fitness goals. When she is not in the gym, you may find her trying new restaurants, hiking or busy in the kitchen creating a healthy style meal or even cake!

Alexa Disch

City Vista

Alexa focuses on encouraging her clients to push their limits and discover abilities that they may not have thought they had. Whether their goal is to reach a new deadlift record, increase flexibility, or train for a marathon, every day will be an opportunity to become more confident and appreciative of what the human body can accomplish when trained properly and safely.

Brian Smith

City Vista

Brian is a certified trainer since 2020 with a degree from Morehouse College in Kinesiology. He is a former D2 baseball player who loves to travel. Brian is also a musician.

Brianna Tish

City Vista

Brianna is a NASM certified Personal Trainer with a passion for science-based training. She prioritizes education during training to ensure clients meet their goals and understand how they got there.

Having been diagnosed with asthma at age 12, her fitness journey began with endurance training to improve lung capacity and overall quality of life.

Today, Brianna uses a combination of modern strength and mobility techniques, and endurance training to help clients establish a healthy body and mind.

Ciceron López

City Vista

Cicerone’s training style focuses on functional-movement, to enable you to perform daily and recreational activities with more energy and ease. In a training session he emphasizes multi-joint exercises that mimic your everyday movement patterns like bending, twisting, lifting, loading, pushing, pulling, squatting and hauling. Routine is his enemy!

Darren Gan

City Vista

Darren is a certified trainer with National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM). He specializes in form correction and weight loss. Darren loves to work with clients with specific short or long-term goals. He is experienced in helping clients build a scientific workout routine in different phases to ensure progression and combat plateaus. Darren is also a journalist and PR/marketing expert which has helped him develop great interpersonal skills. He is always happy and willing to help. Darren also speaks Mandarin.

Derrick Martin

City Vista

Derrick Martin is a NASM Certified Personal Trainer and Corrective Exercise Specialist. The personal experience of battling back from obesity and injury has birthed an insatiable curiosity about all things related to sports and nutrition- particularly in the areas of weight loss and injury prevention and recovery. Derrick also excels in training for muscle hypertrophy and strength gains, having trained elite high school football players. One of Derrick’s core principles is, a balanced body acting in concert with a balanced mind can achieve greatness. His training philosophy reflects this by taking a very thoughtful approach to training balancing intuition, common sense along with the latest training research.

Eldridge Betts

City Vista

Eldridge Betts aka Coach EL is a National Academy of Sports Medicine Certified Trainer (NASM). His journey into health and wellness began in High School where he participated in various sports including football, baseball, volleyball, and track and field. Since graduating from The Culinary Institute of America in 2011, Coach EL has 10+ years of ongoing experience as a personal and corporate chef. Coach EL understands and acknowledges the relationship between wellness, total fitness, and proper diet preparation.

Coach EL believes that a balanced, fit, and healthy lifestyle starts with a strong foundation of dedication, determination, and discipline. “Safely push your body and challenge your mind!” When El isn’t cheffing it up or training clients he enjoys pushing his body to its limits with HIIT, hot yoga, obstacles courses, resistance, and weightlifting training.

Coach EL’s clientele list is extensive as well as versatile, showing his abilities to not only acknowledge, but execute clients’ many tailored needs and fitness goals. His work includes but is not limited to Washington’s Wizards, Washington’s Nationals, Washington Mystics, Delta (Sky Chef) Private Charter, Chicago Holy Cross, D.C Central Kitchen, and Martha’s Table. Coach EL possesses the capability and skills for managing clients with obesity, personal injuries, and muscular development, and additionally, the dedication and willingness to accept new challenges with full discretion.

Jacqui Beard

Logan Circle

Jacqui has her BS from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. She is a Certified Personal Trainer through the American Council on Exercise and a Certified Aerobics Instructor from the Aerobics and Fitness Association of America. Jacqui first found her love of fitness through belly dancing, she loved it so much that she decided to make fitness and dance her career. She has experienced firsthand the positive effects of a healthy lifestyle and understands the challenges that come with balancing the time for home, work, and fitness. She listens and creates a well balanced workout specifically to fit your needs. With her knowledge, experience, and love of dance she is ready to share her passion and success strategies with you. In addition to personal training Jacqueline teaches both dance and weight based classes such as Zumba(r), VIDA RX, RIP 45, and BARRE.

Luciane Guilmard

City Vista

Luciane Guilmard has worked at VIDA since January of 2009. Originally from Brazil, she earned her Bachelor’s in Physical Education from the University of South Fatima. She has been working since 1993 in physical education and personal training, both in the U.S. and in Brazil. Luciane became a Les Mills certified RPM and Body Balance instructor in 2002, but her teaching repertoire includes strength training, conditioning, cycling, yoga, aqua-aerobics, pre and post-pregnancy, stretching, and TRX suspension training. She continuously strives to stay current with, and incorporate the newest trends and innovations in fitness.

She is extremely knowledgeable about different body types; whatever your ambitions, fitness level, or age, she will customize a workout to meet your personal goals. She adjusts the training to the needs and desires of each person, from intense to low impact. As someone who loves to push herself to the limit, Luciane knows firsthand what it takes to train to the lifestyle of her dreams. Her workouts can be so intense that you will feel muscles you didn’t even know existed! And make sure you ask about her post-workout stretching; her clients rave about it.

Mike Jones

City Vista

Mike Jones is a results-oriented Personal Trainer who focuses on his clients’ quality of life. He fully embraces a whole-hearted approach to your general well-bing that includes innovative exercise, specific nutritional guidelines, and proper sleep habits.

Mike takes a functional approach to exercise that revolves around the movements you use in your daily life. There are no gimmicks with Mike as he continuously finds fun and innovative ways to increase your overall level of fitness.

In fact, Mike is more than just a personal trainer, he is a life coach. He focuses on the full body during each and every workout with a full array of plyometric exercises including kettlebells and the TRX.

Mike’s clients also do their fair share of traveling, so he also provides full-body workout routines for his clients to do within the privacy of their hotel room while they’re away on the road.

Alexandra Green

Alex is an American Council on Exercise Certified Personal Trainer. Growing up she played soccer and ran track and field, but she didn’t find a true passion for fitness until a little later in her life. She graduated from Hofstra University with a degree in Exercise Science. After college, Alex started weight training more and found a true love for the fitness industry. She loved the new challenges that weight lifting brought and how empowering being strong felt. Now she wants to help others find ways to challenge themselves, stay motivated and feel empowered through their own fitness journeys.

Alex has trained a variety of clients, including: clients transitioning from physical therapy, pre/post natal women, high school athletes and weight loss clients. She loves using a wide variety of movements and exercises to keep her training fun and interesting. Her philosophy is that we aren’t just training for that one event or competition, we are training for life – to live happier and healthier. No matter what your goals are they can be achieved with hard work, motivation and the right guidance.

Alyssa Gonzalez

Gallery Place

While completing her bachelors in Psychology at Florida International University, Alyssa discovered her passion in life through exercise and nutrition. She decided to turn her passion into a career and became a certified personal trainer through NASM and is currently working towards a Masters degree in Nutrition in pursuit to become a Registered Dietician. Alyssa preaches adherence, sustainability, and balance. She believes although there may be optimal routes to achieving a goal, if it isn’t something you can stick with, it isn’t optimal for you. She is truly fascinated by not just the physical changes, but more importantly the mental improvements a life of fitness brings. She has had the opportunity to work with a diverse clientele and is committed to helping others achieve a happier and healthier life.

Amanda Schmidt

Gallery Place

Amanda is a National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) certified personal trainer and VIDA Master Trainer with over a decade of experience. Several years ago, Amanda rebuilt her own life and reclaimed her physical and mental health through a commitment to fitness and movement. After experiencing her own transformation, she decided to dedicate her life to helping others do the same. She believes that working out should be a fun and joyful expression of self-love. Depending on a client’s needs, Amanda brings a wide variety of specialties to her sessions including Strength Training, Women’s Fitness, HIIT, Barre and Yoga. Amanda is also a devoted long-distance runner. When she’s not in the gym, you can find her meditating, hanging out with her rescue dog Gordon and dancing as much as possible.

Brian Kolb

Gallery Place

Brian strives to help clients achieve overall well-being in addition to meeting their individual physical goals. That means every session is focused on strengthening a sound body and mind. He actively listens to clients’ needs, restrictions, and aspirations to ensure they are always getting the attention they deserve and never “just going through the motions.”

Brian received his Bachelors of Science in Kinesiology from Sonoma State University in 2008. He has been a fitness trainer for nine wonderful years. Running through Rock Creek and spending time with his son are his two favorite things to do when he is not training Washingtonians.

Danielle Cunningham

Gallery Place

Danielle is a certified personal trainer with National Academy of Sports Medicine. Helping others has always been a passion of hers since grade school. From ballet rehearsals to gymnastic practices to softball huddles, she was fascinated with physical ability. Suffering from her own injuries, she became extremely interested with anatomy and physiology. Today, Danielle shares the same interest with her clients. Her goal is not only to train herself, but others for longevity. Danielle believes you need a strong work ethic and determination in order to overcome and/or prevent physical limitations. Danielle’s training style is designed to promote strength and conditioning techniques, along-side enjoyment. She loves seeing her clients not only improve but smile while doing it.

Faith Opiyo

Gallery Place

Born and raised in Kenya, Faith grew up playing soccer with her brothers and quickly developed an interest in fitness. She continued playing soccer for Kenya’s National Team until she moved to Dubai. In Dubai, she took her fitness to another level and obtained her certification as a personal trainer through British Impact Solution and NCCPT.

Throughout Faith’s fitness career, she has witnessed her client’s transformations and come to understand how people’s lives can change with determination and hard work. She believes that change starts in the mind; all you need is to set your mind and the rest will follow.

Faith specializes in strength training, weight loss, muscle toning, HIIT and circuit training. She also enjoys teaching group classes, like BodyPump and Circuit.

Gene Sun

Gallery Place

Gene believes that the cultivation of a strong, capable body is fundamental to a high quality of life. While “strong & capable” varies depending on the individual, the learning journey that takes place builds energy, confidence, and appreciation of one’s own body. Gene employs a blend of strength & conditioning techniques, proportioned specifically to help his clients meet their fitness goals. He has worked with clients from all walks of life, across a broad range of ages, athletic interests, and health backgrounds.

Gene is a certified personal trainer under the National Academy of Sports Medicine, with secondary expertise in Olympic weightlifting, corrective exercise, and habit-oriented general lifestyle change. Formerly a student and practitioner of architecture, he has translated his passion for creative problem-solving into the realm of health & fitness. Gene has also worked previously as a Spinning instructor as well as a swim coach.

George Cruz

Gallery Place

George is born and raised in the Philippines. He has been in the health and fitness industry since 2008 and has come to realize the importance of approaching health and fitness by addressing the mind and spirit as well as the body. Specialized in functional-custom training routines and group fitness. He likes to challenge and encourage his clients to surpass their physical and mental boundaries by using high intensity and function exercises. His motto is if you invest time and energy and you are willing to do the work you will achieve your goals.George is a National Academy of Sports Medicine Certified Personal Trainer, TRX certified as well as a group fitness and boot camp instructor. He also loves to dance and is a Zumba B1 and B2 License Instructor.

Medina Roberts

Gallery Place

Medina has been working as a Certified Personal Trainer since 2004. She uses these years of experience to design personalized fitness programs to achieve the best results for each individual client. Medina uses a wide variety of different training styles based on the goals and needs of each client, but specializes in weight loss and endurance training as well as post- and pre- pregnancy training. She has worked with a broad clientele including athletes and body builders and well as clients with shoulder, knee, ankle, back and hip injuries and surgeries. Medina is very active in the body building world being a prep and posing coach for bikini, figure, women and men’s physique and body building.

Medina is certified by NASM-National Academy of Sports Medicine, WITS-World Instructor Training Schools and AAAI/ISMA-American Aerobics Association International/International Sports Medicine Association as a personal trainer and is also certified as a spinning instructor, Dynamex trainer, Trigger Point specialist and Stretching specialist

Morgan Vaca

Gallery Place

Morgan, originally from Charlotte, NC, graduated from the University of Maryland with a degree in Kinesiology. She is a National Academy of Sports Medicine personal trainer and has a passion for health and fitness due to her many years as a competitive gymnast and runner. In addition, Morgan possesses rehabilitation knowledge due to her experience working in a physical therapy setting and is fascinated by human anatomy and physiology. She believes that while training should be challenging, it should be just as enjoyable. Morgan enjoys using creativity when training and is always searching for new and unique exercises to introduce to her clients. She believes in implementing both strength and conditioning practices into training in order to optimize results.

Ahmed Zalat

Logan Circle

Ahmed is a certified personal trainer through the American Council on Exercise (ACE), known by his clients as “Z-beast”.

After practicing law for 10 years Ahmed decided to pursue his childhood dream of becoming a personal trainer. Ahmed has been active since he was a child, playing competitive soccer and handball in high school, and now enjoys swimming, running outdoors, tennis, horseback riding, and kickboxing.

Ahmed has a client-centered approach to fitness, and believes that no matter what your goal is, it is achievable. All human bodies are different, and Ahmed focuses on tailoring his coaching based on the individual needs and limits of his clients. He focuses on helping clients become the best version of themselves, providing the knowledge, motivation and support.

Ali Umar

Logan Circle

Ali is a fitness professional with over 10 years of experience dedicated to helping people reach their health and fitness goals. He is certified by the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) and is well-versed in a variety of training methodologies. Ali’s other certifications include Corrective Exercise Specialist, Fitness Nutrition Specialist, and TRX Suspension Training Level 1. He also holds a Bachelor of Arts from Istanbul Bilgi University in Turkey and a Master’s in business from Coventry University in the UK. Ali is an expert in creating customized, intelligent and motivational programs for all levels. He loves educating people while training, whether you’re a professional athlete trying to perform better, a sedentary office employee who wants to have a beach body, a mom-to-be wants to prepare for a healthier pregnancy or an active individual that needs post-surgery rehab. Regardless of your goals, you’ll be in good hands!

Andrew Przybylek

Logan Circle

Andrew is a competitive Olympic lifter with a history in strength sports and athletic coaching. Andrew worked with crew athletes at Briar Woods and Loudoun County High School, and with swimmers at NCAP and Snow Swimming. He has been a trainer since 2014, with experience in all areas of the industry.

Andrew’s style is reflective of his background in strength and conditioning; with a focus on moving well and correctly before

Chris Young

Logan Circle

Chris has been a professional in the fitness industry since 2017 – beginning his career as a strength and conditioning coordinator at Towson University before moving into private personal training in late 2019. With a Bachelors in Kinesiology and a Biology minor from Towson University, Chris is sure to find an intuitive, scientific, and personalized solution to any problems his clients may face. As a functional strength and mobility expert, Chris specializes in ensuring his clients reach their goals in the safest and most efficient manner possible.

A lifelong athlete and coach, Chris brings intensity and enthusiasm to each and every session! Chris has worked with a wide variety of people, ranging from children to collegiate athletes to retirees. Chris provides the perfect blend of hard work and individualized training methods for anyone who wants to better their physical body and push their limits!

Craig Davenport

Craig has been feeding his love for personal training and assisting clients in their fitness regimens for over 10 years. He earned a degree from Howard University in Nutrition. His personal training certificates include National Academy of Sports Medicine, as well as certificates in Kettle Bell Training, TRX Suspension Training, and Functional Movement Screen. His love for activity and fitness has included years of track and field, basketball, and baseball while growing up, and has continued into adulthood with his participation in several local D.C. tennis clubs. While he has trained every type of client available, his specialty is the senior population. His belief is that while you may be in your golden years, and you may not be as fast or strong as the younger person, you are definitely still in the fitness game!

His philosophy and approach towards training is, as cliché as it may sound, in all endeavors including training, all goals can be achieved with hard work and dedication. It starts in the mind and works its way down. Sacrifices and smalls steps are needed to reach your goal, but each step should be taken one at a time. Put in the hard work, gradually progress and reap the benefits and the rewards that come with it!

Dave Rice

Logan Circle

David Rice is a certified personal trainer with the Natioanal Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM). He has an avid interest in athletic activities, playing baseball and football while attending school. It was during his conditioning phase to prepare for football that he was introduced to the weight room. It was love at first lift. With over 35 years experience with weight training, cardiovascular fitness and more recently yoga, his job as a personal trainer is to share the experience and knowledge he has acquired over the years to help his clients build a healthy and strong body. Sessions are tailor made to each individual’s fitness level and goals. He believes that a healthy body means a better quality of life.

Dave Roberts

Logan Circle

Dave Roberts specializes in coaching functional movements that provide real life adaptations. Beyond the basic squat, pull and pressing mechanics, he also has 7 years experience teaching Olympic Weightlifting and Gymnastics skills. Current certifications include Crossfit Level 1, Crossfit Olympic Weightlifting, Crossfit Powerlifting and Crossfit Gymnastics. A former D-1 soccer player, Dave has also competed several Crossfit competitions including qualification for the Central East Regionals in 2011. He graduated with a B.S. in economics from the University of Delaware and earned his Master’s in economics from Boston University.

Jordan Graye

Logan Circle

As a Washington DC native Jordan Graye spent most of his youth being involved in highly competitive sport. He received a scholarship to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where he played Division 1 soccer for 4 years while pursuing his degree. Upon the completion of his collegiate career Jordan was drafted by DC United of Major League Soccer and spent the better part of a decade playing for teams all over the United States.

Jordan specializes in High Intensity Interval Training as well as Calisthenics Strength Training. He is a National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) Certified Personal Trainer and holds certifications in Functional Movement Screen (FMS), Corrective Exercise Specialist (CES), and TRX Suspension Training. When Jordan isn’t training he can be caught playing soccer in recreational leagues around DC

Karim Rehayem

Logan Circle

Karim is a certified personal trainer through the American Council on Exercise, and has been into fitness and exercise since he was a little kid. He grew up playing basketball and got into soccer competitively during high school playing for the school and his travel team. He has a passion for weightlifting, and his favorite movement at the gym is the deadlift.

Karim specializes in strength and conditioning, but enjoys working with clients whose goals are to lose weight or gain muscle size. He always ensures that his clients safely achieve their goals through motivation, hard work and persistence. He believes the best way to work towards his clients’ goals is to take everything step by step, slowly making positive changes and building confidence being out of their comfort zone. He’s always looking for new challenges and different ways to grow, to become a better athlete, trainer, and coach.

Matt Holland

Logan Circle

Matt is an American College of Sports Medicine Exercise Physiologist and Certified Strength and Conditioning Coach. Matt has a background as a competitive swimmer for over a decade. He shot USA Archery Nationals for five years. He also enjoys SCUBA diving, snowboarding, and mountain biking.

He graduated from American University with a B.S. in Public Health and Communications. During his time there he started interning at a PT/OT/Speech clinic and fell in love trying to understand how the body works. After graduating from school Matt began his career as a coach working with clients of all ages and abilities. Matt believes each person has their own goals for their own reasons. Each person needs their own path to accomplish them. He will be your guide on your way to achieving whatever is next for you.

Ari Davis

U Street

In 2010 Ari relocated to the DC area from Virginia Beach to persue a career in fitness, along that journey he has continued to grow and learn with every client. His passion has developed a unique mind, and skill set amongst the training staff here at Vida, focusing on proper muscle unit recruitment, strengthening limb support structures, and developing a fully functional core. With a background in sustained weight loss, and post physical therapy training programs; Ari enjoys the challenge of helping clients come to terms with physical limitations, while simultaneously exceeding their expectations. Don’t be scared though, Ari is great at reading people, and will change a workout on the fly to generate stress relief, or even laughter.

Ashley Delosh

Ashley is a National Academy of Sports Medicine certified personal trainer and pregnancy and postpartum corrective exercise specialist. As a health care policy professional by day, Ashley can relate to the desires of many of the people working in DC who are eager to incorporate fitness into an already very busy lifestyle to improve overall quality of life. She believes that a successful trainer-client relationship begins and is determined by taking an individual holistic approach. Her overall objective is to help clients hone in on the most meaningful specifics in relation to training to help them truly achieve the best version of themselves.

Austin Wright

U Street

Austin is a National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) certified personal trainer. Coming from a heavy sports background, Austin’s training style emphasizes functionality, strength and versatility. He was a semi-professional soccer player in Paris and an amateur boxer while living in London. He loves to trainer former athletes or those looking to continue sports recreationally as well. However, Austin’s talents are not limited to athletes. As a government worker with a larger sedimentary career, he understands the strains and stress of everyday life. Austin strives to help those in similar roles ensure they live an active lifestyle, maintain a healthy weight, and develop the proper stability and postural awareness to live a mobile life without limitations. Outside of VIDA, Austin is an avid reader, speaker of languages and world traveler.

Bill Thompson

U Street

Bill has been a personal trainer with VIDA Fitness for four years. Bill strongly believes that the body should be trained as a complete unit and thus performs many total body workouts with his clients. Regardless of the exercise type or intensity Bill believes that proper posture, alignment and body mechanics should always be adhered to. Bill challenges his clients to continually improve upon their flexibility, strength and overall body condition. You will be hard pressed to train with anyone who will provide you with the depth and quality of personal attention as Bill offers.

Chelsea McCoy

U Street

Chelsea is a NASM certified personal trainer with a passion for fitness and well-being. She has experience as both a kickboxing and tennis instructor and plays soccer with DC Fray. With a degree in architecture from the University of Maryland, College Park (Go Terps!), she applies her unique set of skills to creatively design impactful programs for her clients, as they build the body and lifestyle of their dreams.

Partner with Chelsea and be empowered to reach new heights. Make fitness a lifestyle today!

Chris Chu

To Chris, fitness to him is everything. With a long history of being overweight and obese, exercise actually saved his life. Around 2010 he was his heaviest being around 250 lbs. However, with a strong epiphany and developing self discipline while staying committed to the grind, it gave him confidence to learn to push himself into a mindset where he created a lifestyle about sacrificing the comfort zone and turning it into growth. He has learned that there is no true strength without struggle and that is what shaped him into the man he is today. As a fat loss specialist, and with a background of group bootcamp training, he is a lover of calisthenics, HIIT, and core circuit training as well. He is a firm believer in leading by example and after being certified through NASM in March, he has been blessed to now make an impact on other people’s lives in to making them the best version of themselves. Some of his recent fitness accomplishments over the years have been 2 marine corps marathons (2017, 2019) and a Spartan beast obstacle course (2018). The act of change does not happen overnight, but it does happen when you put effort in front of excuses. So no matter what, keep moving and keep improving.

Daniel Huynh

U Street

Daniel is an ex software developer originally from Norway, and a 6 year veteran of the United States Marine Corps. He is a certified personal trainer through the American Council on Exercise. Daniel specializes in strength training, muscular hypertrophy training, weight loss, and conditioning. He believes that every workout should be challenging but also enjoyable.

His mission is to help clients reach their long and short term goals, but also to prepare them for beyond that.

Devin Conway

U Street

Devin attended Towson University where he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science. After his college career, he became a Certified Strength and Conditioning Coach (CSCS) through the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA). Devin pursued a career in coaching individual athletes and teams before partnering with local Physical Therapists to create a “Return to Play” program for athletes rehabilitating from an injury. Since then he has expanded to working with all populations to bridge the gap between physical therapy and fitness. Devin enjoys leading his clients through their journeys of transformation, whether that is weight loss, athletic ability, or living injury free, and finds that to be the most rewarding aspect of his work. Devin’s personal fitness accomplishments includes climbing Mt Kilimanjaro, competing in American Ninja Warrior, Worlds Toughest Mudder and a 24-hour obstacle course race. In his free time, Devin also enjoys trail running, hiking, and going on adventures with his Corgi puppy Theo.

Embry Wolf

U Street

Embry’s road to fitness began in college when he would hit up the campus gym with his best friend as a stress reliever. That developed into a passion for a more active lifestyle that involves hiking, running, backpacking, and traveling. Embry believes in combining fitness and nutrition to live a healthier, more robust life. After spending most of his work background in sales management, he decided to take his passion for fitness and nutrition and turn it into a career by becoming a Certified Personal Trainer through the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM). Embry enjoys learning and absorbing new information and this is how he approaches his training sessions. He wants to make sure that his clients understand the mechanics behind their movements so that they can implement this knowledge in their daily lives. Embry focuses on slowing down movements to concentrate on form and all the muscle actions taking place during the movement. Making fitness easy to understand makes his sessions fun and educational. Embry is here to guide you towards achieving all your personal fitness goals.

Emma Krieger

U Street

I am a functional strength trainer. I mainly focus sessions on posterior chain strength. There is no one standard way on how to do a movement. Our bodies will always find the path of least resistance. I’m here to help you figure out the best way your body moves. One of the best tools I teach is the mind-muscle connection.
I like to encourage movement. We are made to move! It should be something enjoyable. The more enjoyable it is the more likely you will be consistent.

Allen Blanks

The Yards

Allen is a National Academy of Sports Medicine Certified Trainer. His journey in fitness began in High School where he participated, in football, wrestling, and track and field. He enjoys competing and pushing his body to its limits. Allen attended Morgan State University where he studied Physical Therapy and ran Division 1 Track and Field. Upon completion of school he worked in sports medicine for one year and then transitioned into personal training. Allen enjoys helping his clients reach their fitness goals and live a healthier lifestyles. In his free time he enjoys coaching high school track and field for Maret in NW DC.

Bakari Taylor

The Yards

As a former Division-1 athlete playing basketball at Hampton University, Bakari developed a passion for strength and conditioning. Following graduation, he went on to earn a Master’s degree in Kinesiology & Fitness Management from Indiana University – Bloomington. Bakari brings over 7 years of experience in personal training and group fitness instruction, including boot camps, Olympic weightlifting, powerlifting, high intensity interval training, and CrossFit. He believes that a fit and healthy lifestyle starts with a strong foundation of consistency, hard work and discipline. Bakari often tells himself and his clients to “Do what you have to do, so you can do what you want to do!”

Ben Rothkin

The Yards

Ben is a certified personal trainer through the NSCA (National Strength and Conditioning Association) and has been training since 2013. Starting at Boston University as a personal trainer while in college as an economics major, he found his lifelong passion in fitness. Today he uses his FMS (Functional Movement Screen) and TPI (Titleist Performance Institute) certification to help a variety of clients ranging from Division 1 Athletes, to rehabbing clients after knee or hip surgery, and everything in between. He believes that everyone is unique and should not only exercise with what is best for their body and their goals, but also what they enjoy the most so fitness can be an enjoyable lifelong pursuit. If he is not in the gym, you can most likely see him out on the golf course, walking his 2 dogs, or trying to break records solving escape rooms.

Chris Parkison

The Yards

Chris is Group Program Manager at VIDA Yards, City Vista and Gallery Place where he teaches Yoga, Pilates, Group Fitness, and Cycling classes. He is a Certified Personal Trainer through the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) and Lead Trainer of VIDA’s Yoga Teacher Training School. Chris trains his clients for the long term to promote stability, range of motion, conditioning, strength and power focusing on the core muscles that make all the other ones stronger and more efficient. Chris helps his clients design a sustainable fitness program with a weekly rhythm that leaves them focused and fresh on Saturday instead of distracted and exhausted.

Cordell Page

The Yards

Cordell is a certified Personal Trainer and Strength Coach with the National Council on Strength & Fitness (NCSF), with a specialization in Glute Training with International Sports Sciences Association (ISSA). He is a former Track and Field Athlete and competed in college at VCU. Cordell has been in the fitness industry since 2016 and helps coach the busy working professional as well as high level athletes reach their goals. He has experience training one on one as well as in group settings. Cordell emphasizes movement quality, education, and having fun in all of his sessions.

Dillon Smith

The Yards

Dillon is getting his Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from The George Washington University. He is passionate about creating a safe space for clients to learn, challenge themselves and develop a healthy relationship with fitness. By helping clients develop functional strength and address muscle imbalances with corrective exercises, Dillon progresses clients through phases of structured programming to achieve their fitness goals. By emphasizing mobility, stability, and powerlifting clients will see the difference between “working out” and training for body composition transformation.

Donice Brooks

The Yards

Donice is a National Academy of Sports Medicine Certified Trainer and values all aspects of the gym, from mental to physical and emotional. She wants you to feel comfortable and confident when you step into the gym and help you in any way she can. Whether your goal is to prepare for that marathon, get stronger, or lean out, she will help you with every step along the way. As a mother of 2 young children, she knows how hard it can be to find time for fitness and strives to make the most of your time to create an effective workout program personalized for you!

Elle Nicholson

The Yards

Elle Nicholson is a National Academy of Sports Medicine certified personal trainer and a graduate of the University of California, San Diego, where she was a member of the cross-country team. She spent 7 years as a paddle boarding instructor and is an avid paddler. Elle is an elementary school teacher and holds a Master’s Degree from the University of Pennsylvania in Elementary Education. Elle believes that working out should be empowering both physically and mentally. She enjoys helping people reach their goals in fun, positive, and creative ways.

Enrique Perez

The Yards (Virtual Trainier)

Enrique is an American Council on Exercise (ACE) Certified Personal Trainer and a VIDA Expert trainer. He helps his clients define their goals; assess their abilities and create a pathway for them to achieve those goals. As a Corrective Exercise Specialist, he emphasizes correct form, movements and technique to reduce risk of injuries, avoid muscle imbalances, and increase muscle strength and endurance. Enrique has over 10 years’ experience in personal training and group fitness – including all forms of conditioning, small group training, TRX and Pilates Reformer. Enrique is also a Cancer and Orthopedic Exercise Specialist qualified to assess, design, and implement programs for individuals diagnosed with cancer or those affected by knee, hip, lower back or shoulder pain. He is skilled in evaluating health behaviors and risk factors, conduct comprehensive fitness assessments, write appropriate exercise recommendations, and motivate individuals to modify negative health habits and maintain positive lifestyle behavior. As a Sports Conditioning Specialist, Enrique’s strength and conditioning workouts combine intensity and creativity to make the program effective and enjoyable. Enrique is an expert virtual trainer for those who have hectic schedule and need to work out on their own time, bring the workouts anywhere (train at home, in the gym or even when traveling). No excuses to be active and stay healthy!!

Javier Mata

The Yards

Javier studied Exercise Science at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore and is a certified Personal Trainer through the American Council on Exercise (ACE). He assists clients in identifying needs and achieving their goals through structured programming. Javier specializes in strength and performance training with an emphasis on the use of proper form to reduce the risk of injury. Javier has experience with a wide range of clients which allows him to present programs that are as unique as the clients he works with.