Northwest Personal Training

As a NWPT client since March 2008 (thanks to my wife, who enrolled me in a trial membership), I am seeing great results -- more strength and muscle mass, reduced body fat, improved cardio fitness, and higher energy levels. I'm also getting a lot more enjoyment from my outdoor activities (running, biking, hiking, skiing). The programs and services offered by NWPT are evolving constantly in response to client feedback. The group classes never seem ""routine."" While workouts range from challenging to ... um ... extreme (e.g., Ted's Outdoor Boot Camp), the atmosphere is always friendly and fun with plenty of good humor. As other reviewers have noted, NWPT is like Cheers -- a place where everyone knows your name. I appreciate that the owners of NWPT are community-minded; their corporate citizenship is a significant point of pride for Vancouver. Most importantly, I feel that the trainers are committed to their clients' success over the long term. They provide the right amount of encouragement and motivation along with helpful guidance on exercise and nutrition. Special thanks to three of the trainers who have made a positive and lasting impact on my life -- Kristin, Ted and Kara. You are terrific! Pros: Knowledgeable trainers, friendly staff, personalized program more

In ten months, the professional team at NWPT have transformed my husband and me from a ""couch potato"" and a ""bookworm"" into a couple who loves to exercise. \r \r Together with the help of NWPT's rock-solid trainers we've lost over thirty pounds and 25+ inches on the tape measure. We've been educated, motivated, encouraged, challenged and supported so well that we look forward to our twice weekly workouts at NWPT's exceptional fitness studio. Not every trainer has matched our personality, how could that possibly be, but we've been fortunate to find multiple matches to give us a variety of workout experiences while we tone up and trim down. Leah Minick has been our most dedicated taskmaster and we'd recommend her to anyone who needs a fitness role-model with a gentle touch. Ted Schatz keeps the tone light and mixes it up for a great all-over workout. Becky Edgren is great with partner training - balancing strength with endurance for male/female duos. Kristin Healey has a knack for workouts that sneak up on us the next day in a ""hurts so good"" kind of way.\r \r If you're considering calling or visiting NWPT, I would encourage you not to wait - get in touch with their divine Customer Service team and see for yourself that this is a truly unique pathway to better health. Pros: accountability, variety, extensive knowledge, personal touch Cons: good training isn't cheap and cheap training isn't good! more

Derrick Delay has changed my life! I will always, always remember our first session. He was funny! He made exercise fun! And it was so obvious that he absolutely knew what he was doing! Now, 2-1/2 years later, he is still funny and still makes it fun. And those 2-1/2 years of entertainment have resulted in my having a totally different body. How cool is that!? The sessions are always different, creative and very entertaining. I cannot believe how having a great personal trainer has changed my life. Not only did I lose three dress sizes and am in the best shape I have ever been in; but at 59, I just finished my first sprint triathlon! Derrick’s wealth of knowledge about nutrition and health makes our sessions a continual learning process for me. His continual encouragement and never-ending positive attitude allows me to think that I am capable of everything. And his brutal but fun workouts have made it so that I now participate at an athletic level I never would have dreamed of. I am so, so fortunate to have Derrick as a personal trainer and a friend. \r \r The trainers at Northwest Personal Training are the very best of the very best. You will never, ever be sorry that you started going there. If you are lucky enough to get Derrick as your trainer…. Then what can I say, you are just very lucky! \r \r Pros: Beyond Inspirational Cons: Absolutely none more

Listen folks...I had been working out religiously for over 20 years. Began in the gym as a junior in high school and never stopped. Approaching my late-30s, the nagging pains and injuries increased. Decided to try something new and visited NW Personal Training. Well...by the end of the first month (2 sessions/week), my body was feeling better than at anytime in the previous 20-years!!! Felt great mentally too! Nagging pains were gone, strength and flexibility improved dramatically. Continue to train with both Ted Schatz and Rob Cloke, and couldn't ask for better. These guys are fantastic! more

I have been working with Leah for four months and I am so pleased with the results. She is extremely understanding and listens to and hears what I am saying. I recently arrived for a training session and told her because of a medical condition I couldn?t do any cardio or exercises using chest muscles. I should have told her in advance but didn?t think of it until I arrived. She didn?t miss a beat, just changed the workout she had planned for me and worked other areas. It has been wonderful having someone who adapts my workout for me. I have worked out in gyms for years but never had this level of personal attention. In the past, trainers have always expected me to adapt to their regime, with maybe a few minor adjustments. I truly believe that Leah has my best interests in mind. In addition to training with Leah, I also have Allison, a registered dietician at NWPT to thank. She is very encouraging and helped me step up my nutrition to a healthier level. Despite my medical limitations I have lost over 20 lbs, but more importantly inches and body fat. I have received many compliments from family, friends, and co-workers. The entire staff has been kind and helpful. The workbook helped me tremendously. I am so glad I chose NWPT. It has made, and is making, a huge difference in my life. Pros: Personal attention more

NWPT is a great place to get back into shape and to remain fit. I have been working out with Kristin for a few years, she is very knowledgable about fitness and listens to your needs and desires. Everyone who works out at NWPT may complain during the workouts but we all agree that we feel GREAT when we leave. Pros: Friendly, clean, always helpful. Cons: parking and rescheduling more

Going to NW Personal Training is sort of like going to your local pub because you know everyone. On the other hand, it is sort of different since it is all about the workout and getting results. These guys will definately have you pushing yourself so that your workouts become more effective. I would recommend this place to anyone with any level of fitness from novice to a seasoned die hard. They have something up their sleeve that will challenge anyone. Pros: There is no doubt you will get results Cons: Nothing much but the occasional pain more

Derrick incorporates the physical workout with his unique personality and humor. He is very knowledgeable about body mechanics, health, and the strength we need in order to fight off aging. Trust me on this one: he is the best, and you will make progress immediately. Additionally, the facilities are very ""health focused"", and do not have the feel of a ""king kong training yard"" or a singles scene. This is the place for normal people who want to be healthier. Pros: He is the ONLY person who could make me enjoy working out. Cons: It is still exercise, and boy do you sweat. more

I started my transformation a little over two years ago with Northwest Personal Training. I had my second child 8 months prior to starting and felt like I was ready to start my body makeover. My first appointment was spent assesing my body composition, goals, and exercise likes and dislikes. They really tried to figure out what was motivating to me. NWPT is big on challenges; they offer different activities to help you set short but attainable fitness goals. My transformation started by jumping from challenge to challenge every 6 weeks. I couldn't wait to see what was on the agenda next. My fantastic trainer TED SCHATZ has been instrumental in helping me to see my own potential. He encourages me to challenge myself....I am surprised at how strong and lean he has helped me to become. He has always believed that I am an athlete, and now I believe it to. \r \r The big chain gyms have trainers as well, and I can speak from personal experience, when you compare the two training appointments there is a world of difference. I have found the knowledge base, educational experience, and continuing education opportunities for the trainers at NWPT make this the place to invest your fitness dollars. These trainers are light years ahead of the competition--thanks to Alex and Sherri for hiring such great trainers and keeping them up to speed on the latest tools and techniques. These folks really are the best!\r Pros: Smartest trainers in town, most effective, proven results Cons: no childcare in the Vancouver location more

but one need not give up prematurely! Help is out there, even if, like me, you identify more closely with a slug than an Olympic athlete. \r \r I'm a Boomer, an artist, and an intellectual. I?ve had a life-long aversion to exercise. I should spend my precious leisure time in boring, sweaty, repetitive activities that leave me feeling as lithe and graceful as a sack of cement? \r \r PuhLEEZE! \r \r Then I came into my fifties. And one morning, my denial system finally failed. I wasn?t ?having a bad day??I had become a consistently grumpy collection of tweaks and twinges and unsightly jiggling, of lower back stiffness, shoulder tightness, protesting knees, a saggy butt, and those dreaded flabby, floppy triceps. I couldn?t stand on one foot and brush my teeth at the same time. I couldn?t jog from here to the corner without feeling like I was gonna lose my lunch. My body had become an annoying neighborhood in which I no longer wanted to reside. I hurt all the time, and felt a lot of despair.\r \r Luckily, I found this place. Now, a few years later, approximately 97.3% of my daily aches and pains have vanished. Everything is tighter and firmer. I?ve dropped 2 sizes. I can balance atop an exercise ball with my eyes closed. OK, that last sentence is a total lie, but every other word I?ve written is true. This, too, is the truth: 2 weeks ago, in Trader Joe?s, a good-looking man in his thirties stopped me in the pasta aisle. ?Forgive me if this is inappropriate,? he said, ?but I have to tell you, you look so hot in that dress.? \r \r I almost kissed his noodles. \r \r This would NOT have happened to me if I hadn?t made that first somewhat nerve-wracking call to NWPT. I was afraid I would be made to feel weak and inadequate and ashamed. The opposite turned out to be the case. The trainers here are a great bunch?respectful, knowledgeable, and kind. I've worked with many of them and like them all. Kristin has been my main gal, though, and I adore her. She is always encouraging and understanding. I never feel pushed beyond my physical OR mental capacity, yet here I am 3.5 years later with a better life than I ever expected I would have. I no longer exist Advil to Advil. I can easily hoist a 25-lb bag of grout or groceries up onto a counter. I can spend a day planting shrubs without spending the night on an ice pack. I can say YES when I?m invited to hike in the hills with friends. I get compliments from strange men, and normal ones too. It?s a bloody miracle, is what it is. Showing up for that first free appointment at Northwest Personal Training was one of the smartest things I?ve ever done for myself. I?d recommend this place to anyone looking to do a good thing for her body, her mind, and her life.\r Pros: Great trainers mean amazing results. Easy parking. more

I have been a part of training and group programs with Northwest Personal Training for about 4 years. I have always enjoyed exercise but become very bored with it very quickly and usually move on. This is the first place that I have stayed and continued my progress in getting fit. I am in better shape at 50 than I was in college; and I was pretty proud back then. Ted was my first trainer and continues to be my trainer. He learns about the sports that I am trying to do and gets me into shape for that sport while keeping me physically fit in group classes. I ski, play tennis, hunt and horseback ride and Ted's understanding of movement and my age and injury issues have moved me to be pretty good at each of those activities. But, all the professionals approach fitness in their own style which is what keeps it interesting. No group or workout is ever the same. I have lots of choices but I continue to chose NWPT. Pros: Best Professionals in getting you fit Cons: Sometimes crowded more

I have been a NWPT client for over 5 years and keep coming back for more! They hire nothing but the best trainers, who each have a great, solid training background and also like to make workouts fun. Kristin and Ted are exceptional, even though Ted tends toward that punk rock music thing in class (but I love him anyway). The small, intimate studio is so great for getting to know all the trainers and clients. No one is there to show off, but everyone is there to get a good workout and have some laughs along the way. It's kind of like the Cheers bar with workout equipment--everyone knows your name and greets you when you come in. Who wouldn't want to be a part of that environment? Anybody on the fence about starting a fitness program or changing one should check out NWPT---your muscles will be glad you did. Pros: Knowledgeable trainers, fun classes Cons: Where is the 60s music? more

As someone who has always loathed the gym—with the images of manly men flexing their muscles as they gaze lovingly into their own eyes in the mirror—or trainers who act more like drill sergeants—not really getting to know their clients—I was skeptical at best about trying another gym. I feared that, like with every other attempt I'd made, I would likely grow annoyed with and quit attending. I was pleased to meet Ted Schatz at my first appointment, the anti-trainer, covered in tattoos, speaking to me in my language and regaling me with his love for punk rock and classic hardcore. We instantly bonded and he was the trainer I'd always thought never existed. But it didn't stop there. Ted personalized my training and spent the time to help me learn how and why I should work hard and not give up. He also was honest—that this was going to hurt sometimes and that it's not always a walk in the park to lose weight and get into shape. While it's not cheap, it's a worthwhile investment in you and your health. You'll get the best training and care money can buy, in an environment that is not intimidating and is supportive and nurturing. Most importantly, I saw real results and that is quantifiable. I can't recommend NW Personal Training enough. Pros: unique, real, honest, caring Cons: Long commute from Camas/Washougal more

Having worked with many personal trainers, I can say from experience that personal trainers don’t get any better than Ted Schatz here at NW Personal. Ted has all the knowledge that top notch trainers strive for, but you can’t teach the kinds of skills that Ted was born with and that’s what makes him the best of the best. In addition to helping me get more out of myself and reaching my goals Ted was THE best at protecting me from injuries - you know, protecting me from myself. Hey, I’m an injury prone guy - so that’s important. I’m grateful for all the great work-outs that were demanding, fun, full of energy and took me places I could never get to on my own.\r –Bob Patterson Pros: oh I'll get to the pros in a bit here.. Cons: Cons? only if you don't go... more

I have been a client since 2007 and I highly recommend NWPT. This is not your ""typical"" gym - yes there is training equipment, but that is where the similarities end. \r \r What makes NWPT the BEST in my book are the trainers, the support staff and my fellow workout buddies. I feel like I am in capable and caring hands when working out; the trainers push me to bring my A game and they support me when I need an alternative approach. They work with me and have kept me going while I recover from a soccer injury. I have tried other gyms and person trainers and nothing comes even close. \r \r The support staff always greets me by my first name and asks how I am doing - it is not an empty question, I believe they really care about the answer. \r \r The last factor in the equation are my workout buddies - I love the cameraderi that we have. I know them and they know me and we support each other in doing a little extra each day.\r \r Another reason I love this place is their involvement in the community. They encourage us through example to get involved in the community. Pros: Best trainers, towels, bath products, back/foot rubs more

The best. No other way to explain it. January rolled around and I rolled over my pants, big time. My knees ached, and my workout was tying my shoes. Out of breath and out of energy. Since then, I've worked with several trainers, attended group classes, participated in ""challenges"", sat in on workshops, and did several outdoor adventures. The results? From beginning at 275 lbs, I've lost 40 lbs, 35+ inches, rode my bike from Seattle to Portland, did my first TRIATHLON, and had a blast! Seven months later, I feel great, and am continuing to get better all the time. I'm looking forward to turning 50 next year, and being in the best shape of my life. \r Their trainers are the best around. I used to own a small gym and have been dragged by my wife, literally, into other gyms where I didn't enjoy the atmosphere and didn't stick with any program for long, except the fat gaining big slow butt program. At NWPT every one of the trainers, and the owners, and even other clients, have given me so much encouragement, all the while helping strongly motivate me to push further. I consider them good friends, and they are as close as family to me. I look forward to being there, and thoroughly enjoy it! \r We've also shared adventure with them snowshoeing, biking, triathlon (ing?), socializing, and laughing a whole bunch. Pros: Highly skilled, work with all levels of fitness, a blast to train with! Cons: Haven't found one more

Two years ago I was sick and tired. An autoimmune disease had me down. I'd gained 25 pounds, took naps every day to beat fatigue from my illness and was having trouble keeping up with my two young boys. I knew I had to at least get moving. I walked into NWPT just to pick up a brochure and was hooked. Two years later I am still working out at the studio and on my own 6 days per week. My Rheumatoid arthritis symptoms are almost completely gone, naps are now for babies and sissies, and I have no problem chasing my boys up a trail or up a tree! In the past two years, I have completed two half-marathons, two duathlons, back-packed to the bottom of the Grand Canyon (and back up) and am currently training for Hood-To-Coast and a sprint triathlon. I also have more energy at work, a better attitude and am a more productive employee. I now run, excercise and eat right for the joy of it. Instead of a chore, fitness for me has become a celebration of the gift of life and the miracle of every new day.\r \r I had tried other fitness facilities over the years, but NWPT is different. Owners Alex and Sherri McMillan are highly regarded in the industry for their expertise, customer service and their business model. They provide a personal touch, a welcoming atmosphere and employ highly trained and inspiring staff. \r \r Try it -- you won't be disappointed -- and it may change your life.\r \r more

I've been working out with Sherri McMillan for more than 6 years now and can honestly say that Sherri is the most knowledgeable , motivating and fun trainer I've ever met. I ran my first Half Marathon at age 49 and Hood To Coast at age 50 all because of Sherri. I never dreamed I could run at all let alone run those kinds of events. I'm still going strong attending Sherri's group training classes, which are so much fun, and training for Hood To Coast again this year. My continued good physical and mental health can truly be attributed to Sherri and Alex McMillan and all the wonderful trainers that work at Northwest Personal Training. Pros: Friendly and welcoming atmosphere more

I've been a client at NWPT for almost 4 years. The quality of the service and personal attention they provide puts them far above any of the other gyms where I've had memberships. NWPT provides personal and group training in a small, intimate setting where you are a valued client, not just another face in the anonymous mass that parade through the doors. Their excellent trainers genuinely care about each of their clients and work hard to make them feel welcome. \r And speaking of their excellent staff of trainers....they have the very best. Each of them bring their unique style and talents to the studio and together they form a team that can't be beat. For traditional pumping iron and strength training a session with Rob or Shyla will make your muscles quiver. A cycle class with either Jason or Ted and their hard-driving rock and roll music will get your heart and legs pumping. Jason brings a high level of energy and fun to his cardio games and drills class. For working on balance, flexibility and endurance you can't beat Laurie or Ted's Yoga Strength classes. And whether it is a one-on-one session or group class, Derrick provides a workout that is innovative and challenging. No matter your fitness level, these truely professional trainers are able to work with you to provide a workout that is challenging and fun without being overwhelming or intimidating. NWPT also sponsors a variety of activities, such as hikes and rafting trips, that promote physical activity as an on-going life-style. The result? Their personal touch and caring, fun-filled environment changed this one-time couch-potato into someone who is loves being physically active and can be found at their studio almost every day -- sometimes twice a day. \r Pros: Personal touch, excellent staff, clean facility Cons: Parking more

The staff at Northwest Personal Training is what really sets them apart from other facilities. They pay attention to every client that comes in and they know everyone's name. Even the newest members are introduced to all the staff and are asked on the progress of their workouts and to ensure that they are being adequately serviced. The rates are reasonable for the quality of trainers. This staff of amazing trainers train other trainers world wide on how to do their jobs and what is ""new"" in the industry. This is the best place to feel valued as a client and that you will reach the results that you are striving for! Thank you so much, Nortwest Personal Training! Pros: Personable, Accountability, Reasonable Rates Cons: Metered Parking, Closed on Sundays, Closed early Saturday more