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August 2024 by B Davis
I began my journey a year ago next month....and boy has this experience made a difference. My life has changed in some many ways.....from nutrition, to my physical and my mental. I come such a long way in my healing journey with the help and support of Aric at Evolve to Fit. This gym takes a holistic approach to working out that includes self care. The trainers actually get to know you as a person and design workouts, nutrition and even lend an ear when needed. Eric is such a personable coach. He works with you, pushes you and practices what he preaches. His well rounded knowledge of kinesiology and nutrition is both impressive and informative and he takes time to explain his suggestions and instruction. Can't forget about Mauricio, another phenomenal instructor! These guys are down to earth, funny and all around great guys. All of the classes are tough but fun and you don't need a bunch of heavy weights in the gym or at home to do a work out and FEEL the BURN (trust me) so if you cant make it to the studio, no worries. All of the members at the gym are friendly, positive and encouraging so no need to feel intimidated. You'll feel comfortable and have a great workout here and on occasion have a great cookout and/or happy hour.
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August 2024 by Regina
If you look at the reviews you see both positive and negative. After 3 years with this gym, I believe that is because there are 2 coaches there. One who is extremely professional and friendly, knowledgeable. Great classes at beginning and expert levels. The other is not professional at all. Makes people, especially women, uncomfortable, and must always be right. I hated to leave the great coach. But I was exhausted by always looking over my shoulder in case the other was there. I was continuously walking on eggshells. So if you are wondering which of the reviews to believe, the low or the high, they are both true.
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January 2024 by Ruby Lee
I contemplated writing a review for a while and initially decided against it as I do not enjoy conflict but as someone who has found reviews invaluable, I want to provide mine. I began going to Evolve To Fit (ETF) at the beginning of 2023 and left a few months prior to the end of the year. There are two main instructors: Aric, who is both the owner and instructor for around half of the classes, and Mauricio, who teaches the other half. I had concerns with Aric at the start of my membership and tried to brush them off. It wasn’t until a few months in that I made it expressly clear that I was upset with how I was treated.
Here is a portion of what I experienced: I felt uncomfortable asking questions in class to clarify the number of reps or the correct form as Aric would state I was not paying attention and that I need to listen to what he was saying. I stated I was not comfortable with being videoed and having my images and media being uploaded to the public ETF instagram and Aric dismissed this request. I felt disrespected, as Aric would make belittling comments included “stop feeling sorry for yourself”. I felt my agency was stripped away, and I walked away from his classes feeling angry and demoralized.
Aric seemed genuinely remorseful and apologized, but would vacillate between taking accountability and stating that he was stretched thin. I wanted to give him a second chance so I continued to go to classes and Aric was more cautious in his treatment of me. That being said, Aric continued to take videos and pictures after agreeing to stop, and watching him treat others the same way I was treated made me feel tense and upset.
I’ve given a lot of thought to writing this review because I recognize that each person has a unique experience. Also, Aric works very hard and cares deeply about his clients. To be clear, his intentions do not take away from the impact, but there are folks who have found him to be a fit in their health journey and continued to meet with him for decades because he and Mauricio offer a much needed service: mobility exercises, and a view of health that is holistic. For me, Aric’s unprofessionalism and treatment of clients made me feel unwelcome and unsafe. I want to be clear that Mauricio never made me feel this way. His handstands classes amongst others were a haven for me after long work days. The community of folks who would attend classes regularly also made this experience wonderful, but unfortunately that did not erase how I felt about ETF because of Aric. Regardless, if you are interested in signing up for courses, I encourage you to make your own judgment on if ETF is a fit, because health is an incredibly personal journey. Thank you for reading.
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January 2024 by Dirk Macorol
Just the gym I was looking for. The classes are gymnastics based and they emphasize on mobility, flexibility, movement and overall body wellness.
I also love the community feel of this gym. It’s inclusive and they always do group activities and social events for the students and their friends.
Instructors are nice and caring and they just make you feel welcome.
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December 2023 by Kim
I was excited to participate for a challenge to lose weight, however the owner Aric Lee who proclaimed himself a health coach was very disappointing to work with, he charged me 500$ to send me 2 sheets of pdf with info you can find online super basic, I struggle with consistency and that’s the reason why I wanted to hire a coach but instead support he was judging me, trying to make me feel bad about myself, shame and guilty. All he care about is money. In the exercise part Mauricio was very kind and I found him very knowledgeable about every movement he teaches you, I felt comfortable in his class.
If you are looking for a health coach I wouldn’t recommend this program, there is not effective and actually was passive -aggressive communication in this part. if you are looking to improve your flexibility I think Mauricio was good trainer too bad he is in that studio.
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November 2023 by Mike Parks
This place is amazing. I was having back pain for months, I worked with two different doctors who simply prescribed me pain killers, muscle relaxers. None of it solved the problem. Finally I discovered Evolve to Fit, and almost immediately I made progress on my back. Within a few weeks I was nearly 100% better. I have learned a lot about my body, and how to better take care of myself. These people know what they are doing and they will help you!
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February 2023 by Shaun Moe
3 years ago I was diagnosed with 3 herniated discs in my back. After 8 months of physical therapy coordinated with well over a dozen injections, an ablation and no long term positive movement, I reached out to Aric.After 16 months with Evolve to Fit, I am 95% pain free and have regained nearly FULL range of motion. I am stronger, more aware of my body, and have not been back to the doctors since.Thank you Aric, Mauricio and evolve to fit for giving me the tools and faith in myself to take my ownership of my body.
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July 2022 by Terry Jodrie
Intense, mindful, tune-up from an evidence-based, spiritually minded professional. It's hard work but the payoff is substantial. This is not a weight training gym like experience. Rather, it is tuning up the body to perform in a balanced way. Give it a look see. Needless to say, you have to actually do the work. However, if you do so youwon't be sorry!
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June 2022 by Ariel W
Aric and Mauricio are the real deal. They are dedicated, unpretentious coaches who provide exceptional training. I love their goal to keep their clients moving until age 100–that’s exactly the long term fitness strategy I care about.It’s a back-to-basics functional mobility and flexibility training experience that can radically shift your mindset and physical abilities if you leave your ego at the door.From splits to handstands to rings skills, I regularly surprise myself with what I am capable of ??♀️I put off writing a review—now folks will discover how amazing they are??
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November 2021 by Michelle Pham
This has been a long time coming but I Love this place, honestly the instructors here really do care about your body and its healing process. They dont try to force the culture on you and upsell you on anything. They are honest and they want you to be honest and get the most out of your exercise and practice. They stress that if you are feeling any pain that you let them know because there's always a regression to it.I love it here because they value you as a human not just a member.
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November 2021 by Michelle P.
Honestly if I could give this place over 5 stars I would.This has been a long time coming but I Love this place, honestly the instructors here really do care about your body and its healing process. They dont try to force the culture on you and upsell you on anything. They are honest and they want you to be honest and get the most out of your exercise and practice. They stress that if you are feeling any pain that you let them know because there's always a regression to it. I love it here because they value you as a human not just a member. Since I been here my shoulder has been feeling so much better and I am getting stronger everyday. They people here are all so sweet and supportive. If you are looking for a judgment free zone where you can ask questions and learn things you never thought your body could do then this is the place.
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March 2021 by Dennis S.
I came to Evolve b/c, as a a CrossFitter, I was interested in upping my gymnastics skills and increase my mobility. there is really great coaching and great session content and flow. Movements are demo'ed well and and the class sizes are small; you'll get one-on- one coaching at virtually every session. As a CF L2 coach, I really appreciate quality coaching; Aric and Mauricio know their material, can communicate cues quickly and succinctly, and can spot movement flaws and correct them. Safety and proper technique is their focus.
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January 2021 by Zendo G.
I love love love this fitness academy. I have chronic pain that starts in the base of my neck and affects every joint. The classes help me work through the pain and "reset". It's not easy but I feel myself getting stronger and the time between pain flare ups increasing. All this online - virtually!!! Amazing!
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August 2020 by Ali Saad
Aric is a great coach. he 's patient and focuses on your individual needs to improve your posture and problem areas. after just a couple of sessions, my duck feet visibly improved. i continued going for month and continued to see gains.small ,focused classes with several different types to choose fromif it wasn't for my relationship, i'd move into one of the apartments in the managed building on top of the gym. but sadly i have to be in DC and with a gym around the corner from my apartment, driving to Arlington several times a week wouldn't be practical.
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May 2020 by Ibrahim Pashaei
When I first started coming to Mauricio and Evolve To Fit, I had tight shoulders, could hardly engage my core or really kick up into a decent handstand. After a few months of coming and doing mobility exercises and slowly opening my shoulders and hips I’m seeing huge results. And as an added extra benefit my energy levels and posture have improved dramatically. I would highly recommend this gym and the instructors, they are truly professional, athletic and humble people :)
