I started training with Q in October of 2013. Prior to that, I was going to the gym maybe once a week and even that was just to run on a treadmill for a few miles.  When we started, I didn’t have any goals other than “get in shape”, but Q worked with me to come up with workouts and goals that were specific for me.

Q is really an awesome trainer: she keeps me motivated during sessions, suggests workouts to do on my own, responds to my questions anytime, and if I’m too sore to do the workouts she had planned, she quickly comes up with new ones for me to do. The results have been amazing: I’ve lost 40 lbs in 6 months and started building muscle.

Before training, I barely did any physical activity. Instead, I watched a lot of TV and made excuses for not going to the gym.  Now, each week, I train with Q twice, go to the gym on my own a few times, attend a weekly boot-camp class that Q runs, and have taken up playing hockey.  I’m now in the best shape of my adult life. I’ve never felt better about myself, and I owe it all to training with Q.  Personal training was the first steps toward me pursuing a more active lifestyle and it’s one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.

I first was introduced to Q through a group boot-camp class that I was attending back in late 2012. The class met once a week, and over time, I started to build a rapport with her, as she was easy to talk to, willing to stay after class to demo extra stretches and recovery techniques for various injuries or ailments, and was generally an incredibly cheerful, optimistic and encouraging person to be around. 

It wasn't until the Spring or Summer of 2015 that I began considering personal training again (I used to work with a personal trainer back in '08-'10 when I lived in Southern California). I had hit a plateau in my training and recently gained some unexplained weight. I was eating fairly healthy, and working out 5 days a week, but wasn't making any progress in terms of getting back down to the "normal" me. I also missed the challenge and variation that personal training offered. 

I decided to start the personal training up again in August of 2015, and it has been one of the best decisions I've made in a really long time. I've lost about 15 pounds since then and have been maintaining it for the past few months. More important than the weight, though, I feel stronger, more capable, more confident in my abilities, and those feelings go way beyond the gym; they transfer into my personal and professional life as well. 

Q has helped me re-find the inner beast that I was missing for a long time :) She is kind yet challenging, serious yet fun. She is one of the most dedicated trainers I have ever met, always seeking further learning for herself, and being incredibly giving to others with her knowledge and her time. She'll write workouts for me to do on my own, send me tutorial videos, give me reading recommendations on both diet/nutrition and exercise, and much more. She shows, every day, that she is committed to her clients' success, and having that support behind you is absolutely key.

She is a great trainer, who has become a great friend, and I would definitely recommend her to anyone looking for improvements - whether you want to lean down and tone up, or get stronger and build more muscle, or train for sports activities or competitions, her knowledge and commitment will definitely help you reach your goals.    

‘Strong’ or ‘athletic’ are words I used to use to describe other people. My routine started as couch-to-5K and cardio, and progressed to jogging to marathon finish lines. Running races made me feel proud, exhausted, slow, and often-injured. The extent of my strength training was rolling my 5 lb dumbbells out from under my couch when I needed a doorstop.

Personal training also felt like an indulgent expenditure that 'rich people' did. While losing weight seemed like a socially acceptable idea, my complicated history with my body image, weight, and food made me hesitate. I didn't really want to get thinner, I wanted to find enough strength and technique to not get hurt in a bootcamp workout, finish a long run without a stress fracture, and focus more on what my body could do than what it looked like.

When I met Q in the gym, she embodied exactly what I was looking for. Someone strong, but also good-natured and relatable enough that she wouldn't make me feel inferior for not being strong. I admired her from afar while she would train her niece in the gym; she approached workouts with no judgment, lots of laughter, and practical modifications. I had to get out of my CrossFit class and work with this badass woman! 

From the beginning, Q programmed workouts that made sense for me. She was quick to adapt and train me for my life and my needs - everything from running a half marathon, to carrying groceries up Nob Hill, to benching with the bros! She remembers my personal records even better than I do, and challenges me to accomplish things I’ve told myself I “couldn’t do” (deadlift my body weight, do a true push-up, not hate lunges).

She pushes me when I really don’t want to do another set, and jokes with me a bit more than usual or lets me pick the music when I’m hungover. She uses science, experience, and humor to make sure my workout is effective and something I look forward to every week. I also found that investing in training sessions with Q was one of the best financial choices I've made - Q's commitment to my programming is evident in the goals I've achieved in the months we've worked together. I can't think of anything more appropriate to spend my money or time on than my own health, strength, and being able to do activities I love injury-free.

The thing I love most about Q is that she truly practices what she teaches to her clients. She models strong work ethic in the gym, is active and adventurous in experiencing life (taking in hikes, bike rides, hip hop classes, and friendly competitions), but also knows that life is incomplete without donuts and sleeping in sometimes, too.

Without realizing it, Q trained more than just my physical health, she trained and changed my mindset about my potential and what it means to be a strong woman

I have been training at Qfit for 2 years now. Although I've always considered myself to have a high athletic aptitude, I've never learned more than I have in my time training with Q. My body has completely transformed and I am the strongest that I have ever felt both mentally and physically.

When I first started working with Q, I shared my fitness goals for the immediate future and we quickly achieved them. I was encouraged to come up with new goals and as a result have continued to grow my fitness knowledge, range of motion, and level of strength. This is something that Q encourages me to cultivate as we continue to work together.

Seeing such progress has become a great source of pride for both myself as well as for Q. It is critical for me in my success with a trainer to know that they have a vested interest in my well being and growth. I have found that with Q. My transformation since working with Q is one that has been visible to everyone. I highly recommend her as a trainer and fitness coach in San Francisco if you're looking to be challenged, have fun, and grow.