★ 5

5-Star Review for Coach Aric

I reached out to Aric for help with a nagging issue—a winged right scapula that had been bothering me for a while. We live far apart, otherwise I'd be at his gym every day, no question. Despite the distance and not even seeing my shoulder in person, Aric listened carefully to my description and immediately knew what to do.

He sent me three exercises tailored to my issue, and on the very first day of doing them, I already felt a noticeable difference. No guesswork, no fluff—just precise, practical guidance from someone who clearly knows what they're doing.

Sometimes, the insight you need doesn’t come from a doctor—it comes from a wise coach who genuinely understands the body. Aric is that guy. Can’t recommend him enough.

Source: Google

★ 5

I was struggling with paralyzing lower back pain most of my life but it became chronic the last 6 years.I was about to have my two lower discs fused.Thankfully I met Aric. On my first visit I noticed the difference.I told him my problem.He pinpointed it, addressed it and fix most, if not all, my physical issues in 8 weeks. At the same time his method helped me with internal hidden traumas I never realized I had which are somehow connected to my physical and mental health.All the exercises I learned I incorporated to my gym routine and have been PAIN FREE for the past 2 years. I plan to apply his method and all I learned for the rest of my life.Anyone with physical issues should give Aric a chance.I did and now I’m forever grateful. Best gym and bang for your buck!!
Thank you Aric!!

Source: Google

★ 5

I love this program! The instructors are the best! Very compassionate and understanding. They push me to keep going, but not to the point of injuring myself, as I've had back surgery. After my surgery I was having a hard time doing things like normal. I went from walking three to seven miles every day to having back problems and lucky if I coukd walk a half of a mile without holding on to something. I couldn't even kneel in church. I couldn't hold myself up. Now I am walking three to four mile stretches. I can kneel for longer periods again too. It's not so hard to get off of the floor and I can walk up and down stairs normal again and I dont have to hold on.
I've tried other meal plans, some more like starvation plans. Nothing worked. This program is sustainable for the long haul. The workouts are more effective than any I have done in the past. Don't get me wrong, somethings are still killer, but I could barely do some of the things when I started 10 weeks ago. I chose this program because it was what I was looking for and what i really needed. I was held accountable and still am. My husband passed away and was no longer here to give me that push that I need. Aric totally understood where I was coming from and gave me that push. He was so great from our first conversation that I knew he and this program were what I needed to get going. And the convenience of being able to do all of this long distance is great for me. I will continue on this journey with these wonderful people and I'll let you know how it's going as I progress. I hope others give it a try. It's great!!

Source: Google

★ 5

I have been taking classes with Aric for almost 4 years now & I can honestly say he truly “cares” about his students. This is NOT your typical gym; the focus & priority is how to do the exercises correctly, so you don’t get injured as well as preventive care. At this point in my life at the age of 58, I have gained flexibility from splits class as well as strength from gymnastic rings class (my favorite class). Never thought at this age I would do adult gymnastics & love it! At home nowadays I see what happens with elderly family members and extended loved ones with various health issues therefore preventive care is extremely important to me. What I do today will determine my future health. Aric is a dedicated coach who guides each one of us based on where we are with our own flexibility/strength now and with time we all get stronger/feel better. There are a number of flexibility and strength classes offered on different days and times so it's easy to select based on one's schedule. He’s also someone I have complete faith and trust in, as I age, if I get any negative news from my doctor, I will tell him first and follow his guidelines. Absolutely love what Evolve to Fit offers to this community/DMV! The only drawback I have is I don’t live near Arlington!

Source: Google

★ 1

If you're considering Evolve To Fit because you've heard about Mauricio Valle's classes, go elsewhere. He no longer teaches at Evolve and with good reason, namely Aric. You can read the other reviews from women that discuss how they have felt disrespected by Aric. I can only say that I minimized my interactions with him and avoided his classes for similar reasons. Run away.

Source: Google

★ 5

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.

Source: Google

★ 1

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.

Source: Google

★ 5

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.

Source: Google

★ 2

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.

Source: Google

★ 1

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.

Source: Google

★ 5

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!

Source: Google

★ 5

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.

Source: Google

★ 5

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!

Source: Google

★ 5

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.

Source: Google

★ 5

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 from

if 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.

Source: Google

★ 5

This gym is amazing and has done more for my strength, mobility, and athleticism than almost anything else in my life which is impressive considering I played college football, kick-boxed, and have been lifting for over 10 years. I decided to give Mauricio's classes a shot and bought a 10 class pass. Right after I finished my last class, I registered for the unlimited membership. I'm 6 weeks in and can't wait to put in the work and see how things grow and evolve over the coming year.

Source: Google

★ 5

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 :)

Source: Google

★ 5

The teaching at this gym is exactly what you need to grow and understand how the body moves.

Source: Google

★ 5

A right exercise with a right trainer can do wonders, which I did not know when I started training with Aric more than a year ago. A chiropractor I was seeing for my chronic lower back pain highly recommended Aric to me, especially with my health issues. When I started training with Aric I was mentally and physically exhausted from chronic pain, trying different massages and body work, acupuncture, PT, hot baths and anything I could think of to help continue with my normal daily activities. I was traveling with medicine everywhere - in case my back locked up again. Even physical therapist sent me back to spine doctor, because she just could not help me.
Aric started me working on my posture, correcting imbalances and building core and hip strength. From the beginning I have been very impressed by his ability to see the problem areas in the body, assess them and build the program around that. Full focus and awareness of the body and muscles has been an essential part of Aric's training. I must say that the change has been slow, but with Aric's support and encouragement I kept repeating the exercises in gym and at home. In his own words - " you might have to repeat the movement a thousand times to see the change". What makes Aric stand out is not only his training experience, in-depth knowledge of the body mechanics, providing inspiration on 'not-so-good' days, but his dedication to help his clients and support them through their journeys. It surely helped me to get where I am today - more balanced in my body, improved posture, stronger and free from chronic pain (something that seemed unimaginable a year ago!). Training with Aric even exceeded my expectations set by chiropractor's recommendation!
Recently I have also started taking classes with Aric and Mauricio at their new studio, which are great addition to personal training sessions! Their new studio is very cozy, and the classes are small size and suitable for different levels. Aric and Mauricio are sure to welcome you with a smile and make you feel as part of their growing awesome community!

Source: Google

★ 5

Source: Google