“When I first met Darrell Lutz, I was a freshman in high school. I grew up extremely overweight and had many health issues at a very young age. I had been diagnosed morbidly obese and pre-diabetic and I had seen every dietician, exercise specialist, and been to every family course that Kaiser had to offer.
I somehow got it in my head that I wanted to play football and when I walked into the weight room at Washington High School in Fremont, there stood Coach Lutz. He took a personal interest in me while I trained and played for him that year and through his guidance I lost over 100 pounds. I felt better than ever. I was playing football, I started volunteering at the fire department, and enjoyed many sports that I grew up being horrible at because of my weight.
After leaving the football team I maintained my weight for some time and even competed in the World Championship Firefighter Combat Challenge at age 17. Eventually, I put all the weight back on. I had taken over the family business and got busy with life. I weighed close to 300 pounds again. I tried every diet you can think of. I did Atkins, South Beach, low-fat, and all the big craze diets. I counted calories and points. Nothing seemed to work. I ran, I biked, I went to 24 Hour Fitness, but I never lost more than 10 pounds or so. So, I looked Darrell up hoping there was still hope to get back in shape. When I walked into his gym for the first time in 2015, I weighed 287 pounds and wore a 42-inch waist. I was right back where I started. Darrell got to work with me right away. I wasn’t there for more than 15 minutes when I started working out, and before the end of my first week, we had our first talk about nutrition.
Over the last almost two years, I’ve lost 80 pounds, and now wear a 34-inch waist. The best part is Darrell helped me do it the right way. That may sound odd, but what I mean is I’ve lost weight but gained strength. When I took my first body fat test I had been working with Darrell for four months and had already lost 40 pounds. That test showed I was at 30% body fat. The latest body fat test showed I was down to 20%. I feel good, I look better, and I enjoy not only what I do, but how I do it. I have more energy. I sleep better, and I get sick way less often. Darrell not only helps you eat better he helps you change your lifestyle. I enjoy what I eat, and I enjoy working out, and I really enjoy my results. Before Darrell, I would have never considered getting a nutrition coach, but it really is necessary if you want to get results. There is so much bad information out there and Darrell cuts right through it all and gets to the point. His methods result in lasting results and a program that is realistic to follow long-term, unlike many of the craze diets out there. I promise if you work with Darrell, are completely honest with him, and do what he says, you won’t regret it.”
-Chris W.
“I’ve been training with Darrell for nearly a year and a half. Despite being an athlete my whole life, I’ve been through what so many women go through- gained weight, lost weight in some drastic way, gained back the weight, lost it again, etc., etc. When I started with Darrell I was around 22% body fat and 137 pounds. Over the next year, my weight stayed about the same but my body fat dropped down to 14% and I gained a lot of muscle. I had never been so lean and I also continued to get stronger for a while. But here’s what I think is the best thing about working with Darrell: I hit a bit of a wall and he could tell. He realized that I really wasn’t eating enough fat (self imposed) and that while I was super lean, my hormones were possibly going to be very messed up. He wasn’t at all judgmental, but helped me define my goals (get stronger!) and helped me to understand that if I wanted to reach my strength goals as well as live a long and healthy life, I was going to have to learn how to fuel myself appropriately. Darrell isn’t dogmatic about any one way of eating, he works with you to find what’s best for what you are trying to achieve. It’s an ongoing experiment, but following his suggestions I feel so much stronger, I sleep better, I’m still lean and I feel much more happy and energetic.”
-Andrea S.
“When I first started with Darrell, I was 16 years old weighing about 225 lbs., and over the next year with Darrell I fell about 10 lbs. without even taking my nutrition all that seriously. After a hiatus from training with Darrell to attend college, I returned 19 years old and 248 lbs. Deciding that my diet needed to be cleaned up, Darrell helped guide me down the right path and in four short months I was down 30 lbs.! With Darrell’s guidance I have never looked back, currently I am 24 years old weighing 190 lbs. with 9% body fat, and I’m more athletic than I have ever been in my life. The knowledge I gained from the years with Coach Lutz has not only had a huge impact on me, but has also allowed me to help others in my life as well. Darrell Lutz changed my life for the better so if you are on the fence about a nutrition coach, don’t wait! Get started today!”
-Andrew B.
“I walked into Darrell’s gym a little over three years ago weighing 135 pounds, looking to lose weight and get into shape for my wedding. I didn’t know what a barbell was and I couldn’t even do one push up from my knees. From that first day, Darrell took his time and taught me the proper form for the movements and made me feel comfortable as weights started to increase. With the positive environment and great coaching I fell in love with lifting heavy weights! Over the last three years I have competed in multiple CrossFit competitions, but I am now focusing on weightlifting and powerlifting. As my goals have changed, Darrell adjusted my training and nutrition to work specifically for those current goals. I now weigh 148 pounds, my body fat has gone from 15% down to 13%, but most importantly, I have gained over 10 pounds of muscle! I feel amazing and I am constantly seeing the results on the barbell. By working with Darrell I am the happiest, healthiest, and most confident I have ever been in my entire life!”
-Rachel M.
“I was introduced to Darrell by a close friend of mine in late August of 2015. Prior to that first step into the gym, I had spent the year dealing with a major health issue and not having the energy to work out. I had gained over 20 pounds after being the most active and thinnest I’d been as an adult. My initial goal in working with Darrell was to lose those 20 pounds that had found their way into my waistband. I wanted to be skinny again. That was until I learned what it was like to feel strong. I started learning how to efficiently move a barbell, how to properly swing a kettlebell, how to push myself just one more rep. I quickly fell in love with the atmosphere and the people and eventually I found myself caring less about the number on the scale and more about the weight on the barbell. As time went on, I started seeing major positive changes in my physique and I knew the next step was to start paying closer attention to nutrition. Again, I turned to Darrell. He has provided me with a macro breakdown that works for what my current goals are, while still encouraging me to live life and occassionally enjoy cheat meals. He has been great with giving suggestions for what types of foods to eat in order to hit my numbers, or when to eat certain foods. If I fall off for a while, he’s encouraging about not letting it affect my progress and reminds me to just do better the next day and keep moving forward.
After almost 2 years of working with Darrell, I weigh exactly the same as when I walked through the door that first day. That may sound like a bad thing, but it’s actually not. I fit the same exact size clothes as I was wearing before the weight gain, and I look better in my clothes because I actually have curves. I have the smallest little abs that are starting to show. My deadlift has increased from 85 pounds to 260 pounds. I can swing a 35 pound kettlebell like it’s nothing. When I first started, I wasn’t able to do a pull-up and now I can string five together. I’ve gained over 11 pounds of muscle. But it’s more than just the weight I can push or pull at the gym, my reflection, or how I fill out my clothes that I’m happy with. I can pick up my cousin and carry her without pain. I can carry four bags of groceries from my car up two flights of stairs. Last year, I hiked 8 miles up and down a volcano in Costa Rica. I know how to properly fuel my body with food.
So while I may not have lost those 20 pounds I was originally hoping to get rid of, I’ve gained so much more- confidence, knowledge, and strength. All thanks to Darrell’s coaching and guidance. All of that has been worth so much more than the number on the scale.”
-Whitney M.
“I started training 3 years ago with Darrell. At the time I weighed 204 pounds and a body fat percentage of 22%. Going into a gym out of shape was very hard, as anyone could imagine. I couldn’t do many of the movements the workouts included, but Darrell adjusted and helped me work through it to become better. His coaching and encouragement has brought me a long way. He always pushes me to do the best I can every time I step foot in the gym. Darrell creates a very welcoming atmosphere in his gym. He is always patient with newcomers and ensures everyone has proper technique, making everyone feel comfortable. With the upbeat and positive vibe, I was able to become in much better shape, now weighing 177 and having a body fat percentage of 12%. With Darrell’s help, my appearance has drastically changed and made me much more confident. Not only does he encourage fitness, he also helps with nutrition. He has helped me balance out my eating habits and showed me the importance of healthy eating. All around Darrell has helped me change my lifestyle and the gym overall has helped me move into who I am today.”
-Cole J.
“I had been going to the local gym for many years without much change and even started to gain weight. At age 60, I was told that it’s harder to get results as our metabolism slows down as we get older. I learned about Darrell’s gym through family members and thought I would give it a try. My goal was to lose weight, and that I did. I had my body fat test done a few months into my working out, and was recommended that I eat 1,900 calories a day. This was said to help me lose weight and gain muscle. But, I come from the generation where the less you eat the more you’ll lose. I was satisfied on 800-1,200 calories a day. After eating mostly meat and vegetables and increasing my calorie count, I tested again three months later and I had lost eight lbs. of fat along with four lbs. of muscle. This is when Darrell taught me the importance of how to eat the right foods and how to eat more. Once I learned from him, I began to get stronger and more fit. I have gained three pounds of muscle and my fat percentage has dropped. I am now in the athletic range for my age and have never felt better. I didn’t think it was possible to have abs fit for a bikini, or arms that are muscular that no longer sag. I continue to get stronger and my metabolism has kicked in the right direction. I no longer have the word “diet” in my vocabulary. I train with Darrell and his assistant coach, Rachel, six days a week as it has become a lifestyle. Not only is it great physically, but emotionally as well, as everyone at this gym are so supportive of each other no matter what age or size. It has been the most rewarding thing I have ever done for myself. My best compliment has been that friends, co-workers, and family members have wanted me to share my nutrition and fitness changes I’ve made with them. Anyone that thinks they are too old or out of shape to give this a try, think again.”
-Vickie L.