I found Vernon and Usawa fitness through a YouTube video on how to assemble a piece of ride and row equipment. i have a really tough time assembling anything with written instructions.Vern's youtube was just the right length. He showed in detail how to assemble and kept it fun and entetraining.if you are anywhere near Usawa Fitness you should go check it out. In my opinion, Vern knows his stuff and best of all he's a real authentic person. Pat Cherny read more

As a freelance TV producer, I have ridden a roller-coaster of weight gain and weight loss over the past eighteen years of my career. My "Aha" Moment came in the form of a video clip I saw of myself (while on a location scout for Oprah's Next Chapter in India). I was horrified to see how fat, flabby and out of shape I looked! I realized that I had totally and completely let myself go and that I NEEDED TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! THEN I found Vernon Cowles/Usawa Fitness and started working out with him three days a week. Vernon created an exercise and meal plan for me that WORKS. In a matter of months, I lost inches, gained a ton of muscle and dropped nearly TEN pounds. I never feel hungry and still enjoy eating most of the foods I always ate before. Thanks to Vernon and his balanced approached to fitness, I am well on my way to achieving my goal weight (for the first time ever). He is hands down the BEST trainer I have ever worked with, totally affordable, and 100% worth the investment! read more

It is with great pleasure that I submit this review. Vern has truly transformed my life both physically and mentally. He has made me conscious, though not neurotic, about my food and exercise choices. Since beginning work with Vern three months ago, I am 15 pounds lighter and my muscle mass has greatly increased. Vern's entire philosophy revolves around the idea of balance. If we are working arms, we are in a squat so the legs and core are also getting work. Most importantly, Vern's philosophy of balance extends to how he coaches his clients to live their lives. For example, since going out and having fun is a part of life, balance it with a longer workout or smarter caloric choices the next couple of days. I find that this philosophy keeps me extremely motivated; the lack of the guilt factor actually encourages me to make better choices when I am out and about! Additionally, Vern's workouts are constantly changing. He spends much of his free time researching the most recent trends and keeps his clients on their toes. I find that as soon as I feel like I have mastery over an exercise, he changes it or makes it harder so I'm constantly growing. Lastly, Vern is a good person. I trust him implicitly and I enjoy our sessions because he's, quite simply, fun to be around. Anyone looking to improve their body and mind should check out Vern at Usawa Fitness! read more

I have never enjoyed working out for working outs sake and have neglected to do it my entire life thus far. This had never posed a problem since I led an active lifestyle, but as soon as I entered my 30s it was not enough to keep me toned and fit. I had joined different gyms and had tried different trainers, but never felt the urge to continue because of a lack of interest on the trainers side and lack of knowledge on my side. Then I found Vernon Cowles/Usawa Fitness and everything changed. I work out with him three days a week for an hour each session and in 6 months have lost inches, body fat, and have gained muscle! I am thrilled at the results of his workout regimen! He absolutely loves what he is doing and his enthusiasm makes me love what I am doing. Finally, I like working out and he has given me the knowledge I need to continue working out when I am at home or on vacation. He has helped me understand the importance of diet and to pay attention to the amount and kinds of calories I eat throughout the day. Vernon is hands down the best trainer I have ever had! He is knowledgeable, fun, hilarious, exuberant and...affordable! If you are needing a personal trainer, consider Vernon from Usawa Fitness! read more

I had never worked with a personal trainer before and was very anxious when I found out that I got a personal trainer for my Mother's Day gift. But what a gift Vernon turned out to be! I could only work out twice a week in stead of the recommended 3 times/ week. And I never did change my eating habits (Sorry, Vernon). But after 14 weeks I could do 20 "boy push-ups" (Sorry, Vernon) when I couldn't even do 1 before and attended a wedding not needing to wear Spanx. He did an initial assessment of my strengths and weaknesses and asked me what I wanted to get out of the experience. Then he proceeded to show me that I could become strong and fit without agonizing pain, that working out can be fun and that I too could have Michelle Obama arms. Best of all he gave me the knowledge to be able to continue after our sessions ended. Don't get me wrong, it's not completely painless. But I finally understood what "good pain" means. Vernon will push you when you need pushing. He'll switch up your routine when it's starting to get easy. He'll go to your gym and work with their equipment so you won't look like a dork when you go there by yourself. But please, no whining. Wear your big girl underpants when you go and you will get the most out of your money and your time. read more

I've been training with Vern for almost a year now, and saying it's been one of the best years of my life is truly an understatement. I've lived an active lifestyle for the better part of my life, but I managed to put on roughly 70lbs in a matter of 2 years. I was miserable. When enough was enough, I successfully lost almost 40lbs on my own through healthier eating habits, but eventually plateaued with much more to lose. A friend of mine referred me to Vern, calling him "a life changer", and that he was. Vern immediately got me in for a consultation to get to know me, understand what happened with my weight gain, share his personal stories and struggles with health and exercise, and discuss my goals moving forward. He had a true appreciation for the weight I'd already lost, and showed an exorbitant amount of excitement and confidence about what he could do to keep me in positive motion. Not only was he pumped about what he could do FOR me, he was genuinely excited about taking the journey WITH me, and that type of commitment from someone I'd known for 2 minutes gave me an overwhelming sense of confidence and security about the future. Over the last year, Vern has implemented several phases of workouts to help me reach goals I didn't even know I had. I came to him recovering from a back injury, and he tailored every workout to ensure my safety. A few months later, I injured my knee and had a small tear in my meniscus. Without any hesitation, he flipped the script to new workouts that catered to my injury and allowed me to recover as I hobbled around the gym on crutches. Every workout over the last year has hardly been the same, which keeps it fun, interesting, and more than desirable to keep coming back. Vern's workouts are designed to hit several body parts and muscles at the same time, maximizing results in a shorter period of time. I've lost another 30lbs with him, but I've also put on so much muscle that the number on the scale doesn't really matter to me anymore. It's about how I look and how I feel, which is what Vern encourages more than anything. My body has completely transformed in a way that I never thought possible. Despite Vern's skill and talent as a personal trainer, his personality and character is something that you won't find in anyone else. His commitment to your goals and success is pure and genuine. His encouragement and optimism will keep you fighting when you think you can't go any further. His jokes, laughter, and energy is infectious. His generosity and personal investment in a better you is inspirational. There are no words that can truly describe my experience with Vern, and while I've found a lifelong coach and motivator in him, I've also found a really good friend that I feel honored and blessed to have in my life. Thanks for all you do Vern, a.k.a, My life changer. read more

I have always struggled with my weight, going through ups and downs. Loosing a lot a weight quickly and then quickly gaining all of it back. After being diagnosed with Hypothyroidism I was completely depressed thinking that I would never loose weight again. My attitude started to changed immediately after I met Vern Cowles (personal Trainer). Vern took the time to listen to me, my worries, frustrations and beliefs. He started to pick up some of the pieces that I have left behind and help me put them back together. I gain confidence with him which led me to want to do better and think better for myself. I've been skeptical about personal trainers because I dealt with so many that seemed vain, or uninterested in what I had to say. Most would spend an hour telling me to run on a treadmill and then do some sit ups, but not Vern. Vern set me up with a plan. He educated himself with my condition and begin creating exercises routines that would specifically help with my Thyroid. He always pushed you keeping the exercises interesting and never boring. He gave me the education and the motivation to go on and change my lifestyle and because of him within 2 1/2 months I lost 2-4 inches in my stomach and arms. I am more toned and when I put on my jackets they can close up all the way and the arms are not suffocating me. I still have a long way to go, but knowing that I'm going through it with Vern (Usawa Fitness) makes my journey a lot more fun. I would recommend anyone that wants to loose weight, loose body fat, and build muscle to Vern Cowles Usawa Fitness. read more

The best trainer Iv'e ever trained with, here is why 1. Professional- Vern has an amazing knowledge, the arsenal of different workout he has in his mind means you'll never get board or if something just does'n feel right he'll give you an alternative move in a second. And he has all this equipment that just make the training more fun. And above all he keeps educating himself so he's always current and on top of new trends. 2. Training Body Mind and soul- It's not just your body that will get fit it's you mind ans soul! I have started with no faith in myself and now I'm so,so,so up for any challenge he throws at me, in fact I'm exited about it! I feel stronger and more able than I have ever felt in my life. 3. He is a fun, smart, funny awesome guy so the workouts just fly by! Don't get me wrong the work is HARD very very hard, but vern will be there every step of the way encouraging and believing in you even if you don't! but believe me eventually you will. I have lost almost 30 pounds and went from size 10 to size 4, and I even trained while pregnant up until 8 months in :-) Vern has changed my life for the better in so may ways, I feel so lucky to have found him and have him in my life! read more

As I approached the big 4-0, I decided I wanted to do something different so I signed up for a 5K obstacle race. Then I had to actually train for the thing. Vern helped me get strong--I didn't realize how strong I could get so fast! Before we started, I hadn't even ran 5K straight, let alone 5K with tough obstacles. He helped me stay focused on my goals verses get side tracked by mere numbers on the scale. Beyond helping me get in shape, Vern helped me make a connection between food and fuel--fuel to give me the energy to do what I wanted to be able to accomplish. At this point, I have ran 4 obstacle course races (including one that breaks even tough guys) and some regular 5Ks. And I have a half-marathon on the calendar. With Vern, it is about life-style change. Mind and body. He's helped me go for the life I want to live. And I feel great!!! read more

I've been a seasoned athlete most of my life. Played soccer competitively in high school and college along with pond hockey on the side. As the daughter of a soccer coach and a coach myself I thought I knew all there is to know about training, until I met Vernon. Vern transformed my body and strength tremendously. We started working together my senior year of college and he addressed my issues with fitness, health, and basic athleticism. We trained 3 times a week but he was always available to talk about my independent workouts along with giving me workouts to do on my own. My body never looked better. Vern helped me put on lean muscle, improve strength dramatically, and gain the confidence that every female athlete needs to succeed. As a busy college student I wasn't eating properly, poor nutrition and not nearly enough protein for my body type and training intensity. Vern would send me weekly recipes that I could easily adjust to my lifestyle. He also showed me the science of fitness. Calculating my basic metabolic rate, Vern educated me on how much I need to eat to gain muscle and keep it. So many trainers give you an hour long workout and send you on your way, but Vern sticks with his clients week after week, guiding them through their diet plans, fitness goals, weight loss (or gain), and life's hectic curves that so often throw us off. He is by far the smartest guy in the gym and a blast to work with. Couldn't thank him enough for what he has done for my body and my confidence. read more