New! Read about our Featured Clients!
Laura L.
Tim D.
"Derrick is amazing! I have been his client for over a year now. His workouts are tailored to your individual fitness goals. I have seen so many changes in my body and strength. He keeps you motivated. Can’t thank him enough!"
Solomon D.
"I've been working out with Derrick for 2+ years, and I'm all the better for it. Derrick helped me become accountable after a period of being sedentary. He's motivating and knows how to get the best from you without overdoing it. He is creative with changing up the workouts as you progress. He is a partner and genuinely invested/excited to help you achieve your goals. The transition from in-person to virtual workouts has been seamless. It's hard work, but very rewarding."
Deborah T
"In the slightly-more-than-a-year that I've been working out with Derrick I've become stronger and more agile, have noticeably improved my balance, and have become acquainted with muscles that I frankly was only dimly aware of. For more context, I'm old enough to collect Social Security. Derrick is patient, knowledgeable, and unerringly encouraging, and we both marvel at my progress. Working out with Derrick is one of the best decisions I've ever made, and I hope to continue to do so far into the future."
Neena D
"Derrick is a great personal trainer. He pushes me, but is very patient. He always maintains a positive attitude, and I am happy I get to work with him. He is also flexible with my varying work schedule, which is super helpful."
Bethann W
“Derrick is a great personal trainer. I've been doing his personal training sessions for a little over 6 months and the difference I see in my tone and strength is amazing! I'm even running more than I ever have! I was always convinced running and lifting heavy weights were impossible for me. But after working out with Derrick I am realizing it just takes a dedicated, knowledgeable personal trainer to create my desired results. His workouts are always challenging yet fun and creative. Each workout his devises are personally tailored to improving my strength and my cardiovascular conditioning. I highly recommend Derrick for any personal training needs you may have!”
Tim P
“I have been training with Derrick for a little over a year now. I attend personal sessions and also the boot camp and have totally changed my body over the course of a year. He is without a doubt the best personal trainer I have used. Not only does he dedicate himself to making sure you are getting the best workout possible, what I like about him is he is a family man that truly cares. We are both business men and he is always encouraging on both a physically and mental level. He understands that your head needs to be in the game before your body does. I highly recommend anyone looking to give Derrick a chance and I promise you won't be sorry.”
Neil S
“Derrick is a highly skilled and knowledgeable trainer, and is brilliant to chat with during the sessions. I've made real progress with Derrick and have noticed my body shape changing for the better towards a leaner, stronger physique which is a real confidence boost.”
Albert R
"As a former athlete, I allowed myself to coast for far too long, making my fitness take a backseat to family activities, business, and even leisure. After several episodes of mixed results at the gym, I decided I wanted to make my health and fitness a real priority. To do this right, I knew I needed a trainer who looks at things three-dimensionally, and who would work with my specific needs rather than giving me a one-size-fits-all “magazine” routine. After lots of searching, I found Derrick and I'm glad I did! Together, we have addressed resistance training (bodyweight & weights), cardio, flexibility, realistic dietary needs, and even balance and posture!
Derrick is truly an encyclopedia of exercise, anatomy, and kinesiology. Every day starts with warm-ups, stretches, and check-ins regarding any injuries, questions, or concerns. Then, he demonstrates each routine, gives tips on form, and also provides context on the functional purpose of the movement. When I'm performing it, he is watching for form, appropriate level of challenge, and offering encouragement if I need it. His style is exactly what I was looking for, as I am learning the "hows" and "whys", and not just going through the motions. Derrick is flexible enough to make on-the-fly adjustments, compensating for things like old injuries, while ensuring a great total body workout, and finding ways to encourage progress toward my goals. There’s never a dull day, as each day and week, I ‘m greeted with new exercises, new techniques, and new areas of focus.
Derrick's unshakably positive outlook on life, his deep experience, and his professionalism make every workout enjoyable and productive. I've developed a great level of trust in both his approach and also in his results! And when I look in the mirror, I can finally see "myself" again - which has gotten several comments from coworkers, my sister, and most importantly…
…my girlfriend! THANKS, DERRICK! LOL!!"
Mary M
“Since 2000, I have worked with ten personal trainers and myriad class instructors. My top trainer? Derrick Johnson.
Derrick rates as A-List in every category:
- Lifestyle modifications: I travel frequently for work, and Derrick made me a small workout book with exercises I could do on the road so I will not lose ground while I am away. That personal touch and extra effort sets Derrick apart.
- Enthusiastic and encouraging: Working out with Derrick, I am never afraid to try and fail at an exercise because I know he will just pick me up and help me learn how to do that exercise. Bear crawls were a trial for my lack of coordination. I may still hate them, but I can do them backwards and forward.
- Realistic goal and clear expectation setting: When I had a specific goal, to learn how to ski, Derrick modified my workout to strengthen muscles needed for that. The feedback loop of reaching a goal and setting a new one made me more enthusiastic about working out.
- Variety: Derrick changes up workouts frequently to prevent boredom, as I have a short attention span. Even better, Derrick takes into account what my favorite exercises are and integrates them to make the workout more fun.
- Proper form, proper exercise mix, and proper level of effort: This may seem like a given, unfortunately not always. Derrick’s expertise at ensuring I am doing the right exercise the right way not only ensures I reach goals, it also ensures that I never injure myself working out.
Most importantly, I like and trust Derrick, making working out a pleasure rather than a chore. That makes Derrick a great trainer.”
David H S
“Over the course of several years I worked with Derrick Johnson to help build up my core strength and overall fitness. During that period he also helped me get through a dark year of surgery and chemotherapy following a cancer diagnosis.
In my work I often spend eight or more hours a day at the computer. I have also had life-long issues with neck and back pain from a childhood accident. Derrick helped me to overcome weaknesses developed from bad posture and injury, and also to vastly improve both overall fitness and specific muscle strength. Thanks to the information and exercises he gave me, I’ve gained more strength, flexibility, and energy than I’ve had in years.
During my cancer treatments Derrick developed a specialized plan that helped me stay active, even on days when just walking a block or two was a major challenge. I’m confident that he helped me get through, and emerge from, my fight with cancer in far better shape than I’d have been alone.
Derrick is not only a very talented and motivating trainer – someone who knows what he’s doing and why – but he is also a really good and really interesting guy. I greatly enjoyed getting to know him. I deeply appreciate his guiding my workouts through both good times and bad. And I wholeheartedly recommend him to anyone serious about their training who also wants to enjoy the ride.”
Stephen D
“With the start of the New Year and a new career I wanted to make some positive changes in my life. I am extremely fortunate that I found you. Not only did you give me the kick start that I needed, you inspired a desire to aggressively pursue a workout regimen and healthy eating habits. You were always enthusiastic, motivating and engaging. You pushed me beyond my limit without pushing me over the edge.
With your coaching I was able to gain muscle mass and lose body fat. You tailored a workout program and diet that fit my needs and helped me to achieve my goals. I have been able to reduce my cholesterol while increasing my stamina and strength. The personal attention, support and encouragement you provided have been invaluable in assisting me to make positive lifestyle changes.
Thank you Derrick for being an amazing and knowledgeable trainer. You facilitated positive changes in my lifestyle through exercise and diet. I have included a picture of the physical results you helped me to obtain.”
Rich M
“I had never worked with a personal trainer before, and had a lot of preconceived notions.
I thought a personal trainer would either be a Marine drill sergeant or a cheerleader, or some combination of the two, and neither sounded particularly appealing.
But that’s not what working with Derrick is like at all. He really took the time to know me as a person, and understand what I wanted to get out of the sessions.
He challenged me without being in-your-face about it, and he encouraged me without seeming phony or insincere. Working with Derrick, I significantly reduced my body fat percentage, felt stronger, and I got the tools and knowledge to continue working towards my fitness goals.”
Starting weight: 194
Ending weight: 180
Duration: 2 months
Kate D
“I loved working out with Derrick! He challenged me plenty, but he designed workouts specifically for me, so we always went at a pace I could handle.
When I started with Derrick I literally couldn’t do a single push-up. I started with knees down, little by little Derrick would encourage me to add in more and more full pushups. Eventually I was doing 50-60 real pushups in a workout session. The other issue I had when I started with Derrick was weak lower abs due to a surgery I had years ago. I never understood what “engage your lower abs” meant, because I couldn’t even figure out how to move them. Derrick taught me some ab exercises that involved a very subtle movement. At first I felt like I was doing nothing. In time, I was able to isolate and engage those muscles and build great strength there. Strong muscles become more important as we age, so these improvements that happened working with Derrick are invaluable.
Derrick is an excellent trainer and a truly quality human being.”
Carlies Bonds
(Area Fitness Manager PSC)
“Where to start?? Derrick is by far one of the best trainers I have had the opportunity to work for me, and I was truly sad to see him go when he resigned from Philadelphia Sports Clubs!
Derrick, was one of my most dependable and reliable trainers. I could always count on him, to meet with prospective clients or paid clients, on time and with a game plan to change their lives positively. Derrick is a tenured trainer with well over 10 years of personal training experience, with multiple certifications, making him one of the most capable trainers I know in the industry to entrust a persons fitness, health, and wellness goals to.
Throughout my time working with Derrick, I noticed that all of his clients shared the same admiration and love for him and his skills as a trainer, which allowed for him to have a high success and retention rate with his clients.
I honestly would put any person, regardless of experience or ability with Derrick, having complete confidence he would help them to succeed. I wish Derrick the best of luck in his business endeavors, and if you sign up to train with him, you will not be disappointed!”
Greg A
“Derrick Johnson is a superb personal trainer! While working with Derrick I lost weight and gained strength, stamina, energy and confidence. I had been taking statin for several years due to high cholesterol.
After working with Derrick my cholesterol levels improved dramatically and my doctor was able to take me off the medication. He challenged me to do things I never thought possible. This middle aged man had never been able to do a pull up until working out with him. Derrick is a truly great guy and a joy to work with. I can’t recommend him enough!”
