Mark F.
San Francisco, CA
I started training with Dennis in mid-December, first with a 3-session intro pack before investing in the 24-session package.  I'm probably 2/3rds my way through that training package now and I have to say that I've been really happy with my progress.  My goal is weight loss and muscle building.  I didn't see much weight loss the first six weeks or so mainly because we were adjusting my macros and nutrition to see what body needed, but my fitness level and strength have definitely improved a ton.  Now that we've dialed in my macros we're starting to see the pounds come off.

I've worked out with a variety of trainers over the past 10+ years, some were from a company gym, 24 Hour Fitness, Fitness SF and a DIAKADI private trainer. Dennis is definitely one of the better trainers I've had.  He's a professional trainer vs. a part-timer like you generally find at a chain gym and that means he's really focused on you hitting your goals.  I can check in with him anytime with questions, which is great.  He's actually the first of all my trainers who's suggested tracking macros and paying close attention to my nutrition.  

I'm really happy with our progress to date and will definitely give another update in a couple months.  If you're shopping for a trainer I suggest you give Dennis a call.

Ivy H.
San Francisco, CA
I have been training with Dennis for half a year and it has been such a great experience! He makes working out interesting and fun. He motivates me and is always encouraging. I am a mom of two toddlers, and getting back in shape has been a big challenge. I am so happy that I can finally getting back to my old dresses. The result gives me more motivation for back at the exercise. He really pays attention to your body, provides good feedback on form to make sure I do everything to get the max results and not hurting myself.

Diana L.
San Francisco, CA
Since my very first session training with Dennis in 2016, his training methods have stuck with me to this day and his advices have helped me achieve my body goals! Before training with Dennis, I had trained with other personal trainers and one major things that has made me stick with Dennis was his extreme passion for his job and his love for seeing progress in his clients. I STRONGLY recommend him if you are searching for a genuine, effective personal trainer.  

Despite the fact that I haven't trained with Dennis in a while due to school-related issues, his training has literally been ingrained in my head, as well as all those nutritional advices that he has given, and that has really helped me continue my journey to obtain my desired results!

Jennifer L.
San Francisco, CA
Finding a personal trainer that is the right fit, and will keep you constantly motivated, is no easy task. I scoured through Yelp listings (and took recommendations from friends), when looking for a trainer. After meeting with Dennis, I was pretty convinced by his realistic, yet motivating attitude. He was honest, and guaranteed he'd be cognizant of my limits, while still pushing me to meet my goals.

He offers an intro package - 3 classes - which is a great deal IMO, and allows you to see if it's a good fit. In addition to his training sessions, he also takes the time to teach about eating habits and macros. If your goal is to lose weight, and get in shape, he teaches that eating right and working out needs to be done hand in hand!

Dennis sent me an email following our first session with a list of the most commonly consumed foods, to help me understand what falls under what macros: Carbs, Fats, and Protein. Whenever I had questions or concerns, he was the one who encouraged me to text him and keep the convo going to stay on track! This is a service that def isn't offered with other trainers I've met w before.

Scheduling was a bit difficult at first, but Dennis is great about reaching out when something opens up. His schedule seems more packed these days, but if you're more flexible in hours (middle of the day), it might be easier.

All in all, still working on the fitness, but having Dennis as my coach/trainer/friend has been a life-changing asset. 10 stars! :D

Brittany N.
Livermore, CA
This is a long overdue, well deserved review. Dennis and I used to go to the same middle school, I remember seeing him around campus. One day I found Dennis though his fitness profile on Instagram and I was really impressed by his transformation from the kid I saw years back till now. I had a specific fitness goal I was looking to achieve and wanted to find a trainer to help me with that. I looked through Instagram for other local trainers, and had the idea in mind that - the trainer's body is a reflection on their work. I looked at a few trainer's profiles, but was not satisfied with what I saw. I remember previously seeing Dennis' fitness profile on Instagram, so I went back to check out his work. The images I saw of himself and client's was what I was looking for.

I reached out to Dennis, and he was very quick to respond and very professional. He was able to schedule sometime to meet with me for a consultation the following week, and I started out with his 6 session training package. He is very sharp and knowledgeable about diet, building muscles, burning fat, the right combination of what to eat and how to workout, and more. He had one space available and was able to get me scheduled in for the next 6 weeks. He has a very organized structure for managing, connecting, and maintaining his sessions and relationships with clients, I am very impressed. He also put together a custom diet plan for me - counting macros, which was very doable.

Dennis makes sure to make the most out of the time that you have with him. I left each session with the knowledge and confidence to be able to go to the gym myself and continue with what I learned. After each session, my muscles were sore, but it's the good kind of sore, the kind you want to go back for more sore. He also makes sure that your mindset is healthy, because everything is tied together, and that is important to make sure that you are successful in all areas to be able to achieve your fitness goals. Dennis also keeps you very accountable, and I really appreciate that. Without his accountability, I wouldn't have been able to be as successful with my transformation.

I have always been working out and dieting, but I was never able to see a difference in my efforts. After working with Dennis, I lost 10 lbs in 1.5 months, get toned, and got a semi-sixpack for the first time in my life. I was so happy with what I saw that I was able to accomplish with what I learned from Dennis. I am now able to take that knowledge and bring it with me going forward.

I highly recommend working with Dennis. If he has a waitlist, I recommend that you put your name on the list, and wait to work with him. He is worth every penny!

Kevin Y.
San Francisco, CA
I've been training with Dennis for 2 months and highly recommend him as a personal trainer. Dennis is the right fit if you're looking for someone knowledgeable about strength training and nutrition, detail-oriented, and very communicative.

As a slight Asian man in his 40s looking to gain muscle mass but with no experience in the gym, I wasn't sure what to expect from Dennis. Fast forward two months and I'm now extremely confident in my ability to work out on my own, properly manage my diet, and sustain this for the rest of my life. I'm also already seeing noticeable changes in muscle mass and definition.

Dennis' introductory package of 3 sessions is a low-cost way to see how he conducts a workout and understand what nutritional guidance he provides. I subsequently signed up for a 10-session package which includes workout sessions, creating daily nutrient (macro) goals, and a personalized workout routine.

On top of the challenging but fun sessions, Dennis' willingness to answer my questions (including meal choices, tracking and adjusting macros, finding a long-term gym, and refinements to the workout plan created for me) has been invaluable. There's way too much information available on the internet, and Dennis has provided me with the answers that fit my specific goals.

I can't recommend Dennis enough, especially if you're someone who's looking to establish healthy, long-term routines for your exercise and diet.

Tim S.
San Francisco, CA
Dennis has been instrumental in helping me push back years upon years of neglect in my own physical fitness.  His fitness philosophy is perfect for a science-based person like myself.  No gimmicks, no supplements, no BS.  Just a solid program (including diet) and tons of hard work.  I feel very secure with him as my trainer because all I need to bring is a good attitude and my own will power.  The rest is taken care of.  I unequivocally recommend him as a trainer.  I still have long long long way to go but I definitely do not feel as daunted as before.  If you're ridiculously out of shape like me (to be fair, round is a shape), or you have limits based on healthcare issues, or you already are fit and want to take it to the next level, I strongly believe that you need Dennis in your corner.

As far as personality, the best way I can think of to describe him is a quiet professional.  This is perfect for me. He is friendly and approachable but won't distract you from the workout.  Dennis is very attuned to your performance and will push up right up to the line where you can't do anymore.  For instance, I thought he was just being nice setting up and taking down all the equipment.  No...that may be part of it...but by the end of our sessions, I'm just trying to stay upright so that help is deeply appreciated

Maia B.
San Francisco, CA
Dennis within the short time of working with one another has given my body the complete 180 transformation I was looking for! I've never worked with a trainer before so I just purchased a package deal from Dennis not expecting much but the before and after speak for themselves! Definitely recommend! Not only do you get a workout routine sculpted to fit your lifestyle, he will push you to the potential you might not even see within yourself yet. He gives me the foundation for my macros and provides answers for any questions you have along the ride. Whether you're trying to lose weight or have specific fitness goals in mind Dennis is definitely my top pick for you.

David J.
San Francisco, CA
Dennis is a really excellent trainer and fitness expert. He works out of Raise the Bar fitness on Judah St which has easy free parking on the street. The gym itself has good equipment and most of the time plenty of space to work.

As a trainer Dennis is extremely professional, organized and great to work with. He knows his stuff and creates unique fitness programs that includes Hit sessions, lifting and whatever is needed to customize it to meet your goals. He pushes his clients, but on top of the working out side he also incorporates his knowledge of nutrition to manage your Macros. He'll set you targets and manage what you eat - as we all know, Abs are built in the kitchen !

Dennis works from early - 5am ! And he's very popular so definitely get in touch with him directly to make it onto his client list. It suits me well as he likes to lock in the times a few weeks ahead or set regular weekly slots and he always sends a reminder text the day before.

If you want to make a change, and learn do things right in the gym then I would highly recommend Dennis!
 

Kelsey T.

San Francisco, CA

Dennis is an excellent trainer - I've been able to make noticeable progress and had a blast doing it! He's personable and knowledgeable. He always pushes you to do more, but he is realistic and respectful of your own personal goals at the same time. I never liked the gym before, but I look forward to my workouts now. Would recommend!

Shiven G.
San Francisco, CA
Dennis is an excellent personal trainer. I kick started training with the 3  introduction sessions. Then I took two 24 session packages and now I will be taking the third 24 session package. This is an evidence that I am highly satisfied with his services.

Dennis is extremely flexible with his clients. He is equally committed in every client's success and keeps them motivated. He sends a text message before every session to remind them about their training session. He has great work ethics.

If you are looking for a trainer, I highly recommend joining Dennis. He is always booked, so get your name added to his list, I am confident you won't regret.

 

Anna L.

San Francisco, CA

This review is for Dennis' online coaching program. I started the program 4 weeks ago and am already seeing awesome results! I am someone who is active and works out 4-5 days a week, but I wanted to incorporate weight training into my workouts. I met Dennis in person for an initial consult and we discussed my fitness goals. Dennis is a really nice guy! I was worried that he would be judgemental or intimidating, but I felt comfortable talking to him. He took my weight and BMI and from there he created a full weight lifting routine for me to do each week on my own. In addition to a workout routine, Dennis calculates my daily calorie and macro intake. I text him my weight each morning, and at the end of each week, physique photos. He'll make adjustments if needed. I'm currently on week 4 and loving my progress! With the online coaching program, you have to be motivated to do the workouts on your own and meal prep. But once you make it part of your daily routine, you'll love the results!

Lillian N.
San Francisco, CA

I've had the opportunity to work with Dennis for a few months now and am so glad that I started with him. Dennis is personable, professional, and talented. I came in with very little experience working out and he was able to recommend a macros and work out plan that made sense for my experience level and lifestyle. Not only are the workouts with him impactful, he is able to inject and help you cultivate a "just do it" mindset without being overbearing. I'm excited about where I am right now as a result of Dennis' help and will happily recommend him to anyone.​

Ralpheal H.
San Francisco, CA
I searched for a personal trainer to fit my personality for 3 months. Dennis isn't the trainer to instruct you to run on a treadmill or do a set of curls while he sits on his phone. He takes your health/fitness very serious. Dennis was with me every step of the way, correcting my form and giving me that extra push. He will develop a MacroDiet for you and perform weekly weigh-ins to tweak it to better fit your body type. I was blown away with his attention to detail.  

I sustained a knee injury while hiking and was unable to attend sessions. Even then Dennis would still follow up with me to see how my progression was going with physical therapy.

If you're looking for a trainer to give you special attention and genuinely care about your health/fitness success, then look no further!

Sarah C.
San Francisco, CA
I found Dennis searching for the impossible scenario: a trainer who could work with my motivated but underweight 15-yr old son (kept falling off the weight charts) and me (his 55-yr old Mom).  NOT an easy dynamic. Dennis Wu graciously accepted this challenge with exactly what I was looking for - candor, experience, respect and an energetic motivation in helping us reach our goals.  So far, it's all been working on my son, but Dennis was completely flex and and very motivated to help with weight gain and strength increase.  My son is happy to see Dennis and is seeing superb results on both strength and weight gains,  Get on his wait list - Dennis is worth it!

Glen B.
San Francisco, CA
This is a long overdue review.  I've been training with Dennis for more than 2 years (twice a week) and I've made great progress.  Dennis is very knowledgeable about weight training and nutrition.  He even helped me with developing training routines that I could do on my own during the week so that it complements what we were doing in our training sessions.   He also provided nutrition macros and adjusted them as I lost fat and gained muscles.  Dennis is always available to answer any questions I have about weight training or nutrition.  Some people think that just by working out with a trainer you will see significant changes.....ummm.......NOT.  You will also need to be committed to making a body transformation and workout on your own time and eat healthy wholesome foods that support your macro goals.  You didn't gain weight in just a few months so you won't lose all the fat you want to in a few months.  Sorry but that's reality.  :-)  Be patient and trust the process and you'll see the results overtime as you train with Dennis.

I would highly recommend Dennis and if he has no openings, put your name on his waitlist.  It's worth waiting for an open slot. I've had several trainers in the past and Dennis is by far the BEST!!!!

Christine H.
San Francisco, CA
I've been working out for 15+ years and have successfully lost 20 lbs on my own after I packed on some weight from having too much fun when I first moved to SF about 10 years ago. I consider myself pretty fit and disciplined with working out but last year no matter what I ate or how much I worked out my body was not responding anymore. Thus it was time to seek professional help. I did some research online and thought Dennis would be a good match based on his experience and reasonable rates. I met Dennis about 6 months ago and have stuck with him since for good reason.

Dennis is a great personal trainer. The first thing he helped me with was adjust my diet and I like that he is constantly tailoring my diet according to my progress, energy level, and any special events (weddings, beach vacations, etc). I have tried so many different 'diets' on my own over the last 2 years (paleo, low carb/high protein, high carb/low protein, cleanses) which might work short term but over time realized they weren't sustainable. As someone who loves food Dennis has made the 'diet' portion a lot more bearable and I still have a lot of energy to workout since he focuses on 'flexible dieting'. Dennis is a great motivator during our workout sessions and has taught me that lifting heavy weights will not make me bulky or thick. Dennis is always accessible whenever I have questions and keeps me motivated by checking up on me between sessions.

Since I started training with Dennis I have received a lot of compliments on my progress and physique. Not only has Dennis taught me how to change up my workouts and diet and get closer to my goals, but i have gained a lot of confidence, which to me is invaluable.

If you are looking for a great trainer who is down-to-earth and will help you achieve your goals, I highly recommend Dennis!

Jimmy W.
San Francisco, CA
Ok if you're reading this you're probably interested in getting into shape. For the record I am also a  trainer and have been training for well over 7+ years. I thought I knew it all already but Dennis has definitely impressed me with his knowledge and experience.

I've known Dennis for a number of years now and I can truthfully say that he is a not only an excellent and knowledgeable trainer but a very well disciplined athlete. These are two VERY important attributes that are necessary for people to achieve fitness success.  (Nothing is more off putting than a trainer that is out of shape)

If I were researching for a trainer and ready to spend my money for their guidance, knowledge, and expertise I would ask many questions and I can assure you that Dennis is always more than happy and willing to point you in the right direction.

I'm going to try to keep this straight to the point. Dennis is not your typical trainer. He is probably one of the best trainers in the entire Bay Area. He is one that WILL actually get you to your goals. He understands and explains realistic goal setting and nutritional support to get you to your goal much quicker than you think. He also holds you accountable when it comes to your nutrition and exercise regimens. Dennis is a very humble and approachable person and will make you feel comfortable when training with him. All I can say is that I guarantee he will get you into shape and you will have fun at the same time.  You'll feel better, have more energy, and of course look great all at the same time!  I highly recommend Dennis and D-WU Fitness!

Claudinea K.
San Francisco, CA
Dennis is a very dedicated trainer. This is my second time training with him. I was felling so lost put some extra pounds on and back training with him was the best for me. This is my 5th week back. The results is amazing.  The tips for nutrition is 100% efficient.  He has so much knowledge that everyday is a new challenge. Highly recommend.

Ted P.
San Francisco, CA
I trained with Dennis at 24, several years ago, and found him to be a very focused and compassionate trainer. When he went out on his own, unfortunately I didn't follow. Fast forward to January of this year, I decided I needed that little push, to get moving again at 63. The experience has been great. He pushes me just enough, but is certainly in tune with my limitations. Young , old or in between, train with Dennis, he will not disappoint.

Jamie H.
San Francisco, CA
Dennis is so fun to workout with. I started out not knowing how to do anything correctly. My squatting and lifting postures were all wrong, i was skipping certain foods because i thought it would cause weight gain, and i just hated working out in general. But once dennis started training me, he pushed me past what i thought were my limits every time we had a session. And made me realize my body could handle a lot more than I thought. he also will text me reminders on my meal plans and structure one specifically for my body and weight. He's such an amazing trainer and friend :) definitely try him out

Amy M.
San Francisco, CA
The results show it all!! Dennis is an awesome trainer.He also gives great nutrition advice and also with any other workouts.I highly recommend Dennis as a personnal trainer. He is definitely a great find!!!

Shannon P.
San Francisco, CA
I've been training with Dennis on and off for a few years now and he is great! He is the best motivator and I feel very comfortable with him. He will set realistic goals for you and help you achieve them. I have been slacking at the gym and needed an extra push and he was definitely the right person to call. Being back at the gym for only a month now I've already seen great changes with my body. If you need a honest, knowledgable personal trainer, I really recommend you give him a call !

Hy K.
San Francisco, CA
I have had the pleasure of training with dennis. I had worked out by myself for a while and I needed the motivation to workout.  He is not only great motivator but also he is extremely accessible, knowledgeable about fitness. He helped me a better understanding of how to workout the right way and what parts of my muscles I was working out with a given exercise. I am so happy to workout with dennis. I feel so much stronger after a session with him. This guy knows how to motivate and push you to get to your goals.

Lisa L.
San Francisco, CA
I always hated working out. I had an Orange Theory membership and I use to go consistently 3-4 times a week but I wasn't seeing results. I felt like it was a good overall workout but it didn't focus on areas I want to specifically work on.I've never had a trainer before but I was looking for trainers around my neighborhood in the Sunset and came across Dennis' yelp page. I started with an introductory package of 3 sessions. Immediately after my first workout, he sent me an email about my current macros for my daily intake. Each session, we would focus our set of workouts on core, arms, or legs. Not gonna lie, I was super sore for a couple days after those first sessions...lol but it felt really good!I decided to continue training with Dennis and got the 15 session package. Right now, I train with him 2x a week at 5am in the morning. I know...SUPER EARLY but it's the only time slot he had available! Dennis is super responsive through text whenever I had any questions. He was always very accommodating and flexible if I needed to reschedule our sessions. He is very knowledgeable about weight training and nutrition. He makes the sessions and workouts comfortable and enjoyable. For someone who has never weight trained, I appreciated that Dennis listened and didn't push and gradually added more weight to help me build more muscle. After about 2 months of training now, I have so much more energy when I wake up every morning! I would highly recommend Dennis as your personal trainer!!!

Larry S.
San Francisco, CA
I am a 60 something-year-old guy. At 6 feet and 204 pounds, I was having a lot of lower back and joint pain and had been in physical therapy where my physical therapist told me "if you just strengthened your core I think you would be a lot better." After a while, I came to the conclusion that I was not going to be able to do this on my own and began looking for a personal trainer. I came across Dennis. I had 2 goals: lose 20 pounds and strengthen my core.We trained for about a year. Over that time, my core got strong and my back pain went away. After about 6 months, I suggested that we step up strength training and I got noticeably stronger. At the beginning I was not able to do 10 push-ups. By the end of our work together I was able to do 3 sets of 15. Oh, and I lost 30 pounds.About 6 months ago I tore my rotator cuff lifting a suitcase into the trunk of the car and have not been able to train. My recovery has been much quicker because I was in such good shape at the time of the injury. Even though we have not trained, Dennis has remained in touch and has continued to offer support and advice. That's just the kind of guy he is. I'm looking forward to returning in the near future, at least to resume lower body and core work.If anyone was looking for a trainer, I couldn't recommend Dennis highly enough.

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Shoko. R

San Francisco, CA

I've worked with two other trainers in the past but Dennis is the best trainer I've ever had-! I love the fact that he is very informative of diet. I've learned so much already about what food I should be eating, avoiding and how many calories for each individual food.

He is very down to earth and genuine also to push you hard so you be where you want to be fast and efficiently.