"Having a personal trainer like Andre has changed my life. I've been working out with Andre Luke for a little over three years and could not be more happy about my training sessions. Prior to working out with him I felt like I had to not eat a lot and be super mindful of what I ate, although I was also doing a lot of cardio work on my own. I had issues of self-esteem, and would often force myself to eat less than what I truly wanted, because I was afraid of gaining a lot of weight.

Shortly after starting to work out with Andre my mind set totally changed. I now feel like I can eat healthy portions of food, and I don't worry about weight gain since I have gotten to the point that I have enough (not yoked though) muscle to get my metabolism up. Now I feel like I burn calories even when not working out. At age 30, my metabolism is faster than it has ever been. Andre listens to my desires and goals, and although I am stronger than I have ever been, he makes sure that I do not bulk up, but rather maintain lean and toned muscles — which is something I was very adamant about."

"My name is Carol. My Husband and I had worked out at different gyms over several years. The last couple of years we spent more time traveling than working out, and when my husband Norm passed away in September of 2008, I decided that of instead of sitting at home and crying, I had to get back into taking care of myself and to be around others.

I was lucky to get Andre Luke as a trainer. Andre has the ability to help me reach limits I only thought I would be able to do. Of course, I complain and often say "Do I have to do that?" With Andre's great sense of humor and patience, I have lost a great deal of weight and changed the shape of my figure. I hope to continue with Andre for some time and become a more agile athlete." 

"There are many reasons for working out — to get in shape, to lose weight, to become healthier, to look good for a wedding or a vacation. The reason I chose to work out was to get better at another sport, an equestrian sport called dressage, which is kind of like doing ballet on horseback. My problem was that I am a relatively small person who is the proud owner of a very large horse.

Over the years I struggled greatly as I attempted to ride my horse in competitions, because I just did not have the strength. I must have felt like a flea to her, perched on her back, just a minor irritation.

Everything changed when a famous trainer of horses and riders told me that I could improve my riding by 15 percent if I’d just lift weights three times a week and that I should just go buy a set of dumbbells. Well, that was an exaggeration, of course, because what I needed was a great deal more than a set of weights or even a gym membership. I needed someone who could design a program for me, motivate me, push me, know what I could achieve, and how to achieve it better than I could know. Working out in gyms has never been a favorite pastime of mine, and I have joined many of them only to never go. Enter Andre. He changed it all. Now I go to the gym not just because I want to get better at my riding, but because I like what it is doing for my body and spirit.

This summer I competed in several horse shows, and, to my surprise, I was not only stronger, but I felt more confident too. And not to brag, but I did well in some of these competitions too. I think I owe how I ride today to Andre. Riding is my passion. It had always grieved me that I could not do justice to my big horse – but that is different now. Andre took the time to learn about my sport, and he even attended one of my horse shows. He researched the kinds of exercises that would best prepare me in terms of strength and flexibility. He planned excellent sessions, and he pushed me when I needed it to get out of my comfort zone, but, at the same time, he was always careful to protect me from injury. He made the sessions fun, because he is fun. I started to look forward to them, not as something I had to do, but as something that has become an important, positive part of my life that I wanted to do. Thanks, Andre. I am a better rider because of you, and I am healthier, stronger, and happier."

"When I first met Andre, I was about six months into my effort to get back in shape and build muscle mass while lowering my body fat. I've been thin all my life and have struggled to gain muscle which usually translates to me giving up. Thankfully, I decided to meet with a trainer and got in touch with Andre, and I have never looked back. He was able to teach me correct forms and techniques, which exercises were best for me to focus on, and effective methods for cooling down and stretching those areas of focus after each workout.

Andre also helped me to understand how my general overall health effects my body's growth and it's response to the intense training. Andre has kept me motivated throughout and has been able to help me find my inner strength and transform my life. I now carry with me a better understanding and deeper appreciation for how to exercise properly and take care of and strengthen my body."

"Prior to training with Andre, my workout posture was very bad. I was a broken doll – I was feeling aches and pains on different parts of my body that I shouldn’t be. I have always been motivated to go to the gym, but wasn’t achieving what I wanted. When I started training with Andre on a weekly basis, and sometimes his Boot Camp classes, I quickly overcame my challenges.He took me on another level that I would never push myself to.

I can now do push ups without struggling! For a petite female my size, I am pleased with what Andre has helped me achieve with much more to come."

"Working out with Andre is the hardest, but at the same time, always the most rewarding thing for me. I have been working out with Andre off and on for the last two years. I do have a gym membership, but I am often finding myself with plenty of excuses why I should not go to the gym. Though, when I train with Andre there is no room for excuses! He is an excellent trainer – especially for people that always had a tough relationship with the gym.

Andre knows his profession very well and is very dedicated to each of his clients. And, his dedication becomes clear in each workout. You can’t help becoming motivated yourself. He shows you how to do the exercises properly and gives assistance in correcting your form. This not only help you avoid getting injured, but also maximizes the results. Personally, I battle with low blood pressure when working out, so I would occasionally faint at my old gym. Andre is aware of my problem and is able to design a workout that works for me.

Every time I return, he is faced with the task of putting workouts together that provide maximum results in a short amount of time, which is probably not fair, but he never lets me down. When I had a wedding to go to and only four weeks left to fit into a particular dress, I needed to shed pounds fast otherwise I would have had nothing to wear for the event. Andre was able to transform my body within a short period of time so I was able to look the way I imaged to look at the event. His workouts are designed to target the areas I would like to change on my body, and he makes it possible with his routines. I cannot only see the pounds coming off my body, but I also feel stronger, healthier, and ultimately happier with my body image.

Andre keeps me on track when I feel like slacking off. He has me check in with him when I do my exercises at home, and if I do not check in for a while he will text me and hold me accountable. Andre holding me accountable and going above and beyond his responsibilities motivates me to do my best!"

"I woke up one morning weighing over 200 pounds – at least that is how it seemed. You may think this is hard to believe, but being a mom of three boys and being put on bed rest for each pregnancy, the pounds just kept accumulating. After watching one of my close friends Michelle Aguilar win the title of the Biggest Loser I decided if she can do it, then so can I! So far I have lost a total of 60 pounds! I have not reached my ultimate goal, but I am on my way and nothing is going to stop me!

I have been working out about five days a week, and I realized that small goals are much easier to obtain, and it gives you a ton of opportunities to celebrate success. I am so thankful, if it wasn't for the encouragement/training of Andre, and other staff members, then I wouldn't be where I am today."

"My story begins long before I entered the Oakland 24 Hour Fitness Center in November of 2008. However, without having done so, I would not have met my personal trainer, Andre Luke, who inspired me to make, and more importantly, stick with the changes in my lifestyle necessary for me to feel healthy and strong again.

Throughout my adolescence and into my twenties, I maintained a very active and healthy lifestyle. I played sports, exercised regularly, felt strong, ate fairly well with the occasional transgression, and, in general, was quite pleased with my physically appearance. Of course I would hear folks say that it’s “all down hill” once you hit 30. Truth be told, I didn’t really consider their comments too much as I didn’t think it would apply to me, perhaps a result of that sense of invincibility young adults have. As life would have it, the morning of my 30th birthday, I woke up only to discover aches and pains in my body that I never had before! The irony of the situation was not lost on me.

From then forward, I started to get sick more often, I was tired all the time, my body ached almost constantly, and, to top it off, I started gaining weight! In addition, my job demands were quite great, keeping me in the office sometimes for up to 12 hours a day. Due to my limited time, my eating habits changed and fast food became my best friend and worst enemy. I had very little time to exercise and, because I was tired all the time, I stopped being the active person I once was. Instead, I would come home and veg in front of the TV with my junk food. Needless to say, I was not a happy camper.

Over the those years, I would get motivated in spurts – eating better, working out regularly, committing that this time I would stick to the regime and get back in shape. I even tried meeting with personal trainers. Every time, I would disappoint myself and go back to my old habits, feeling worse and worse about myself and lamenting the days when I could eat whatever and do a dozen pull ups without strain.

By the time I was 35, I was the heaviest I’d ever been. When your own mother starts to make comments about how much weight you’ve put on, then you know it’s bad! Although I didn’t really see myself as fat, more like pudgy, I was certainly unhealthy. Not only was I feeling it in my body and joints, it was weighing down my spirit. It was time to do something about it! And this time, I really would commit to making the changes in my lifestyle, or at least so I told myself.

In November of 2008, I joined 24 Hour Fitness. Like the previous times in my life, despite my stated committment, I would cycle in and out of eating well and exercising. But ultimately, my commitment and consistency was lacking and I wasn’t seeing the results I wanted. Then something happened that changed it all…

One day back in March of 2009, Andre Luke, a personal trainer out of the Oakland club, approached me on the floor following one of my workouts. He introduced himself to me and started asking me about my goals. At that time, it was simply to lose weight! I had two free sessions from my initial membership and decided to give it one more shot with him as a personal trainer, although I was highly skeptical. I’d worked with trainers before without seeing results. They gave me what seemed liked cookie cutter routines, setting goals for me that were not in line with where I was at in the moment, and generally not really in tune with me.

After the first session with Andre, all of my reservations about working with a trainer were gone. In just that one session, he helped me set my own fitness goals, was able to figure out both my strengths as well as beginning to find ways to help me break down my barriers to success. He was able to put together a routine that would work with my inconsistent job schedule as well as help me overcome my inconsistent motivation. He encouraged and supported me, but held me accountable for my own success. He was a coach and a facilitator, guiding me through my own journey and challenging me to push myself beyond my comfort zone.

Today I can proudly say that I have changed many of my bad habits. I eat better, although there is still some work to be done in that arena. I exercise consistently. I feel energetic and have resumed many of my outdoor activities from long ago. Even my pesky body aches and pains have subsided. Working with Andre has helped me regain the confidence I once had and the desire to do more. Once I accomplish one goal, I set another, moving forward, getting stronger and healthier all the time.

Andre, I thank you for your encouragement, for your support, for your consistency. But above all, I thank you for believing in me and helping me believe in myself."

"Throughout my life, I’ve been fighting a constant battle with my weight and body image. I did not diet and exercise on a regular basis. As the years passed, my weight continued to climb and my frame got bigger and bigger. I had decided to just give up and accept myself for who I was. I was 22 years old, weighing at 240 lbs with a 38-40 size pants. This is who I was, and I had no power to change that.

When I moved back to the bay area from Southern California in November 2006, I noticed that a new 24 Hour Fitness had been placed near my home. One day I woke up, looked myself in the mirror and said, “I don’t want to be FAT anymore.” So, I went to the gym. I made it a habit to go at least four times a week. My diet was not the best, but at least I was working out. In December 2006 I met Andre. After sharing brief conversations with him from time to time, I decided to sign him up as my personal trainer. Best decision I made in a long time.

Andre gave me a workout routine and helped me create a diet that was right for me. I stuck with it, and I began to see results. He helped me push and motivate myself to achieve my goals. At first I wanted to weigh 220 lbs even, but as the pounds fell, I decided not to stop. 

With the support and guidance of Andre, I am now 180 lbs and wear a size 31 pants. He gave me a new outlook on life and helped me realize that I can lose weight and feel great. I have a new goal for myself now: I want to weigh 175 lbs, keep my measurements the same but tone my muscles. I would love to one day have a six-pack and have that as my trophy for my hard work. Andre helped me set my mind to losing weight and stick to it. I don’t know how much I would weigh, or where I would be, without his support and motivation. He proved to me that being overweight is not something I have to live with if I don’t want. I am no longer trapped in the skin that was holding me back, and I am glad to have found the real ME that was hiding deep with in.

Thank you Andre for your support, wisdom, dedication, and hard work. I couldn’t have done it without you."

"Dre has been the only trainer to show me the results I have been wanting! It doesn't matter what element he is in, he can create a full body workout that leaves me feeling like a beast. I've been training with him since 2009. It began with a tip while I was on the elliptical. He had been watching my routine and saw I did the same thing every time I was in the gym.

He noticed I wasn't challenging myself. As soon as I hopped on to another machine, I was sweating bullets! This is where it began.

Not only has he taught me how to work out, but he has changed my outlook on life. Whenever I groan about doing an exercise, or say the word "can't," I have to do five push-ups. At first I disdained him for this, but I soon realized that this was his way of showing me that I WAS THE ONE LIMITING MYSELF. 

Thanks to Dre showing me my potential, and through a lot of hard work, I recently got signed at a modeling and dance agency. He has spent countless hours with me training, running choreography, and he continues to push me when I start to give up. I would never train with anyone else!"

"Like many women in their mid-40s, I started gaining weight. I couldn’t exercise often enough or hard enough to fight-off the extra pounds that were adding up year after year. In August 2006, after 10 years of spiraling downward, unable to comfortably wear anything in my closet, and feeling completely demoralized, I raised the white flag...

I raised the white flag and joined the 24-Hour Fitness Club that opened up close to my home. I never considered personal training for myself. I thought it was for elite athletes or people in high-profile careers. The club was running the “Biggest Loser” promotion and I decided to train with Andre for five 30-minute sessions. I was impressed by Andre’s professionalism, work ethic, integrity, and personal interest in helping me reach my goal of fitting into a pair of size four jeans. He introduced me to the weight room equipment, taught me how to use equipment properly and safely, and gave me the confidence to workout there by myself. Andre ‘mixed up’ the exercises so I wouldn’t overwork the same muscles. He also gave me exercises to stretch my back and strengthen the muscles around my knees. It wasn’t long before I was working out everyday alongside the ‘big boys!’ Combining the appropriate strength training exercises with cardio was the turning point in my ability to achieve success.

After completing the initial sessions, I was convinced that the personal training was working so I signed up for the Solutions Program with Andre. He had high expectations of me, and I worked hard to meet them. By October, I was wearing size six jeans. In November, I fit into a pair of size four jeans. Our workouts were fun, rewarding, and, best of all, I stayed injury-free.

Andre also convinced me that food was my friend, not my enemy – it fueled my body. After all these years, I finally got it!! In the beginning, I didn’t want to give up wine at dinner or chocolate during the day. I tried that in the past, and I couldn’t stick to it. Andre worked the extra calories into my exercise program, but I realized that my performance was better when I eliminated the simple carbohydrates. I also realized that working out decreased my craving for sweets and junk food. I’m not completely denying myself these foods – I’m just craving healthier foods. It doesn’t feel like a sacrifice which often happens on a diet. I have also learned to eat before working out and eat again when I get home. This is a major life-style change for me. As a result of my diet and daily eating habits, my exercise stamina has increased.

Although I am not currently receiving personal training from Andre, he continues to take an interest in my workouts. It’s not unusual for him to correct my form or modify an exercise in order for me to achieve better results. We have bonded as trainer and client, and this bond is grounded in mutual respect for each other. He is a motivator with limitless optimism. When we first met, I tried to convince him that women in their 50s could not lose unwanted fat and reshape their bodies. He proved me wrong. We can look and feel fabulous!

Training with Andre has been a life-changing experience for me. I’ve lost weight, gained muscle, increased flexibility, coordination, and balance all of which makes everyday activities easier. He helped me discover my passion and, in the process, I re-discovered myself. For the first time in 25 years, I’ve put myself first and everyone in my life is benefiting from my excitement. Last year, if asked my age, I would have said I was 53 years old. Today, I say I’m 54 years young! I may not have the body of a 20 year old, but I feel 20 years younger. How great is that? I’m happy, energetic, and strong. I sleep, feel, and look better. And, if that’s not enough, I can do a cartwheel! Thank you, Andre!"

"I am writing to you to COMMEND my trainer, Andre Luke (AKA – Killah) for his professionalism, enthusiasm, encouragement, empathy, and his just plain good attitude. Andre makes working-out fun! Many times during a session, people have commented to us that we were having too much fun.

I came to 24 Hour Fitness shortly after a major back surgery, using a cane, unable to walk upright, and reeling from the emergence of some post-Polio difficulties that weren’t evident before. I had been in supervised physical therapy for three months and had gotten somewhat stronger but was still unable to walk upright. It was time for me to transition to a gym to continue with my own unsupervised workout.

With my membership, I got six sessions with a personal trainer and I was assigned Andre (I scored!). From the beginning, he was understanding of my situation, interested in learning about my condition – including the Polio – and careful not to let me overdo my workouts. Under his direction, I was able to learn how to use most of the exercise machines in the gym as well as which ones were the best for me to use, which ones were ok, and which ones were off limits. He instructed me in several different workouts with the machines, weights, the balls, mats, bands, chairs, and in the pool. He also monitored my nutritional intake, reinforcing what he had taught me initially.

After a couple of months, I told Andre about my plan to have a brace designed that would enable me to stand up straight and walk upright. He had lots of questions and some reservations (it cost a lot of money), but he understood my motivation after I told him that when someone has Polio, the muscles affected do not come back. What we must do is develop and use other muscles to do the same work. My weakness from Polio (which I had at age 5) is in some, but not all, of my abs. After my back surgery, many other muscles were also atrophied, and some overused from walking bent-over for a year. Andre shared my excitement for this new brace, and when I finally got it (some three months after ordering it), he also shared in my joy of finally having it, being able to walk upright on the treadmill, and he even shared his joy of being able to help me put it on!

After the first six sessions, I reenlisted with Andre two more times (for six sessions each). As a newly-disabled person, at first I was very self-conscious about showing up at a gym where there were so many able-bodied people doing “real” workouts. Andre helped me get over my feelings of inadequacy by treating my kindly, always encouraging me, praising  me when I did well, and keeping me working to gain a new level (however small). Without Andre, I’m not sure where I would be at this point. Because I am a Polio survivor, it will take me about four times longer than a normal person to get well. At this time, I am able to walk upright with my cane for a distance of about two blocks without wearing out.

Andre has made such a difference in my healing, both physical and emotional. Sorry guys, my heart belongs to Andre!"

"I first met Andre when we were kids. Growing up, we were always active in sports or just playing outside with the other kids from our neighborhood. Eventually everyone moved out of the neighborhood and never really kept in touch besides Facebook messages and phone calls here and there. Throughout the years, I’ve noticed that Andre became a successful personal trainer/owner. 

Fast forward to several years later, I decided to message Andre asking him if I could check out the gym he was working at and maybe set up a workout regime. My intentions were to have it a temporary two week trial, but to my surprise, it became a long term thing. I started working out with Andre on December 2014, and I regret NOTHING. When I came to him, I weighed 117 lbs, I wanted to gain weight and tone up. I tried before, I ate a lot, but I never could gain any weight. After three months of training, I got to 127lbs – he definitely has changed my life for the better.

Never have I seen myself making fitness a lifestyle, but having Andre as my personal trainer has been very eye-opening. He pushes me to my full potential and is constantly giving me great encouragement and tough love, well a lot of tough love. I really like how every session is a new workout, so it’s never boring. The workouts we do are very challenging, and I can say that I am definitely stronger than I was on day one. Before working out with Andre, I never would’ve thought I can lift as much as I can now, but Andre always helps in pushing me to reach a new ppersonal record. When working out in groups, I notice that he gives his other clients the same tough love he gives me – so it’s very motivating and it boosts up our self-esteems.

It’s nice to see a childhood friend grow up and become successful in helping others better their lifestyles and themselves. Staying on top of fitness can be hard because of many distractions, but having Andre as my personal trainer definitely makes it easier! Thank you Andre for all you have done for me!"