Real Results, Verifiable

What working together actually looks like

Written by Steve, owner of Stick-To-It Fit and a personal trainer in SE Portland for 13+ years.
Reviewed October 31, 2026.

The short answer

Every written Google review for Stick-To-It Fit is on this page, word for word: all 68 of them, with the reviewer's first name and last initial, the stars, an approximate date and the full text, typos included. There are no quotes written or edited by the business, no hand-picked selection, and no before-and-after photos, since those are the easiest things to fake in this industry. The Google listing is linked, so you can check any of them. The rest of what "results" look like at Stick-To-It Fit is the process itself: a strategy and movement assessment, biomechanics-based coaching built around it, and pay-per-session accountability.

5.0 out of 5, from 70+ reviews

Hosted by Google, where this business can't edit them. Every written one is copied below, word for word.

Read the reviews on Google

Why the reviews here are word for word

Most fitness websites run a wall of quotes and a row of before-and-after photos. You've seen enough of them to know how that goes. Before-and-after photos are easy to stage: harsh overhead light and a slouch for the "before," good light and a pump for the "after," sometimes twelve hours apart instead of twelve weeks. Quote boxes are easier still. A business can write its own, ask a friend, or keep the three best and quietly drop the rest.

So my rule for this page is simple: nothing invented, and nothing you can't check. Below is every review clients have written about me on Google, copied word for word, typos and all, with each reviewer's first name and last initial and a link to the listing. I didn't pick the good ones. That's all of them, as of October 31, 2026.

The rule I'd apply to any trainer, me included: proof you can check beats proof someone chose to show you. Google hosts these reviews, and I can't edit them. If a quote here ever doesn't match Google, believe Google.

Every Google review, sorted by the question it answers

All 68 written reviews, copied word for word from Google on October 31, 2026, each placed once under the question it answers best. 2 more clients left five stars with no text, so there's nothing to quote. Dates are approximate: Google shows "2 months ago," so each one is converted to a month or a year.

Is it safe to train with an injury, a surgery, or chronic pain?

These clients came in hurting: a back that had ached for years, a new hip or knee, a shoulder that never healed right, rheumatoid arthritis. The training works around what you walk in with.

  1. E. S.August 2026
    I reached out to Steven after years of struggling to get back in shape post a surgery. I tried working with PT, but they were not really addressing my needs and I always felt I was sliding back . However, since working with I feel stronger, more confident in my body's abilities and my back pain has gone away! Steven makes you feel welcomed no matter what skill level you are at. I feel supported and listened to. His doggo is also very encouraging! LOL
  2. Mike B.November 2025
    I've struggled with lower back pain well over 20 years and decided to hire a personal trainer to help me prepare for a hiking vacation. My initial goals were that I didn't want to be miserable or have to get rescued due to my bad lower back. Steve worked with me and took the time to understand what was going on with my lower back pain and designed a personalized plan specifically for my needs. I had a wonderful pain-free lower back hiking vacation, but the story continues. With Steve's guidance and training, I've been able to return to the other activities that I love. I returned to martial arts this past year and recently returned from a surfing intensive 7-day (surfing 3 hours per day) vacation with absolutely no back issues! I absolutely recommend Steve as a personal trainer. He designed a thoughtful, progressive strength program that gave me back the confidence I need for my body, and I am incredibly grateful.
  3. Cary C.November 2025
    Steven is the best. I had a total hip replacement and Steven has helped me regain my range of motion.

Is it a good fit if I am in my 40s, 50s, or older?

Strength matters more as you get older, not less. These clients are in their 40s and 50s, and two of them train with their spouse.

  1. Robert W.January 2026
    Highly recommended! My wife and I have been with Steve for over a year now. I'm always impressed with his knowledge and awareness of what I need each week. Im in my 50's with prior injuries and yet have made significant progress over time. Steve is easy to talk to, makes each workout fun, and keeps pushing us. Strudel (bulldog) is an added bonus each week.
  2. Michelle M.2025
    Steve is amazing! The hubs and I are already seeing progress after just a couple of months. We are in our 50’s and Steve’s expert guidance has helped us both get stronger and work out better, safely improving our health and fitness. We are both huge fans of Trainer Steve!
  3. Jeremy S.2018
    Been working out with Steven for over a year. Consistently make gains and growth I didn't think were possible in my 40's. Knowledgeable, supportive, and thorough - no two workouts are the same & never seem to get boring. Studio is clean with well maintained equipment.

I have never lifted weights. Will I know what I am doing?

Plenty of people who come to me have never lifted, or flat out do not like working out. These reviews are from people who started there.

  1. Bryan K.August 2026
    Steve has helped make weight lifting or "resistance training" feel less complicated and scary. He helps take all of the guess work out of what to lift, when to lift or why I should be lifting. I never was a person who wanted to go to the gym or lift weights. Now I feel like I have more tools and foundation than my friends who have been lifting for years, and I'm still learning about the science, and about my own body. I personally think that it is naive to think that you can work out at a gym on your own and make efficient gains without injuring yourself. Even if you see a trainer as a compliment to your personal workout routine, there are a million things you can learn to improve your performance and prevent injury. Steve is a great coach who can help you get where you are trying to go, or maybe where you didn't even know you wanted to go. And Strudel will bite your feet to show his love and passion for your awesome bench press gains.
  2. David S.April 2026
    Steven is clearly really good at reading people. He knew in a second exactly how he needed to get me to actually engage the workouts and come back again. As an analogy, I’ve had dental hygienists who have made me feel awful for not flossing, which doesn’t make me want to floss… it just makes me not want to go to the dentist. Well, Steven knew how hard to push to get me invested and now I actually like going for workouts, which is something I’ve never said previously at any point in my long life.
  3. Michael C.2025
    I started working out with Trainer Steve in August and the results have made it worth every penny. I had limited experience with lifting and shared with Steve that I wanted to work on building muscle. He built a plan that has me lifting heavier each week and I feel awesome. I genuinely look forward to seeing Steve (and Strudel) twice a week. If you’re searching for someone to help achieve your goals while having fun and feeling supported, Trainer Steve is your guy.

Will I actually see results?

Results look different for everyone: weight lost, muscle gained, more energy, a body that feels better. Here is what these clients say changed.

  1. Jay B.August 2026
    I have been working with Steve for a few months now. In that time I have seen my body change for the better and have also learned a lot about fitness. Steve will push me to build muscle and get the gains that I am looking for. He is also a fun person to lead your workout. He makes the time go by fast and is an effective trainer. Plus strudel is a joy to be around. I would recommend here for private training with a knowledgeable trainer and fitness mentor.
  2. Rocky D.November 2025
    Really appreciate Steven and Stick-to-It’s approach to training. He gives me great tips for mobility, strength and diet. I’ve been able to stay with a program and make gains I haven’t been able to achieve on my own or with other platforms.
  3. Sweethome Teacup2022
    Since working with Steve, my health and sense of well being has increased tremendously. I feel stronger and more energized.

Is every workout really built around me?

Every workout is planned for the person in front of me, that day. Short on sleep, sore, or recovering? The plan changes. These reviews talk about exactly that.

  1. Dave C.August 2026
    Personalized training at its best. Steve is knowledgeable and professional, encouraging you to do better with patience and kindness. He has the ability and the equipment to do it right.
  2. Nate M.November 2025
    Steven is a great trainer. Easy to schedule, adaptive, effective, and keeps it fun. Facilities are excellent. Highly recommended.
  3. Matt W.November 2025
    I have been seeing Steven twice a week for nearly a year, and it is the best decision I have made in a long while. He has listened to my goals and my experiences with other trainers. The result has been a relationship that focuses our work on achieving my goals and experiencing successes along the way. Steven also works with where my body is at each session, adjusting routines and plans based on any aches, pains, or concerns I may have for various muscles or joints. Our work together is a combination of addressing flexibility concerns, and building strength. Do your self a favor and check out Stick-To-It Fitness.

Can training help me in my sport?

A distance runner, a basketball player, a future Army officer: these clients came in for strength and conditioning that carries over to what they do outside the gym.

  1. Jess M.2024
    I've been training with Steve for almost 3 months now. I came to him as a distance runner with no upper body strength and, while consistently active, had been doing the same, repetitive running motions for the last 8 years. I was looking for someone to help me with improved posture, more definition, a variety of movements, and to get faster. It feels like seeing Steve is a workout cheat code - I make enough decisions in my day-to-day work, I love just showing up and someone having an efficient workout ready. And as an engineer, I really appreciate Steve's ability to describe the hows and whys of different exercises and understand the mechanics of what we are trying to accomplish. I know I would be way less efficient and motivated to workout at a gym solo. I'm definitely seeing the gains - every week I get a new PB lifting, every race I get a new PR. I highly recommend signing up with Steve and Stick-To-It!
  2. Nazar A.2021
    This guy is an absolute beast. He knows his stuff REALLY WELL. I have been with this guy for only 3 weeks and I already see 4+ inches added to my vertical, I’m way more lean, WAY more consistent with eating right (he is very knowledgeable about foods and what fits best for who), and by the way I went from not squatting at all to doing 225 lbs. I also went from doing 150 on bench to also 225. He’s got plenty of awesome tricks and tips to help you reach any goals. Recommend him to ANYONE, from no training experience to athletes, he’ll get you results
  3. Matthew B.2019
    Steve is a fantastic trainer; passionate, fun and knowledgeable. Every workout pushes me in new ways and I’ve seen great results. I’ve gone from barely being able to graze the bottom of the basketball net to being able to touch halfway up to the rim, and my overall conditioning when playing basketball has improved a lot.

Do you train kids and teens?

Yes. Both of these reviews are from parents whose sons train with me.

  1. Darren C.October 2026
    We’ve had a great experience with Stick To It Fit! Coach Steven has been working with my son, and it’s been wonderful to see how much he’s enjoying the sessions while getting a really good workout. Steven is encouraging, knowledgeable, and makes fitness both challenging and fun. Highly recommend!
  2. Baron A.2024
    I have been seeing Steven for over 6 years now, we do 3 sessions a week. My son who is 13 has also started seeing Steven 2 days a week. Steven does an amazing job with tailoring a program to fit your level of fitness and works with youth very well. I recommended Steven to everyone that wants to start or continue their fitness journey

What is Steve like to train with?

The rest of the reviews are about the coaching itself and the studio. And yes, Strudel the bulldog gets a mention.

  1. EricNovember 2025
    Steven is an awesome trainer. I can’t recommend this gym enough.
  2. Jennifer M.2024
    Coach Steve is very thoughtful about his training approach. He will make you stronger, fitter, and more in tune with your body. And you’ll do some laughing and smiling along the way. His second in command is a real bull dog and keeps you honest about your reps (she is an actual bull dog and is the cutest).
  3. V. A.2024
    Steven is a great personal trainer, and very knowledgeable. He gives good advice on how to improve your health and become physically strong. I got my three sessions with Steven and I’m grateful for the stick-to-it workout. I’ll be going back. -V.

What's actually verifiable

A public, third-party review record

Reviews live on Google, where this business can't edit or remove them. Every written one is also copied onto this page word for word, with the reviewer's first name and last initial and a link back to the listing, so anyone can check that nothing was changed or left out.

The same coach, the same neighborhood, over a decade

Continuity in one place is hard to fake and easy to verify. A trainer who has run the same studio at the same address for over a decade has that record checkable by anyone, not just claimed in a bio.

An incentive structure that has to be re-earned

There is no prepaid package or long contract locking someone into sessions after results stop happening. Every session has to be worth booking again on its own, which removes the financial reason to inflate what actually happened.

A documented process, not a dramatized outcome

What actually happens is a strategy and movement assessment first, biomechanics-based programming built around that assessment, and injury-aware coaching adjusted as training continues, the same process described across every guide on this site rather than only on a highlight page.

Reviews and results: common questions

Reviews, yes; photos, no. All 68 written Google reviews are published on this page word for word, with the reviewer's first name and last initial, the star rating, an approximate date and a link to the listing. There are no before-and-after photos and no quotes written or edited by the business, since both are easy to fake in the fitness industry through flattering lighting, a pumped muscle, or a quote nobody actually said.

70+ five-star reviews · 13+ years in SE Portland

See the process for yourself

A strategy and movement assessment is the first step, and it costs nothing to find out whether the process described here is the right fit. The studio is at 5609 SE Milwaukie Ave in Portland, on the Sellwood/Westmoreland border.

The studio

A private studio in Westmoreland

One room, one coach, and the door locks behind you. On the border of Sellwood and Westmoreland, with easy parking and no crowd.

5609 SE Milwaukie Ave
Portland, OR 97202

(971) 229-4917

Get directions