Maitland Area Personal Trainer

Jean-Sebastien FABRE founded Darwin Fitness LLC in 2012. A dual citizen (French/American), he was born 54 years ago in Paris. He lives in Maitland, FL.

Holder of a Bachelor’s Degree in Business and Communication, he is a US nationally certified personal trainer through IFPA-NCCA (International Fitness Professionals Association), a certified weight management instructor (IFPA-NCCA) and also registered as a youth soccer coach by the French Federation of Soccer. A fan of sports, he is a confirmed and competitive runner from 5K to marathon.

What Makes Darwin Fitness Different?

First, we are concentrated: we offer nothing but personal training and nutrition coaching (no classes, no memberships). We are fully specialized in a personalized approach to fitness and coaching. We’re good at what we do, and we don’t try to do anything else.

The second differentiating factor is our scale. We are resourceful. Most truly valuable one-on-one training specialists work independently. Darwin Fitness operates as a real team of 8 coaches under one roof. This allows us to combine diverse skills and experience in areas such as injury rehabilitation, nutrition, geriatric training, and running, etc.. all for the benefit of our clients. Our size also ensures continuity of service, with trainer coverage available during vacations or absences.

What Core Strengths Define Your Value Proposition As A Fitness Company?

We want our trainees to choose us for what we truly offer: our ability to help them define and structure their fitness goals, our expertise in designing comprehensive programs to achieve those goals, and our leadership in guiding them throughout the journey.

At Darwin Fitness, we aim to stand apart from the aggressive sales tactics still common in the fitness industry. That’s why we always offer a complimentary one-hour assessment before any commitment from a prospective client.

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Why Did You Become A Personal Trainer?

You can get the same reward from a 70 year old lady realizing that she can climb her stairs without any problem that you get coaching a 7 year old who just scored his first goal in a soccer match. That’s the kind of fuel I need to be happy in my professional life. I use all my knowledge, dedication and capacities to motivate my trainees in order to enjoy their positive feedback.

Can You Tell Us About Your Personal Training Approach?

There are at least 5 key points in my mind. To start, dedication and professionalism are core values. Especially in this business which suffers from the excess of amateurism of many self-called ‘personal trainers’.

You structure a training program for a young athlete or for an individual looking to drop 60 pounds with the same sense of detail. Then I will definitely mention planning. Knowing where we start from with an assessment, set a realistic goal and actions to accomplish in a specific time frame. No results without a vision.

What else do you put in your essentials list?

All actions needed to take in order to reach a fitness goal must be progressive. You learn how to walk before you run, don’t you? The gradual approach is not only critical in terms of exercise load it’s as important when you want to build better eating habits. This idea makes so much sense to me that the link with Darwin’s evolution theory became THE evidence when I decided to launch my brand.

After hundreds and hundreds of hours spent in many different gyms in Florida I will also definitely describe my way to use cardio-training as one of my specificities. In my opinion most of the US trainers don’t put cardio in its place. This component is at least as essential as resistance training and should be managed and supervised by the fitness professional. It is very rarely the case. There is as much science behind cardio training as there is behind resistance training. Big mistakes can be made and optimization needs a lot of knowledge. I emphasize and really coach cardio. It’s part of my sport and more generally European culture. I claim it!

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You mentioned 5 key points, what is the 5th?

Enjoy! Let’s have fun. Exercise is not a punishment and a good personal trainer must do his best to make each session a pleasant experience. I learned that from my experience in youth personal training but it gives very good results with adults too.

Last important question: how do we get to Darwin Fitness from Maitland?

Maitland is where Darwin Fitness was born, the community that shaped our philosophy and the place that I proudly call home. It holds a deep meaning for us, so when our growth made it necessary to move into a larger, more functional space, we were committed to staying close to our roots. And since most of our current clients live in Maitland, we knew we owed it to them to relocate in a very nearby area.

Our new studio at 2250 Lee Road in Winter Park is only about a five-minute drive from the heart of Maitland. Easy as can be, you simply head south toward Lee Road, continue west, and you’ll arrive right at our doorstep.

Client Success Stories

Clients of all ages and fitness levels trust us with their goals: from weight loss to senior functional fitness, youth athletic training, sports performance, and post-therapy strength rebuilding.

      
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 Excellent247 reviews
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   Jordan Fink 
 2 days ago
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. "I'm 15 years old, and I came to Darwin Fitness a while ago to get stronger, faster, and build muscle as I am a lacrosse player and cross country runner. I’ve had some aches and pains due to my practices and busy training schedule and Jiji has been able to help me get through them with her programming and provide even a take home routine to do. I’ve been already feeling much better and stronger. I chose Darwin Fitness based on their 1 on 1 training’s and their private personal training facility. My personal trainer, Jiji, keeps me accountable and has helped with my form/mobility and lower back pain in so many ways. She’s taught me how to train efficiently and build a better routine before practices and workouts. The studio is always clean and everyone is very welcoming and friendly. If you’re looking for a spot to train that isn’t crowded like your typical commercial gym, with knowledgeable trainers who will meet you where you’re at, Darwin Fitness is the place to be.
  
 
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   Tanya Brimage 
 7 days ago
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Finding Darwin Fitness has been one of the best decisions I’ve made for my health and well-being.
I’m 52, and I’ve lived with severe rheumatoid arthritis and chronic osteoarthritis for eight years. The pain affected nearly every part of my life, physically and emotionally. I had been a dancer and athlete for most of my life, so losing mobility was especially difficult. I had to stop dancing, struggled to do my hair and get dressed, and even sitting could be painful because bending my knees was so hard. As an artist, I felt the effects in many areas of my life. I kept pushing through because I didn’t want to lose even more of my independence.
Then a car accident left me with six herniated discs in my neck and four in my lumbar spine. After chiropractic treatment to help realign my neck, spine, and pelvis, I made a decision to take a more intentional approach to my health, mentally, physically, and spiritually.
Darwin Fitness has become an important part of that journey. My personal trainer, Heather, is caring, encouraging, and professional. My nutritionist, Meghan, has helped me feel motivated to make healthier choices and build better habits. Their support has helped me look forward to working on myself through exercise, nutrition, and consistent effort.
The people at Darwin Fitness are warm and welcoming, and the whole place feels like family. I feel cared for, respected, and encouraged there. I’m grateful I found a team that supports me as a whole person and helps me keep moving toward a healthier life.
I highly recommend Darwin Fitness to anyone looking for knowledgeable, compassionate personal training and nutrition support. Heather, Meghan, and the entire team have made a meaningful difference in my life.
  
 
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   Stacie Woods 
 22 days ago
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Emma is such a great fitness trainer!
  
 
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   Natalie Melville 
 29 days ago
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. I started going to Darwin Fitness a few months ago and after being with my previous trainer at a different gym for over 10 years Chris and all the staff quickly made me feel at home. He is always accommodating to my schedule and challenges me in the right ways. The gym is incredibly clean and I look forward to coming here for years to come.
  
 
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   angel angel 
 31 days ago
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. +1
I’ve had such a great experience training at Darwin Fitness, especially with Heather! I started training here because I wanted to work on my strength, endurance, fitness, muscle tone and flexibility while still having workouts that felt realistic and sustainable for me.

Heather has been amazing at tailoring my workouts around those goals. She pays attention to what I’m trying to achieve, adjusts exercises when something isn’t working well for me, and makes sure I’m actually using proper form and getting the most out of each movement. I really appreciate that the workouts don’t feel random — there’s always a purpose behind what we’re doing.

What I also love is that she genuinely cares about my overall progress outside of just the workout itself. She’s always willing to answer my questions about nutrition, protein, supplements, recovery, and other things that can help support my goals. I never feel judged asking her questions, and she explains things in a way that actually makes sense.

I train mainly with Heather, and every session is different, challenging, and still enjoyable. She pushes me, but never to the point where I feel overwhelmed. I especially LOVE that she takes the time to stretch with me at the end of our sessions because improving my flexibility has been one of my goals, and I can genuinely tell it has helped with both my flexibility and recovery.

Since training at Darwin Fitness, I’ve become stronger, more confident with lifting, more aware of my form, and more comfortable knowing how to structure workouts around my goals. I definitely feel like I’m making progress instead of just going to the gym and doing random exercises with no direction 😭

Heather and the rest of the personal trainers at Darwin Fitness are knowledgeable, encouraging, attentive, and you can tell they genuinely care about their clients and their progress. I always leave feeling like I accomplished something, and I’m really glad I chose to train here. I’d definitely recommend Darwin Fitness to anyone looking for personalized training and a trainer who actually listens to what you’re trying to achieve.

Also, huge shoutout to Megan and Emma because they are AMAZING too!! Huge love to Darwin Fitness! 🫶
  
 
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   Brian Andersen 
 44 days ago
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. This place is awesome!!!! I work out with Heather 3x a week for an hour. She is the best trainer I have ever had! Great people and great vibes! Everyone should make there fitness a priority!
  
 
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   J Hsia 
 52 days ago
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. After completing 3 months of physical therapy for tennis elbow and sciatica earlier this year, I have been so glad and grateful to find Darwin Fitness and my trainer, Emma, who is their post PT specialist.  JS, the owner, was very prompt in answering my initial inquiry and kindly referred me to Emma, who has been absolutely excellent to work with! Thank you, JS! The facility is conveniently located, extremely clean, well-stocked with equipment, and well run. All the staff are friendly and professional.  You are only allowed in the gym to work out with one of their personal trainers, and this keeps it from becoming overcrowded.

Emma is extremely knowledgeable, fun, attentive and a great teacher.  She makes sure you are doing exercises correctly, preventing injury. She also has a wealth of knowledge in anatomy and different exercises for each body part to keep things fresh. After only 3 weeks, both my affected arm and leg were much stronger and I no longer felt strain or sciatic pain.  When I unexpectedly had to be in California over the summer to help my parents, Emma even thoughtfully created and sent me 2 workouts I could do in my parent's home without any equipment. Highly recommend her for post PT strength training and Darwin Fitness!
  
 
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   Lindsay Puder 
 58 days ago
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Megan is amazing in helping with nutrition! She has several supplemental exercises to help gain shifts in what’s underneath nutrition choices. Her personality is wonderful too. Always so sweet and supportive. Never shaming.
  
 
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   Stephanie Groves 
 62 days ago
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. I’ve had such a positive experience with Heather at Darwin Fitness. The gym is spacious, well equipped, and has a welcoming atmosphere with a great team dynamic.

Having never worked with a personal trainer before—and realizing I had neglected my own fitness for far too long—I was a little apprehensive about getting started, especially after surgery. Heather has been incredibly encouraging, considerate, and knowledgeable. She listens, meets me where I am, and challenges me while always making me feel comfortable and supported.

I’m so glad I finally made this investment in myself and highly recommend Heather and Darwin Fitness! Worth every penny!
  
 
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   D B 
 64 days ago
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Megan is the absolute best! My daughter never complains about going, she actually looks forward to it. We have seen a huge improvement in her strength and endurance. Megan connects with her and is truly interested in the things my daughter likes to talk about. The way Megan takes the time to learn about her and tailor the workouts to her needs is amazing. Thank you Megan!