NW Fitness Project

last weekend was our first time sponsoring West Seattle Junction Summer Fest. We wanted to put together a booth that felt like us: an invitation to engage whether through a physical challenge or by sharing something about yourself and your relationship to exercise.

We had a blast meeting so many members of this community and we can’t wait to meet more of you next week at our second location in the former Thunder Road Guitars at Morgan Junction.

Thanks for the warm welcome, West Seattle.

And yes, everyone is still sore from the pushups.

You may already know Angel (she/they) Angel Zhou as a longtime client, or from seeing them training around the gym with Jeremy Stewart CPT and Steven Pust including completing Spartan alongside both of them last year. Back in February, Angel joined our 12-week mentorship program, and we’ve loved watching them grow into their coaching career ever since. Now, we’re beyond excited to welcome them to the team as a Signature Trainer!

Angel’s Mission: To make movement more accessible, and to help people feel good and trust their bodies doing the things they want to do.

What do they love about training? Understanding and catering to people’s individual movement needs. They’re a firm believer that anyone can start exercising at any point in their life, and they love watching clients build trust in their bodies, get excited about movement, and hit their goals.

In their own words: “When I was 18, I underwent a foot surgery that led to permanent tendinopathy in my left Achilles and left posterior tibialis. I had to re-learn how to walk multiple times in college, and it wasn’t until after I graduated that I truly found my love for movement. Despite being told that I’d never be able to run again, I have been able to build a fitness level way beyond anything I had experienced before the surgery.”

Background: Dancing, powerlifting, cycling, hiking, rock climbing, snowboarding, skiing, mountaineering, running, Spartan racing, ultra marathoning.

Outside the gym: Time with their partner, their cats, and their friends, plus League of Legends and other video games.

Favorite Exercise: Barbell bench press

Certification(s): NASM Certified Personal Trainer, NASM Corrective Exercise Specialist

Angel is available now for personal training clients (Fremont and West Seattle) and will be on the schedule soon for classes! Welcome to the team (officially), Angel! Spartan this fall?

Thank you, West Seattle! What an incredible opening party this past Saturday. Final inspection this week and we will be officially open to train you.

Thank you to everyone who made this ascent possible. To our Founding Members, our partners in LSKD USA Ascent Protein LMNT Lei & Mar Co. | Jewelry that moves with you , our MVPs Caitlin Sluder Denise Dubuque , our Fremont Community, and of course our team Matthew Holland Kyle Davis Jeremy Stewart CPT Alec Bulat Steven Pust Jacob Millsap Sarah Newsom Camaira Metz Travis Brittingham Zoie Mastin McKenna Nick Perry Angel Zhou Norah E S Davis

Thank you to our landlord Frank Gross of Thunder Road Guitars for making this all possible!

We’ll be sharing more soon- including all of our Raffle Winners from Summer Fest!- and we can’t wait to train you.

📸 Pao Sanchez 🙏
🖼️ New Salt Hospitality Caitlin Sluder Eric Fisher

Your guide to this Saturday, July 11 in West Seattle. Pop on down before or after you hit West Seattle Junction Summer Fest- and find our booth there too 😉

We’re opening our doors at 6400 California Ave SW, and we want the whole neighborhood there. Free small group classes at 9am and 11am, capped at 8 and 16, so RSVP for first access to book your spot. Camaira Metz plays live at noon. Sweet treats, cool bevies, drinks from LMNT, protein from Ascent, and a raffle running 9am to 1pm with prizes from LSKD USA , Lei & Mar Co. | Jewelry that moves with you , Ascent Protein , LMNT , 5-class packs, NWFP merch, and more. Your RSVP is your first entry.

Morgan Junction is about to get a lot stronger. Link in bio to RSVP.

📸 mostly Pao Sanchez

Co-founder & owner Matthew Holland has carried a lot this past year, personally and for the business, and he’s done it while still showing up for this community every single day. Anyone who’s trained next to him knows the version of himself he brings to the floor: steady, present, and still finding a way to dig deep even on the hard weeks.

This year has also brought one of the biggest chapters in NWFP’s history, with West Seattle opening its doors, and none of it happens without him. We’re proud to be building this with someone who leads with this much heart, even in a year that hasn’t made it easy.

Happy birthday, Matt. Here’s to a year that gives you a little more room to breathe and a whole lot to celebrate.

📸 Pao Sanchez

We train hard in the gym for this— let’s get outside! We asked our team for some of their favorite summer hikes.

Zoie Mastin grew up minutes from Lake 22. Steven Pust calls Colchuck Lake one of the most ethereal places he’s been. Matthew Holland has two on his list this year: Wi******er Mountain and Yellow Aster Butte, both off Mt. Baker Highway. And Norah E S Davis been doing Tiger Mountain and Lake Serene in every season of life, toddlers, dogs, and all.

Swipe through for the mileage and elevation gain on each one, straight from Washington Trails Association

What’s on your summer hike list? Can we join you?

You’re in strong company.