Frequently Asked Questions
Questions About Training With Me?
Find answers about getting started, personal training, online coaching, nutrition, Vancouver locations, mobility, inclusive coaching and my approach to fitness.
Start With the Topic That Matters to You.
Fitness questions can get complicated quickly. This page is designed to make the answers easier to find.
Choose a category below to explore the most common questions I get from current and prospective clients.
If your question is specific to your goals, training history, schedule or physical limitations, a consultation is usually the easiest way to get a more useful answer.
Begin with Getting Started if you are considering coaching for the first time.
If you already know how you want to train, jump directly to Personal Training, Online Coaching, Nutrition, Locations or Mobility. You can also learn more about Mobile & Condo Training.
Starting Personal Training
What to expect before you begin working with me.
How do I get started with you?
Start by booking a consultation or getting in touch with me. We’ll discuss your goals, current training, schedule, experience and preferred training setup before deciding which type of coaching makes the most sense.
Is the first consultation free?
Yes. The initial consultation is an opportunity to talk through your goals and determine whether personal training, mobile coaching or online fitness coaching is the right fit.
Do I need to know which coaching option I want before contacting you?
No. You can explain what you want to achieve, where you live, where you prefer to train and how much support you are looking for. I can help determine which coaching setup makes the most sense.
Do I need previous gym experience?
No. Coaching can be adapted to beginners, experienced trainees and people returning to training after time away.
What should I tell you during my consultation?
Useful information includes your goals, current activity level, training experience, schedule, preferred location, available equipment and any limitations that may affect exercise selection.
What if I am completely out of shape?
That is not a problem. Training should start from where you are now, not where you think you should already be. Exercise selection, intensity and progression can all be adjusted appropriately.
What if I feel intimidated by gyms?
Private coaching, condo training and other quieter environments can provide alternatives to busy commercial gyms. The goal is to find a training setup where you feel comfortable enough to focus on your progress.
Do I need a specific fitness goal?
No. Goals can range from building muscle and losing fat to improving strength, movement, confidence, energy or simply developing a more consistent training routine.
How quickly can I start?
Start timing depends on my current availability and which type of coaching you need. Contact me to discuss current scheduling.
What happens after I decide to work with you?
Your training approach is built around your goals, schedule, experience and training environment. From there, the focus shifts to consistent execution, progression and adjusting the plan as needed.
Personal Training FAQs
Questions about working directly with me in Vancouver.
What does personal training with you include?
Personal training includes individualized exercise selection, coaching, technique guidance and structured progression built around your goals, schedule, experience and physical capabilities.
Is personal training only for beginners?
No. Beginners often benefit from learning the fundamentals, while experienced trainees may use coaching to improve programming, exercise execution, progression or training efficiency.
Can personal training help me build muscle?
Yes. Programming can focus on progressive resistance training, appropriate exercise selection and sufficient training volume to support muscle development over time.
Can personal training help me get stronger?
Yes. Strength development can be a central part of your program, with exercises and progression selected according to your goals and current ability.
Can personal training help with fat loss?
Training can support fat loss alongside appropriate nutrition, activity and lifestyle habits. I focus on sustainable strategies rather than extreme short-term approaches.
Will every workout be different?
Not necessarily. Constantly changing exercises can make progression difficult to measure. A good program typically keeps enough consistency to track improvement while making changes when they serve a clear purpose.
How long are personal training sessions?
Session length depends on the coaching arrangement. I can discuss current session formats and availability during your consultation.
Can my training change as I make progress?
Yes. Programming should evolve as your strength, technique, goals, recovery and schedule change.
What if I have a very busy schedule?
Training can be structured around the time you realistically have. I work with busy professionals and focus on making the time you spend training more productive.
Where can I learn more about in-person personal training?
Visit the Personal Training Vancouver page for more information about my 1-on-1 coaching approach.
Online Fitness Coaching FAQs
Personalized training guidance without the location limits.
What is online fitness coaching?
Online coaching gives you personalized programming, structure and guidance while you complete your workouts independently at your own gym or home training space.
Do I need to live in Vancouver?
No. Online coaching allows you to work with me regardless of where you live.
Is online coaching just a workout plan?
No. The goal is to provide an individualized training structure that can progress and adapt rather than simply handing you a generic list of exercises.
Can beginners use online coaching?
Yes, although the right coaching format depends on how comfortable you are training independently. Beginners who want extensive hands-on exercise instruction may prefer in-person coaching.
Can experienced lifters benefit from online coaching?
Yes. Online coaching can be particularly useful if you already know how to train but want better programming, progression, structure and accountability.
What equipment do I need?
There is no single required setup. Your training can be designed around a commercial gym, home gym, condo gym, dumbbells, bands or other equipment you already have access to.
Can online coaching help with muscle gain?
Yes. Your program can be structured around progressive resistance training and muscle development based on your equipment and training experience.
Can online coaching help with fat loss?
Yes. Coaching can combine structured training with practical nutrition and lifestyle strategies that support sustainable fat loss.
What if my schedule changes frequently?
Your program can be adapted when your schedule, equipment, priorities or training capacity change.
Where can I learn more about online coaching?
Visit the Online Fitness Coaching page for more information about how remote coaching with me works.
Nutrition FAQs
Practical nutrition strategies that fit around normal life.
Do I need to follow a strict diet?
Not necessarily. My approach emphasizes practical habits that support your goals without requiring your entire life to revolve around dieting.
Can I still eat at restaurants?
Yes. A sustainable approach should be able to account for restaurants, social events and normal life rather than requiring perfect eating every day.
Do I need to give up carbohydrates to lose fat?
No. Fat loss does not require automatically eliminating an entire macronutrient category. Your overall nutrition approach matters more than following a blanket rule about carbohydrates.
Do I have to count calories?
Not everyone needs to track calories indefinitely. Whether tracking is useful depends on your goals, preferences and current habits.
How important is protein?
Protein plays an important role in supporting muscle maintenance and development. Your appropriate intake depends on your body, diet and goals.
Can I lose fat without eating extremely little?
Yes. Sustainable fat loss should generally avoid unnecessary extremes. The goal is to create an approach you can follow while still supporting training, recovery and normal life.
Can I build muscle without following a bodybuilder diet?
Yes. You need appropriate training and nutrition, but that does not mean every meal has to resemble a traditional bodybuilding meal plan.
What happens when I travel?
Travel is part of normal life. Training and nutrition can be adjusted around temporary changes rather than treating every trip as a reason to abandon your routine.
Is nutrition coaching medical nutrition therapy?
No. Fitness and lifestyle nutrition guidance is not a substitute for medical nutrition therapy. Medical conditions, eating disorders, allergies or other clinical concerns should be addressed with an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
What is the main nutrition philosophy?
The goal is to create practical habits that support your training and body-composition goals without making food unnecessarily restrictive or turning fitness into your entire life.
Training Location FAQs
Where I train clients in Vancouver and beyond.
Where is Demers Personal Training located?
The primary private training location is at 856 Homer St, Suite 110, Vancouver, BC V6B 2W2.
Do you offer personal training in Yaletown?
Yes. My primary private training location is in Yaletown, and I work with clients throughout the surrounding neighbourhood.
Do you train clients in Downtown Vancouver?
Yes. I work with clients throughout central Downtown Vancouver.
Do you serve Coal Harbour?
Yes. Coal Harbour is part of my primary Downtown Vancouver service area.
Do you work near BC Place and Rogers Arena?
Yes. The Stadium District and BC Place area is part of the core local service area.
Can you train me in my condo gym?
Potentially. Condo training depends on your exact location, building rules, available space and equipment. Your setup can be discussed during your consultation.
Does my building need to allow outside personal trainers?
Yes. If you want me to train you inside a residential fitness facility, your building must permit outside trainers to use the space.
Can you train me at home?
Potentially. Mobile coaching depends on your location, available training space and equipment.
What if I live outside Downtown Vancouver?
Contact me with your exact location. In-person availability depends on the specific situation. Online fitness coaching is also available regardless of where you live.
Where can I see all Vancouver service areas?
Visit the Vancouver service areas page or explore the individual pages for Yaletown, Downtown Vancouver, Coal Harbour and Stadium District.
Mobility & Movement FAQs
Questions about movement quality, mobility routines, joint health and training around limitations.
What does mobility mean in training?
Mobility generally refers to your ability to move through useful ranges of motion with control. The goal is not simply to become as flexible as possible, but to develop movement capacity that supports your training and daily life.
Do I need a long mobility routine before every workout?
Not necessarily. Mobility work should have a clear purpose. Some people benefit from specific preparation, while others may need very little beyond an appropriate warm-up and well-selected exercises.
Can strength training improve mobility?
Strength training through appropriate ranges of motion can contribute to better movement capacity. Mobility and strength do not always need to be treated as completely separate goals.
Can you help if certain exercises bother my joints?
Exercise selection, loading, range of motion and technique can often be modified when a movement does not suit you. Persistent or unexplained pain should be evaluated by an appropriate healthcare professional.
Does every client need to squat, bench press and deadlift?
No. Exercises are tools, not requirements. Your program should use movements that make sense for your goals, body and training environment.
What is movement screening?
Movement screening can help identify how you currently perform certain movements, where modifications may be useful and whether anything warrants further professional evaluation.
What are red flags during a movement screen?
Red flags can include symptoms or movement responses that suggest the issue should not simply be trained through. When something falls outside the scope of fitness coaching, the appropriate next step is referral to a qualified healthcare professional rather than trying to diagnose or treat it through training.
Can personal training replace physiotherapy?
No. Personal training and physiotherapy serve different roles. Training can often work alongside appropriate medical or rehabilitation care, but I do not replace diagnosis or treatment from a licensed healthcare provider.
Is stretching always the solution to tightness?
No. Feeling tight does not automatically mean you simply need more stretching. Exercise selection, strength, training load and movement habits can all be relevant depending on the situation.
Can mobility work be included in my training program?
Yes. When mobility work is relevant to your goals or limitations, it can be integrated into your training rather than treated as an entirely separate program.
Everyone Is Welcome
Good coaching starts with treating people like individuals.
Is Demers Personal Training LGBTQ+ friendly?
Yes. I welcome LGBTQ+ clients and aim to provide a respectful, comfortable training environment where people can focus on their goals without judgment.
Do I need to look a certain way to work with a personal trainer?
No. Personal training is not reserved for people who already look athletic or fit a particular image. Coaching starts from your current situation and your individual goals.
Will my goals be respected if they are different from typical fitness goals?
Yes. Not everyone wants the same body, level of muscularity or definition. Your training should reflect what you actually want to achieve rather than assumptions about what your goals should be.
Can I tell you if certain exercises or situations make me uncomfortable?
Absolutely. Coaching works better when communication is open. Concerns about exercises, personal space, training environments or other aspects of coaching can be discussed directly.
Is personal training confidential?
Personal information shared as part of your coaching relationship should be treated respectfully. If you have a particular privacy concern, discuss it with me before training begins.
Can I use the name and pronouns I am comfortable with?
Yes. I aim to address clients respectfully and use the name and pronouns they ask me to use.
What if I have had negative experiences in fitness spaces before?
You can bring those concerns up during your consultation. Training should feel professional and respectful, and the coaching setup can be discussed before you commit to anything.
Is the coaching environment body-positive?
The focus is on helping you work toward goals that matter to you. Coaching does not require shame, embarrassment or negative assumptions about your current body.
Can I focus on strength or health without making weight loss my goal?
Yes. Your goals can focus on strength, mobility, muscle development, athleticism, confidence, consistency or other outcomes without fat loss being the primary objective.
What matters most when you build my program?
Your goals, experience, abilities, schedule, training environment and preferences matter more than trying to fit you into a predetermined idea of what a personal training client should be.
If there is anything I can know in advance to make your coaching experience more comfortable or respectful, you are welcome to bring it up during your consultation.
About Me
Learn more about my experience, philosophy and approach to coaching.
Who are you?
I’m Paris Demers, a Vancouver personal trainer and fitness coach with more than 10 years of coaching experience. I work with clients through private personal training, mobile and condo coaching and online fitness coaching.
How long have you been a personal trainer?
I have more than 10 years of coaching experience.
What is your training philosophy?
I focus on personalized, practical training that fits your goals, schedule, experience and lifestyle instead of relying on unnecessarily complicated or generic fitness routines.
Is your approach science-based?
My coaching is informed by exercise science, biomechanics and practical experience accumulated through years of working with clients.
What certifications do you have?
My training background includes certifications and education through Eleiko, Darby Training Systems, Fascial Stretch Therapy, Stretch to Win and Agatsu Kettlebell training.
Do you create fitness content online?
Yes. I’ve built an online fitness community of more than 200,000 people through YouTube.
How many training plans have you distributed?
My training plans have received more than one million downloads.
Do you have Google reviews?
Yes. Demers Personal Training has 79 five-star Google reviews based on the current review count used across the website.
What types of clients do you work with?
I work with clients with a range of goals and experience levels, including busy professionals, beginners, experienced gym-goers and people looking for more structure, accountability or efficient training.
Where can I learn more about you?
Visit my About Me page for more information about my background, experience and coaching philosophy.
Ask Me Directly.
Your goals, schedule and training history are personal. If you could not find the answer you need here, get in touch and tell me what you are looking for.
The first conversation is simply a chance to understand your situation and determine which type of coaching makes the most sense.
READY TO GET STARTED?
Tell Paris a little about your goals, schedule and what you want help with. He’ll get back to you with the best next step.