Outdoor & In-Home
Gym
About STRNG
We are the alternative to the oversaturated, in-your-face mainstream fitness industry. Our mission at STRNG Pain-Free Performance is to empower people through functional fitness to become the strongest version of themselves. STRNG Personal Training helps people achieve real results (read our reviews). We truly care about our clients well-being and success. We understand that personal training is a serious investment and commitment that, when done properly, can positively impact your life.
Ask yourself:
1. Are you overwhelmed with the gym and fitness in general?
2. Are you lacking motivation?
3. Do you need accountability?
4. Are you experiencing joint and/or muscle pain?
5. Have you hit a training plateau?
If the answer to one of these questions is yes, then we can help you.
Coach Debbee: Born in Suchitoto, El Salvador, she arrived in Washington, D.C. in 2009 not speaking any English. After overcoming many obstacles during those first few years, she joined the track and field team for Woodrow Wilson high school under the tutelage of coach Dezmond Dunham. He became a pivotal influence in Debbee’s life and challenged her to be the best athlete she could be. She was voted most improved athlete in 2013 and earned several more medals throughout her track and field career. Debbee went on to complete a degree in law enforcement with honors on full scholarship from the university of the District of Columbia, where she also served as president for one year.
Coach Debbee is a certified Pain-Free Performance Specialist (PPSC) and functional strength coach. In her words, “one thing I see repeatedly is people working out aimlessly without any structure. I build my clients a structured fitness program based on hard data that we collect during our initial assessment.” She is a leader in her community and partners with local non-profits to design programs that promote wellness. Coach Debbee has a wealth of life experience and fitness expertise to help her clients achieve their goals inside and outside of the gym.
Coach Chris: Born in Anniston, Alabama, where he spent his first eighteen years before moving to Washington, D.C. in December of 2008. Having played sports his entire life, specifically baseball, the gym has always been a safe haven for Chris to explore the boundaries of human movement and performance. He started his coaching career at Washington Sports Club where he quickly became one of the top trainers and class instructors. It was through teaching fitness to large groups that Chris realized how fitness served as a bridge to endless connections. This inspired him to partner with a team to facilitate fitness and nutrition workshops abroad. The first workshop took place in Montero, Bolivia and proved his point that fitness and locally-sourced food are cross-cultural bridges that can transcend language barriers. The project was so powerful and eye-opening that he and his team took the same workshop format and facilitated two more workshops in Cali, Colombia with communities displaced by the country’s civil war.
Having spent a tremendous amount of time in Latin America, but never fully taking the leap to pack up and live there, Chris decided in June of 2016 to move to Sucre, Bolivia. He lived between Sucre and Guayaramerin (El Beni - amazonian region), for one year before packing up and moving to Tegucigalpa, Honduras, where he lived for an additional year. He was able to find work as a fitness coach while continuing to virtually train some of his clients in Washington, DC, to support his adventures. He became proficient in spanish during his two years abroad. He has certifications from the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM), Functional Movement Systems (FMS), Pain-Free Performance Specialist (PPSC), USA Weightlifting, Kettlebell Concepts, and AED/CPR.
My favorite client story
Molly W,
When I started working with Chris in January 2018, I had chronic joint pain that prevented me from doing simple daily activities like cooking or hiking. It felt like there was no exercise I could do safely. Chris was impressively creative in finding ways to exercise that didn't aggravate my joint pain and helped me develop a much more positive and healthy relationship with my body. Workouts with him are still an active part of my treatment plan and I've been pain-free for over 3 years!
Stephen M,
Coach Debbee came recommended by a friend and I simply cannot thank them enough. I had not been to a gym in close to a decade due to back issues/chronic pain and was very nervous when starting out but Coach Debbee provided me with the motivation and skills that I needed to make working out part of my life again. Throughout our time in training, she has listened to my concerns, asked for my feedback, made adjustments to exercises when needed and helped me to build a routine specifically catered to me.
Every session since the first has been challenging, fun and I always learn something new to apply to future workouts. My body feels stronger and I have been feeling much less pain, and I now have the confidence to go to the gym myself and get a proper workout in without fear of injury.
I've already hit a few of my fitness goals in the past few months but I'm not stopping here, for the first time in years I'm looking forward to what else I can achieve!
My favorite exercise
STRNG coaches (Chris, Debbee, and Myles) are versatile and highly acknowledgeable. Compound and Complex Kettlebell exercises , Olympic lifts, strength training machines and more...
My favorite quote
Reclaim Your Strength and Train Pain-Free Performance!
My training philosophy
STRNG fitness programs are inclusive and help build functional strength, improve metabolic health, develop pain-free movement patterns, and achieve a healthy weight.
We build our fitness programs around four foundational pillars:
MOBILITY | STABILITY | METABOLIC | FUNCTIONAL STRENGTH
And seven foundational movements:
PUSH | PULL | SQUAT | HINGE | LUNGE | CARRY | ROTATE
My training experience
STRNG Personal Training proudly serves the DC-metropolitan region as a family owned business. Coaches include co-founders: Debbee Hernandez (Coach Debbee) & Chris Williamson (Coach Chris).
Combined, we have over 12 years of coaching experience. Certifications include:
1. National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM)
2. Pain-free Performance Specialist (PPSC)
3. Functional Movement Specialist (FMS)
4. Kettlebell Concepts
5. CPR-AED
Areas of Expertise
- Core and Balance
- Nutrition
- Strength Training
- Weight Loss
- Flexibility and Mobility
- Muscle Gain
- Posture
- Kettlebells
- TRX
- Functional Training
- Sports Performance Training
- Yoga
- Cardiovascular Conditioning
- Injury Prevention
- Corrective Exercise
NCCA Accredited Certifications
Additional Certifications
CPR/AED, Kettlebell Concepts Level 1, FMS Level 1, Precision Nutrition
Education
Pain-Free Performance Specialist, AAS in Law Enforcement
Who I Especially Like Working With
Beginners, Brides-to-be, Men, Overweight/ Obese, Post-rehab, Pre/post-natal, Rehab, Student-athletes, Women
Medical Conditions Experience
ACL tear, Ankle Injury, Asthma, Back Pain/Issues, Bad Posture, Bone/Joint Injury, Chronic Pain, Eating Disorders, Fibromyalgia, Golfers Elbow, Hamstring Issues, High Blood Pressure, High Cholesterol, Hip Pain/Issues, Hip Replacement, Hypertension, Joint Pain, Knee Pain/Issues, Limited Mobility, Lower Body Pain/Issues, Neck Pain, Obesity, Piriformis Syndrome, Plantar fasciitis, Postural Issues, Pregnancy, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Rotator Cuff Issues, Sciatica, Scoliosis, Shoulder Issues, Stress, Tennis Elbow
Additional Languages Spoken
Spanish
2002 17th Street Northwest
Washington, DC 20009
In-home or Outdoor Training
Session Surcharge: $5
What an amazing experience working with STRNG has been. I had initially signed on to lose weight for my wedding and within 3 months I hit my goal, losing 16lbs. I felt so confident during my wedding. I now am at a stage where I want to maintain this and Chris has been so helpful making sure I keep up with it and more importantly staying healthy. STRNG goes above and beyond from their pricing, to timelines, to healthy food, and more. Highly recommend to anyone!!
I’ve been working out consistently with Chris for approximately 5 years. I started with a personal trainer to help recover from a shoulder injury. I did not have a consistent weight training program before working with Chris, and was a little intimidated by the gym/weights. Chris was instrumental in my rehabilitation. My continued training with him has helped me become stronger, more flexible and less prone to injury even when exercising at a very high level outside the gym (rowing and biking). I see the results daily in my overall functional fitness doing ordinary activities. Chris is extremely knowledgeable, adapts workouts to where you need to be to get to the next step, helps set realistic goals, is flexible and professional. Working with Chris has been a game changer in terms of my overall fitness and long-term goals. He listens, is pleasant to work with, has a sense of humor and meets you where you are. Highly recommend!
My experience has always been positive and uplifting when working with STRNG Pain-Free Performance. I’ve been training with Coach Chris for over 10 years. When certain movements seem challenging, Coach Chris is encouraging and knows when to push me past my comfort zone safely, but also knows when to modify exercises to meet me where I am. Surprisingly, my knees are functioning better than they did 10 years ago. Before, when I would squat, I would experience pain and limited range of motion — now my squat form is where it needs to be and my knees are feeling stronger than ever. Coach Chris has taught me how to exercise with good form and function through repetition, but also knows how to make the workout fun so that things are never boring. I highly recommend STRNG Pain-Free Performance as they are knowledgeable, professional, and passionate about helping people live healthier and stronger lifestyles.
The STRNG gym is awesome. I love that it is private with all the tools needed for an excellent workout. The STRNG team is responsive, professional and welcoming. I’ve been training with Debbee for a couple weeks and I love her motivation and sense of humor. While Debbee takes pride in her job and is very professional, she always finds a way to make things fun and encourage me. Highly recommend!
I’ve been training with Debbee for a few months now and she is amazing. She is very attentive and designed a coaching plan to meet my training needs after a back injury. She goes out of her way to make me feel comfortable in the gym and is an absolute joy to work with. I highly recommend her.
Coach Debbee is the absolute best trainer! Very attentive to my needs and goals, always challenging and motivating me to strive for a bit more too! I love working in the STRNG space too. Thanks for being awesome STRNG!
An excellent personal trainer believes every client has the capacity and the potential to succeed. Debbee is professional, patient, and understanding. Her encouragement has given my sister and me the confidence to start the program. After two sessions, I feel assured that with her continued training and motivation, we will continue getting good results and attain our goals!!????????????
Coach Debbee came recommended by a friend and I simply cannot thank them enough. I had not been to a gym in close to a decade due to back issues/chronic pain and was very nervous when starting out but Coach Debbee provided me with the motivation and skills that I needed to make working out part of my life again. Throughout our time in training, she has listened to my concerns, asked for my feedback, made adjustments to exercises when needed and helped me to build a routine specifically catered to me. Every session since the first has been challenging, fun and I always learn something new to apply to future workouts. My body feels stronger and I have been feeling much less pain, and I now have the confidence to go to the gym myself and get a proper workout in without fear of injury. I've already hit a few of my fitness goals in the past few months but I'm not stopping here, for the first time in years I'm looking forward to what else I can achieve!
I have always struggled with my weight, body image and working out in general, like many people I have tried a little of everything, gym memberships, personal training at a gym, Zumba classes and more. But unfortunately all those options led me to always feeling disempowered, out of place and never truly feeling seen and heard. This all changed a year ago when Coach Debbee approached me about doing a pilot virtual personal training program through her company STRNG. It’s been a year and I’m so grateful for the impact she has had on my self growth journey, beyond setting goals for myself around weight loss, toning, mobility and making lifestyle changes in my nutrition, she has completely transformed my mindset and journey. Through her coaching I have felt heard and seen, she has taught me that working out is more than weight loss and your physical appearance, working out is a part of self care. When you dedicate time and space on building your self confidence and building physical strength and mobility you are strengthening your emotional and mental health! She leads with so much empathy and cares so deeply about each of her clients she creates a physical and emotional space for you to show up authentically!! Coach Debbee always meets me where I’m at, even on the days when I feel like giving up. I am more enthusiastic than I have ever been about my continued self growth journey and I’m grateful and blessed to have Debbee by my side every step of the way.
I've had a great experience with Coach Debbee as I've worked to build back my strength after having a baby in June. Debbee is encouraging and knowledgeable and I've made great strides in feeling stronger and fitter because of our sessions!
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