InTucker Magazine

Business of the Month – D Train Fitness

Derrick Brimmer has experienced both highs and lows in his fitness journey.

His highs began during his prime years playing football at Brown High School in Atlanta and continued through his college football days at Clark Atlanta University. After college, he played semi-professional football for two seasons with the Decatur Mustangs.

When his football career ended, he faced the low of falling out of shape. Without the pressure of maintaining peak athletic fitness, his workouts slowed along with his strict diet. His weight climbed from 195 pounds to 290 pounds. During that time Brimmer showed a friend his high school yearbook and received a comment that he would never get back to his prime shape.

“I took that to heart,” Brimmer said.

At that moment Brimmer’s fitness journey was reignited. Determined to turn things around, he made a life-changing decision.

He began with small changes. Instead of driving, he started walking daily to and from the barbershop where he worked. He cleaned up his diet and committed to healthier eating. Before long, he dropped 20 pounds! Fueled by that momentum, he returned to the gym, and his transformation took off.

“I already knew how to work out,” Brimmer said. “I just hadn’t done it in a while.”

Through hard work and consistency, Brimmer shed nearly 100 pounds, dropping from 290 to 198. His results turned heads at the gym, where people began asking if he was a trainer. At first, he said no, but the requests kept coming and he soon found himself training others.

As word spread, his clientele grew. He trained clients at multiple gyms before deciding it was time to open his own. Brimmer saved up money over the years and finally achieved a new high: opening his own gym to help others reach their own fitness goals.

Today, he witnesses those successes at his new gym, D Train Fitness, located on Railroad Avenue in Tucker.

“I like it compared to all the other gyms… it’s the best location. Everybody likes the area,” Brimmer said.

Today, D Train Fitness attracts members from as far as Douglasville and Snellville. The gym offers personal training, boxing, and Pilates classes. Most members are women between the ages of 19 and 35. Brimmer believes what sets his gym apart is the welcoming, comfortable atmosphere he offers. Many members have left other gyms for his after feeling uncomfortable elsewhere. Brimmer said he does not tolerate any type of harassment or disrespect at his gym.

“I am focused on customer service, and I am big about getting people’s opinions and advice on how I could make the gym better. That is a big difference when people are comfortable giving you suggestions.” Brimmer said.

The former Brown High School football player has already taken his members’ thoughts seriously. He had some members that wanted to use dumbbells that were more than ten pounds, but 15 pounds was too heavy for them. He brought in 12-pound dumbbells to accommodate them.

He also had members that wanted weight belts to be wear while they worked out, so Brimmer brought in different size weight belts for his members. Although many of his clientele are between the ages of 19 and 35, he is looking to serve everyone, including the senior citizen community. Some of his members are part of the Silver Sneaker program, a government program that provides financial aid for adults to cover gym membership fees.

Looking ahead, Brimmer has ambitious plans. He hopes to expand his current location by knocking down walls and, one day, to franchise D Train Fitness. For now, he’s focused on steady improvements and celebrating his members’ progress.

“It’s a very high, elated feeling because you knew them before they showed their before and after pictures.” Brimmer said. “You knew their measurements. Then two or three months down the line you see results and see them about to accomplish their goals. When you are witnessing the process and see the end result, there is no better feeling.”

D Train Fitness is located at 4292 Railroad Avenue. Stop by, call or follow on Facebook for information on hours, memberships and offerings.