about us
I'm Vanessa Liu, a former Equinox personal trainer turned online trainer & nutritionist.
I used to work in software sales (most recently at MuleSoft, later acquired by Salesforce) before I left tech to pursue my passion for fitness.
After leaving tech, I taught P90X and HIIT classes on ClassPass and UCSF.
Eventually, I transitioned to 1:1 personal training and became a top-tier trainer at Equinox Pine Street in San Francisco.
Pretty soon, I developed a reputation as the “lifestyle” trainer with a fat loss approach based on sustainable habits and behaviors.
Eventually, I left Equinox to start my own business, Guts to Gains!
Today, I work with busy professionals (worldwide) to build the right workout & nutrition habits for a healthy lifestyle.
I graduated from UC Berkeley (Go Bears!), where I studied nutrition and public health. I live in San Francisco, California.
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teaching my first class on classpass
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at equinox, teaching my methods
MEET SUSAN
Susan Huynh is the Dietitian at Guts to Gains.
She helps design nutrition plans and reviews client food journals to pinpoint areas for improvement. Whether managing a health concern or improving overall wellness, she provides expertise to make healthy eating achievable and enjoyable.
In 2021, Susan was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. Her journey through thyroid cancer not only transformed her health, but also sparked a deep passion for fitness. Determined to rebuild her strength, she discovered the empowering benefits of weightlifting, which became the cornerstone of her mission to prioritize nutrition, movement, and long-term wellness. Susan is now cancer-free.
Susan is a Registered Dietitian at Idylwood Care Center, where she manages the diets and chronic conditions of older adults with neurobehavioral disorders like schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and dementia.
Her firsthand experience working with an older population motivates her to help people in their 20s, 30s, and 40s build healthy habits to prevent future health issues.
Susan is also an active volunteer with the Silicon Valley District of the California Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Dietetics from San Jose State University.
“Where does the name guts to gains come from?”
<— the origiNal “guts to gains”
The name Guts to Gains was born in 2018. I was part of my church's community group, where I teamed up with a friend and fellow trainer to teach a workout class to our group.
I called it Guts to Gains because, at the time, I was helping fat loss clients shed their “gut,” and the name perfectly captured the transformation we were working to achieve.
Our first class was in June 2018 (see the photo above!). The name stuck, and since then, we’ve been teaching Guts to Gains every year at our church. I’ve always loved the name and knew I had to use it for my business.
What started as a focus on physical transformation has since evolved.
“Guts” now represents the drive and persistence needed to prioritize your health, push through challenges, and make lasting changes.
“Gains” still ties into fitness culture—muscle, results, progress—but it goes deeper. It’s about mental, emotional, and lifestyle growth as well.
Guts to Gains is all about becoming the healthiest version of yourself, even when obstacles stand in your way.