Secrets From the Best Fitness Trainers | Exercise.com Learn: Your Fitness Business Resource

Secrets From the Best Fitness Trainers

Tyler Spraul is the director of UX and the head trainer for Exercise.com. He has his Bachelor of Science degree in pre-medicine and is an NSCA-certified strength and conditioning specialist. He is a former All-American soccer player and still coaches soccer today. In his free time, he enjoys reading, learning, and living the dad life. He has been featured in Shape, Healthline, HuffPost, Women's...

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UPDATED: Aug 25, 2020

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  • Three top Hollywood trainers to give their opinions and see if there were any tips they could share
  • Redesign both your diet and your workout every few months: it will help stave off boredom, and will also allow you to focus on muscle groups that may need more work.
  • The best and most successful programs are those with both long-term and short-term goals.

Training a celebrity is practically a one-way ticket to becoming a celebrity yourself.

After all, everyone wants the body of a famous actor. So, what are the tricks of being a top fitness trainer? Do they swear by cardio or weight training? We reached out to three top Hollywood trainers to get their opinions and see if there were any tips they could share.

One way to be at the top of your game is by ensuring that your personal training business has a reliable software system that can schedule appointments, manage employees, train clients online, sell goods, and more. Request a demo today of our All-In-One Fitness Business Management Software. 

Michael George

Some of his more famous clients: Julianne Moore and Reese Witherspoon

General Advice: The key thing to remember, according to George, is this: “What you put into it is what you’re going to get out of it. If you give it everything you’ve got, you’ll get the results you want.” George likes to emphasize to his clients that if you’re choosing to be fit, it’s not going to be a hobby or an errand you run: you are going to be making a life change, and you have to give that the proper room and respect; otherwise, it’s just not going to stick.

Suggested Additions To Your Routine: Beyond working with a personal trainer at the gym, George recommends designing a routine with your trainer that can be done outside of the gym, every day.  This can be as simple as a few sets of calisthenics in the morning, but the more you’re willing to self-motivate yourself to do, the better results you’ll see and the better off you will be. Also necessary: a diet you’ll stick to. Finally, redesign both your diet and your workout every few months: it will help stave off boredom, and will also allow you to focus on muscle groups that may need more work.

How Much For a Session? Prices vary depending on what you want, and how long you want: George offers 30, 60, and 90-minute sessions.  But his celebrity clients can run to the thousands, so be ready to pay well. Check out MichaelGeorge.com or his Twitter (@MichaelGeorge1) to find out the latest news on Michael George and his clients!

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Gunnar Peterson

Some of His More Famous Clients: Sylvester Stallone, Jennifer Lopez

General Advice: “Anything that says it takes the work out of exercising is a scam.”  According to Peterson, any person or piece of equipment that promises that it’ll do the job with no effort on your part isn’t even worth looking at. He makes a point to differentiate between promises of results and promises of effort: there are plenty of great exercise programs on the market that work, but none of them promise you won’t have to do anything to become fit.  Instead, focus on routines that will definitely enhance your performance.  If you’re playing a sport, for example, work with your trainer to build the muscles you need to improve your game.

Suggested Additions To Your Routine: Any routine should be discussed with a trainer, but for most people, Petersen recommends a program that engages the entire body. Have a mix of cardio, weight training, and other exercises.  Even if it’s just a simple calisthenics program and a long morning jog, it will help.

How Much For a Session? Petersen politely declined to offer a price, as he’s booked up for years at this point. However, consider that many of his clients are professional athletes, and that gives you an idea of the money you’re looking at. Take a look at GunnarPeterson.com or Gunnar’s Twitter (@Gunnar) to see all of the celebrities he trains!

John Spencer Ellis

Some of His More Famous Clients: Jillian Michaels

Not that Michaels isn’t dedicated herself, but even she views Ellis as her “mentor.”

General Advice: “Goals are key.” The best and most successful programs are those with both long-term and short-term goals. Goals keep you motivated, and achievable short-term goals help you feel like you’re doing more as you hit each benchmark. Quantifiable goals, like losing ten pounds, are good, but they shouldn’t be the only motivator; try setting a goal like running a mile without being short of breath. All goals, however, should be realistic and fitting with both your overall health and your body type, not vanity. Having six-pack abs as a goal is a lot less of a motivator than lowering your resting heart rate.

Suggested Additions To Your Routine: In addition to a dedicated gym schedule, Ellis recommends working exercise into as much of your life as possible. Even if it’s just walking to work or errands instead of driving, every bit of exercise helps and gives you more energy and motivation to keep pursuing your goals.

How Much for a Session? Ellis, sadly, has a full calendar. In addition to being a top trainer, he’s also one of the top trainers in the business. He’s helping thousands of people open their own personal training businesses and get more clients. If you are looking for the best fitness trainer information, check out JohnSpencerEllis.com or John’s Twitter (@jsesuccesscoach) for all the latest fitness trainer information!

Ongoing Themes

If there was one thing all three wanted us to emphasize, it’s this: when you choose a program or routine, stick with it, no matter what. Ultimately, what gets you fit and healthy isn’t a specific exercise or a specific food, but the fact that you are consistently dedicating yourself to keeping yourself fit. That determination is worth more than any gym membership or exercise machine.

Second, celebrities have very specific and intense training programs that most people can’t stick to, and in fact, don’t even need. Remember, most famous people are literally paid to look good; that’s their job. So, they spend hours of time and thousands of dollars doing just that. Most celebrities have a dedicated fitness lifestyle, but even they fall back to a less intense routine when shooting movies, just to have some time to themselves. Most people should focus on their general health: getting their body fat percentage into a healthy range, strengthening and improving their core muscles like their back, and maintaining their heart.

In short, yes, it takes work to get fit, but it’s possible for everyone. Just have realistic goals, and a good trainer (or a solid workout plan), and you can get the body you want.

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