Hollywood Personal Trainer Education

No Pain No Gain - How These Hollywood Trainers Got Their Start

When you think of the life of a Hollywood trainer, visions of glamour and intrigue come to mind. Whether working with the famous, the beautiful or the talented to perfect their bodies for the silver screen, or the interesting, the entrepreneurial or the artistically skilled in need of a diet and fitness regime, Hollywood personal trainers seem to have landed one of the best, and healthiest, jobs in the universe.

Here's how two Hollywood trainers reached the top of their game in a profession that promotes health and wellness for some of Hollywood's finest.

Ramona Braganza

Celebrity fitness trainer Ramona Braganza seemed destined to lead a fitness-focused life. Well known as Jessica Alba's trainer, she's in demand for her Hollywood body sculpting talents coupled with her ambition and love of athleticism that have helped to motivate people all over the world.

Ramona prepped herself for a fitness career with an extensive background in dance and gymnastics. She learned the discipline and determination involved in athletics from a young age and realized she wanted to pursue an athletic career. She became a Los Angeles Raiders Cheerleader and won numerous awards, including "Raiderette of the Year." She eventually became a Raider's choreographer and NFL Europe League dance director, and then pursued professional fitness athlete competitions.

Ramona eventually became recognized for her impressive physique, leading to modeling for top fitness magazines—including a cover shoot for Muscle and Fitness. This exposure led to fitness commercial appearances, including Reebok and Champion Sports. Ramona has also contributed her fitness expertise to editorial columns in widely-read magazines including Shape, Self, Women's Health and Fitness, Glamour, Cosmo Girl, Japanese Vogue, In Style, US Weekly and more. Eventually, Ramona became the spokeswoman for the Kraft Foods South Beach Diet.

All of this exposure led Ramona to her thriving personal training career. Her workout regime focuses on a combination of circuit training, core development and flexibility. She has developed her own workout methods, which she caters to individual clients to help them reach their fitness and body sculpting goals. In fact, Ramona has been singled out as the trainer to see no matter what your fitness goal entails—whether you require aggressive, short-term training or whether you want to lose five vanity pounds over a few months.

Along with Jessica Alba, Ramona has trained Halle Berry, Anne Hathaway, Chris Evans, Jessica Biel, Burt Reynolds and more. Ramona shares with her clients her three tenets of fitness: "Live life from the inside out; live a life of moderation; and make fitness a way of life."

Gunnar Peterson

Gunnar Peterson is known as the go-to guy in Hollywood when you need to see fitness results. He has become a fitness household name and is famous for his work with celebrities, professional athletes and everyday people. Matthew McConaughey, Jennifer Lopez, Gwen Stefani, Sylvester Stalone and Angelina Jolie are among his celebrity clientele.

Gunnar graduated from Duke University with a degree in physical fitness and psychology and decided he wanted to pursue a fitness career. He became certified by the National Strength and Conditioning Association and the American Council on Exercise. Through networking, skill and dedication, Gunnar became a fitness entrepreneur. Perhaps most effective in his training technique, Gunner's energy and humor help him connect to his clients and enable his dynamic training approach.

Gunnar is often sought out by the media for his fitness expertise and has been featured in Allure, Elle, In Style, In Touch, US Weekly, Men's Health, Women's Health, Fitness and more. He has also made television appearances on The Today Show, CNN, CNN Headline News, Extra and on the VH1 and E! networks. Gunnar's drive and fitness knowledge has also helped him build several corporate partnerships and business opportunities, including Adidas, The Gatorade Company for Propel and Cliff Bar, Inc.

Gunnar has also made his mark on the Barnes and Noble bookshelf. His first book, G-Force, was published in January of 2005, followed by The Workout, published the December of the same year. Not stopping there, Gunnar also has his own product development company, Outside Shot, which has produced many successful exercise machines and training aids.

Today Gunnar lives in Beverly Hills and has more than 17 years experience in the fitness industry. He comments that three crucial ingredients of any fitness success story include "motivation, information and variety" and stresses "the importance of proper training."

The Endorphins of Life

Ramona Braganza and Gunnar Peterson have inspiring stories. You may think a career as a Hollywood trainer—or even a regular personal trainer—is inaccessible, but the reality is that it's easier than you think. Everyone has to start somewhere, and both Ramona and Gunnar started as regular people who had their own fitness vision. Whether you want to work in Hollywood, or you just have an inkling to help everyday people reach their fitness goals, there is a fitness path for you.

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