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I’ve probably written the phrase “celebrity trainer” hundreds of times.
Stefanie Keenan/Getty Images for Fabletics
But what does it really mean to be labelled a celebrity trainer?
What were these fitness pros doing before they had their first celebrity clients?
Are the perks really as good as I imagine?
Turns out, many celebrity trainers have mixed feelings about the title.
Any paying client who’s ready to work will get the same treatment as Jenna Dewan or Carrie Underwood.
Interviews have been edited and condensed for clarity.
Clients include: Jenna Dewan, Jessica Alba
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SELF: Who was your first celebrity client?Johnson:Jenna Dewan.
Does it help you book more clients?For sure.
How is training a celebrity different from training a “normal” person?The biggest difference is scheduling.
We go hard quicker.
But all my clients get celebrity treatment.
I started as a professional dancer, so that was important for me to bring to fitness.
That’s really key.
I feel like it can be overused.
And just because a trainer may have trained a celebrity, they’re not necessarily better.
I’m almost forced to use it.
I used to wonder, “Do I put that on my business cards?”
The answer is yes.
Clients include: Khloe Kardashian, Jennifer Lopez, Sofia Vergara.
Peterson is also the director of strength and endurance training for the LA Lakers.
Where celebrities come from is completely random.
Typically, it’s from a trusted source, like their manager, an agent, a pediatrician.
Someone who theyve already entrusted with this component of their life.
They have a goal every day.
Regardless of what workouts we do, I train everyone [like an athlete].
What does the phrase “celebrity trainer” mean to you?You train somebody who’s famous.
But I do get the opportunity to talk to you.
I got to design my own gym, and the gym at theDream Hollywood.
What being a celebrity trainer gives you that’s important is a platform.
I attempt to be respectful of that.
She called Power Plate and they sent my husband and me over.
From there, our relationship evolved into regular training.
We’ve been working together since 2008.
Did that opportunity shape how you train and who you’ve trained?Definitely.
I created my companyBlue Clay Fitnessin 2006 to enter the niche of high-end training.
The process of getting new clients is very much word-of-mouth, especially in that tight-knit community.
I’ve never taken and posted a picture that Cindy didn’t take.
That trust is a huge, huge part of it.
But I think part of being a successful celebrity trainer is not putting anybody on a pedestal.
Exercise is very humbling.
There’s no makeup, it’s just the real deal.
Scheduling is the biggest nightmare.
It’s like being a restaurant manager and scheduling your staff.
Some clients are early risers, some prefer to work out in the afternoon.
In any given day, I’m in Beverly Hills, Brentwood, Calabasas, and Malibu.
Celebrities also go on tour, or schedules change, and you could’t take it personally.
I’ve been withCarrie Underwoodsince 2008.
I also work with Martina McBride, Jana Kramer,Kelsea Ballerinithere are a bunch.
Did these relationships build on each other?Yes.
Either their teams talk with other teams or the [celebrities themselves] talk amongst each other.
So they do a lot of FaceTime sessions, too.
I think FaceTime is just as much fun, I don’t see any difference in people’s motivation.
I thought,I’m not a celebrity trainer, I just work with a lot of fun people.
Now, I don’t think about it.
I had only been a trainer for a year or two when I first met her.
Come in at 1."
We had a really good workout together, and she asked me to start the next day.
I started off answering phones, then eventually supervised group classes.)
I met her, she liked me, and that was it.
With the money I made, I was finally able to get out of debt.
She was up in Canada and went to see Courtney perform; Courtney ended up mentioning my name.
Then later, [Hudson] asked a friend for a Pilates trainer recommendation.
She called just as she was startingAlmost Famous.I took her to a gym and we got along really well.
I started training her regularlyand she referred me to her mom, [Goldie Hawn].
I never set out to be a celebrity trainer.
I thought of myself as a Pilates trainer who was trying to make it in acting.
How is training a celebrity different from training a “normal” person?
[What we do] depends more on your strength than on who you are.
I train classical Pilates, so the basic exercises don’t change.
