As the financial rewards for becoming a successful athlete continue to grow, so does the effort, dedication, and intensity that is required to reach the top, and more importantly, stay there. That’s why there’s a great personal trainer behind every great athlete.
As the world of sports becomes ever more competitive and the margins of success every more finite, the use of personal trainers has grown and grown. Thanks to high profile sports stars, celebrity clients, social media, and subscription apps, the best personal trainers are becoming as famous as their clients.
In this article we cast a light on some of the most successful trainers out there and take a look at their journey to the top.
Gunnar Peterson
Gunnar Peterson is a man of may talents. Author, businessman, and actor all feature on his resume, but it’s his work as a personal trainer with professional athletes and celebrities that he is most famous for. Peterson’s approach is focused around strength training methods that are practical and applicable, both in the gym and beyond, whether that’s everyday life or professional sports.
Based in Nashville and with over 30 years experience, Peterson is known for his functional training expertise and dedication to evolving fitness techniques. He is also the developer of fitness equipment with a focus on functional training.
As a child he struggled with his weight but by college he became focused on fitness and graduated from Duke University with degrees in Physical Fitness, Psychology and Nutrition. He has since worked with athletes from the NBA, NHL, NFL, USTA, professional boxing and various NCAA sports, as well as guided Film and television actors in preparing for roles. Some of his most famous cclienst inccluide Pete Sampras, Mike Tyson and the Rock.
Bobby Stroupe
Founder and President of ATHLETE Performance Enhancement Center (APEC), Stroupe has years of experience working with schools, collegiate teams, professional teams, businesses, and individuals. His coaching resume boasts youth athletes and elite names in professional sports, including 1st round picks, Super Bowl, and World Series champions.
Bobby Stroupe is best-known for being the personal trainer of three time Super Bowl champion, Patrick Mahomes, although acccording to the very latest DraftKings football odds, he won’t be adding to that tally any time soon. The trainer has worked with the Kansas City quarterback since he was 9 years old. Stroupe famously uses unconventional methods such as martial arts, gymnastics, and javelin-based workouts.
The duo work on on mobility, force absorption, and movement rather than traditional weight lifting. Despite light-hearted jibes around Mahomes’ supposed “Dad bod” physique, Stroupe insists on maintaining around 14% body fat to allow the quarterback to better absorp hits.
Steven Cerenzio
When it comes to training elite level athletes, it doesn’t get much better than the 100m Olympic champion Noah Lyles. While Lance Brauman is Lyles head track coach, Cerenzio is the sprinters strength and conditioning coach and sports performance specialist.
Surpisingly, Cerenzio’s resume doesn’t immediately make you think he’d be a great fit for an Olympic sprinter, but you’d be wrong. The Head Powerlifting Coach at Montverde Academy and also the assistant strength and conditioning coach, holds a Bachelor of Science in sports and fitness from the University of Central Florida.
Utilising his knowledge in powerlifiting, Cerenzio creates specialized programs that focus heavily on Lyles’ athleticism and explosiveness from the blocks. They work together on Olympic weight lifting progressions such as cleans, front squats, and hip hinges, in order to maximize the sprinters power-to-weight ratio.
Mark Asanovich
One of the NFL’s most experienced strength and conditioning coaches, Asanovich used his high-intensity training techniques during his spells with the Minnesota Vikings, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Baltimore Ravens, and Jacksonville Jaguars.
With fourteen years of NFL Strength and Conditioning experience, Asanovich believes that players are coached in the weight room will develop better results. The mantra is “maximize physical potential and minimize physical injury.”
Having trained a number of Pro-Bowlers and Hall-of-Famers such as Derrick Brooks, Cris Carter, Randall McDaniel, John Randle, and Warren Sapp, Asanovich can rightly claim to be among one of the best around.
Joe DeFranco
For over 30 years, Joe DeFranco has rightly been regarded one of the world’s most respected strength coaches. NFL athletes, WWE Superstars, Olympic athletes, and UFC fighters have all benefitted from his considerable knowledge and expertise.
In 1998, DeFranco graduated from the College of New Jersey with a B.S. in Exercise Science. Shortly after he joined Parisi Speed School where he was promoted to Director of Strength. In 2003, DeFranco’s Gym opened. In 2011 it was named one of America’s 10 Best Gyms by Men’s Health Magazine and recognized as one of the most innovative gyms in the world.
Joe’s NFL dream ended when he was diagnosed with a tumor in his spine during senior year of high school. After 5 years in and out of hospitals and multiple back surgeries, he began his journey towards being a coach. His focus, and that of all the best personal trainers out there, became all helping others achieve their dreams.
