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Gunnar Peterson: Yes, I still do between seven and eight people a day; seven and eight, sometimes nine. I used to do between 12 and 15 a day but it’s harder and now I’m actually in transition with my gym. I’m starting up a new gym so I’m seeing most of my people in homes. So I’m doing about seven a day now. It’s a lot of driving in LA. Don’t – and I think you’ve heard about the traffic …
Kaiser Serajuddin: Yes, yes. Now even though you likely – you charge a premium in this industry, with all the ventures and your standing as a household name, I mean you don’t really have to see as many people. No offense but – I mean why do you do it? It can’t be from a financial perspective anymore.
Gunnar Peterson: Well, [0:00:38] [Indiscernible] but really it’s because I think once you lose touch with – that’s a core [Indiscernible]. That’s what I do and once you’re not there, not in the trenches, I think it’s hard to come across as genuine and real in what you’re pitching or preaching in the fitness world.
I mean I’m in touch with my clients. I’m in touch with trends. I’m in touch with fads. I’m in touch with new equipment, new technologies, new protocols. I try to stay on top of it as much of that as possible and actually when I’m on the road like this, it’s a great way to keep up from a reading and [Indiscernible] standpoint of all things fitness.
You will never be completely on top of the industry but I do try to stay tuned. I do go to trade shows. I go to seminars. I go to different gyms. I mean when I’m here on Long Island, I go from Equinox [0:01:35] [Indiscernible] the Powerhouse. Actually what everybody [Indiscernible] hardcore bodybuilder and I can take from each one of those and hopefully make my client experience not just more enjoyable but more efficient, more efficacious with a little bit of time they have put into their weekly or daily fitness regimen.
Kaiser Serajuddin: Yes. With all this information you get, I mean it allows you to train a wide client base. Your clients can go from anyone, from Mike Tyson to Brooke Burke and the difference in those two body types and goals obviously can’t be bigger. But we always hear about the importance of trainers to specialize. So why do you still – I mean how do you manage to successfully accommodate such a wide client base?
Gunnar Peterson: You got to take it into consideration. Like you just said, the body type, the pre-established fitness and fitness goals and limitations, exercise history, injury history and then you got to be realistic with what they can put it from a timeframe.
I mean when I was working with Mike, we were – an hour of cardio on the morning and he was at the boxing gym in the afternoon and he was back to cardio, strength training in the evening. I mean that’s very different from what someone of – on Brooke’s schedule can accommodate.
She has got [0:02:58] [Indiscernible] one or two shows. She had a number of appearances. She had to travel. She had photo shoots so it was get in the gym when she could, do what she could and she was very consistent and very diligent but she had a lot more going on than the laser-like focus of Mike Tyson’s pre-fight which was the four months I was with him.
Kaiser Serajuddin: Yes. OK. I mean just, Gunnar, from talking to you, even beyond what I knew from you already, I really see that it’s your integrity to the core of the profession that has really gotten you to the top and I think that’s just a situation that any trainer – no matter what their level, that they can really relate to.
Gunnar Peterson: I think the minute you lose focus on what you’re doing and you start trying to leapfrog or stray from what you really do well, I think you’re going to set yourself up to fail. You got to stay true to the training and I believe that means you got to stay in shape yourself.
Practice what you preach. I’m not saying don’t go out and have ice cream or drinks or whatever it is that you’re advised but you got to build it into your day, just like you tell your clients. I don’t have my clients weighing and measuring their food and getting on the [0:04:13] [Indiscernible] everyday and eating only from Whole Foods. I don’t have them doing that kind of thing. I have them doing something that’s really [Indiscernible] fitting with their life because that’s where it’s going to pay off.
Kaiser Serajuddin: Yes. OK. So Gunnar, I mean just on behalf of all the trainers out there, I want to thank you. You’re one of the reasons that I got serious about personal training and I’m sure that’s true with a lot of other trainers. I think a lot of our clients from seeing you on TV and with your clients, that motivates them to go into the gym and look for a trainer themselves. So I think every trainer owes you gratitude.
Gunnar Peterson: Well, I mean that’s a two-way street and remember I do this [0:04:53] [Indiscernible] and I was in the gym today for my workout [Indiscernible] airport and there were two trainers there who I know. They’ve written books. They’ve done a lot of things in the training world and we got bored and had some laughs and that’s the kind of camaraderie and the kind of brotherhood/sisterhood that exists in this industry. And if everybody is OK with sharing, there’s not only enough clients out there but there are enough opportunities out there and you’re spreading it. It’s the ones who [Indiscernible] and they don’t want to share and they don’t want to give back, they don’t want to make contact with the others. Everybody should be [Indiscernible]. I mean I will talk to anybody. I love hearing what they’re doing. I don’t mind telling them what I’m doing and I don’t think any of that stuff is proprietary. I mean it’s all out there.
Kaiser Serajuddin: All right. That’s just unbelievable. All right. Thank you again, Gunnar, for taking the time and talking to me today.
Gunnar Peterson: I appreciate it. You’re doing great …
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