Top 10 Best Celebrity Personal Trainers in the USA 

Celebrity personal trainers have the highest income in the fitness industry and often work only with a few people.

Would you like to become one? Check out how to become a celebrity personal trainer.

Celebrity trainers know what they’re talking about when it comes to keeping famous people shredded all year round or preparing them for a tour, movie, music video, and anything in between. They do not perform miracles. They are exceptionally qualified and experienced personal trainers and result-focused, charismatic, skilled communicators and experts in networking and marketing.

These top personal trainers pay extra attention to the business aspects of their work, such as marketing, networking, and branding. The top paid ones usually have different income streams from books, apps, merch, and other businesses related to health and fitness.

Let’s take a look at our list of some of the most famous personal trainers in the industry.

1. Gunnar Peterson 

Gunnar Peterson has worked with a wide array of A-list celebrities, including Kim Kardashian, Angelina Jolie, Sylvester Stallone, Bruce Willis, Dwayne’ The Rock’ Johnson, Jennifer Lopez, Penelope Cruz, Sofia Vergara, etc.

With over 28 years of experience, Gunnar Peterson is a Beverly Hills-based trainer of celebrities, athletes, and ordinary people. Formerly, he was the Director of Strength and Endurance for the Lakers. 

With his credentials, work ethic, persistence, and personality, he has managed to become the most wanted celebrity fitness trainer. 

Peterson is an expert in functional training and is known to be innovative in his programs. He is the founder of a full-service gym design company and has created gym machines and accessories like The Bottom Line and RAC. 

His book, G Force, which explains Peterson’s principle of 4F: Function, Foundation, Freedom, and Focus, is one of the most popular reads in the fitness and health niche.

2. Harley Pasternak

Trained celebrities include Lady Gaga, Alicia Keys, Jessica Simpson, Orlando Bloom, Halle Berry, Miley Cyrus, Jimmy Fallon, Ariana Grande, Rihanna, etc. 

Harley Pasternak has the most extended celebrity client list in the industry, making him one of the most sought-after top trainers. On his website, you can read what recognized people love about him and how many of them mention his nutrition advice. He comes from an educational background with a Master of Science in Exercise Physiology and an Honors Degree in Kinesiology. His book,  5-Factor Diet, is a New York Bestseller. He is also famous for designing highly innovative luxury gym facilities, for example, the gyms of the Four Seasons hotel chain.

Harley is cast in “Revenge Body with Khloe Kardashian” on E! and is a frequent contributor on Good Morning America on ABC.

3. Mark Jenkins

Trained stars include P. Diddy, Mary J. Blige, Beyonce, Busta Rhymes, Missy Elliot, D’Angelo, etc.

Celebrity personal fitness trainer Mark Jenkins has developed a reputation for achieving quick results after making P. Diddy a marathon runner in less than two months. He combines Pilates, Calisthenics, weight training, HIIT, boxing, kettlebell workouts, etc. He has also created a fitness program for children called Fun, Fly & Fit and International Fitness, a company that trains performing artists.

Although he’s not a television host himself, Jenkins has been featured on the TV channels MTV, BET, and E! Entertainment and in publications such as People Weekly, Muscle & Fitness, Self, Flex, Physical, King, XXL, Monarch, and J’Adore.

4. Ben Bruno

Trained celebrities include Jessica Biel, Kate Upton, Naomi Campbell, and Justin Timberlake.

Ben Bruno created ‘The Ten Training Commandments‘ to explain his philosophy, such as not skipping leg days, doing the hard and tedious work, and not overcomplicating fitness. He is a big advocate for women lifting weights. He’s not only a fitness expert but also a motivational speaker, always empowering his followers in social media posts. Bruno owns a line of apparel merchandise and fitness equipment from pool weights to the pentagon bar.

He was featured in Men’s Health, Women’s Health, Sports Illustrated, and ESPN with over 200 published articles.

5. Jillian Michaels

Famous clients include Pink, Julia Roberts, Amanda Peet, and Sarah Paulson.

Jillian Michaels comes from 17 years of experience in martial arts and holds certifications from AFAA, NESPA, and AFPA. Michaels got her big break in 2005 when she was cast as a personal trainer on the NBC reality TV show, The Biggest Loser. 

She combines strength training, kickboxing, yoga, Pilates, plyometrics, and weight training as a celebrity personal trainer. She is also the owner of the award-winning app, The Fitness App, which consists of home workouts for beginners to athletes with personalized meal plans, calorie tracking, etc. 

Michaels has also authored 9 New York Times Best Seller books on health and wellness. She also has her activewear line.

6. Lucas James

Lucas James is a “Five Star” rated Celebrity Personal Trainer based in Scottdale, Arizona. With an experience of over 19 years, Lucas designs personalized fitness programs combined with nutrition and meal planning.

His client list includes pro athletes, doctors, celebrities, CEOs, and corporate employees of US Airways, NIKE, World Star Hip-hop, NBA, Sotheby’s International Realty, etc. By measuring indicators such as body fat tests, resting heart rate, and other techniques Lucas James and his team of experts are focused on results and building long-term habits in their clients. He has been featured in CBSO, TMZ, the Arizona Republic, Arizona Entertainment, In Touch, BRAVO, etc.

James owns the only accredited luxury healthy lifestyle company that focuses on fitness, nutrition, and health in Arizona.

7. Aaron Williamson

Trained stars include Dwayne Johnson, Josh Brolin, Jamie Foxx, Zac Effron, Evan Peters, etc.

Aaron Williamson is known for transforming the physiques of actors, top athletes, and other film personnel. He is a highly motivational personal trainer who cares about empowering his clients beyond just training and fitness. Aaron has spent years in the Marine Corps, coming from a military background. After that, he decided to follow his dream and compete as a bodybuilder and coach-athlete.

Aaron now offers celebrity and athlete personal training worldwide, combining training techniques with nutritional advice. 

8. Jeanette Jenkins

The recognized client list includes Pink, Tia Mowry, Amber Rose, Tracee Ellis Ross, Nia Long, Kelly Rowland, Serena Williams, and Shonda Rhimes.

Jeanette Jenkins is known as “The Hollywood Trainer” from the list of many celebrities she had a chance to train and because she is the go-to person to prepare people for a movie in a short time.

With over 28 years of experience, Jeanette is the founder and President of The Hollywood Trainer LLC, author of The Hollywood Trainer Weight-Loss Plan, and creator of “The Hollywood Trainer Club.” The club offers customized workouts and eating plans for all the members and has a very supportive community.

9. Ted Ryce

Celebrity clients include Robert Downey, Jr., Sr. Richard Branson, Ricky Martin, and Fortune 500 CEOs.

Ted Ryce is all about avoiding the toxic diet and fitness culture of quick fixes and relies on a journey to keep you healthy all your life. He focuses on training people over 40 years old in his program called The Legendary Life Program. 

He is also the host of one of the most popular podcasts in health and fitness, the Legendary Life Podcast, with over 5M downloads.

10. Tracy Anderson 

Trained stars include Jennifer Lopez, Nicole Richie, Gwyneth Paltrow, Tracee Ellis Ross, Alessandra Ambrosio, Victoria Beckham, Olivia Palermo, Hilary Rhoda, etc.

Tracy is a fitness pioneer and founder of the Tracy Anderson Method. She gave shape to it through research, transforming her own body and doing so for other women. This method has proven to build lean muscles for women from different genetic backgrounds and body types. 

She also has created the PER4MANCE Program, where you can receive video coursework from Tracy and her team to balance the body, mind, and spirit. Besides, she owns an exercise DVDs line and a fitness apparel line.

Celebrity Trainers on Social Media Platforms

Instagram is the platform where the most famous personal trainers from the fitness world share their training expertise and exceptional knowledge of nutritional sciences. Thanks to their educational fitness videos, they can grow the number of their social media followers constantly.

Justin Gelband

Justin Gelband (@justin_gelband) is a renowned celebrity trainer recognized for working with female models, such as Victoria’s Secret representatives. Among his model celebrity clients are Irina Shayk, Miranda Kerr, Candice Swanepoel, and Romee Strijd. As a high-profile personal trainer and former professional swimmer, Justin is responsible for getting the top models into runway-ready shapes. Thanks to his expertise in training models, he’s been the so-called “model whisperer.” He uses Instagram to share snippets from his workout sessions with models.

Ross Dickerson

Ross Dickerson (@dickersonross) is an American personal trainer and a fitness expert in endurance training. His online community reaches a staggering number of 2.9 million followers. Through his Instagram page, you can access his official business website, which offers customized workout programs and personalized meal plans.

Alexia Clark

Alexia Clark (@alexia_clark) is another popular social media personality (2.2 million followers) specializing in physical fitness. Alexia, a fully certified personal trainer who calls herself the “Queen Of Workouts,” is particularly favored by her fitness fans for her workout creativity and diverse training plans. From light to intense workouts, strength training, or aerobic, she caters to various levels and types of physical activity. Her business website offers exclusive fitness programs built around 3 core pillars: exercise, nutrition, and support.

The Bottom Line

Many people may not realize it when watching their favorite movies and television shows, but personal trainers are the people responsible for the way a lot of the on-screen actors look. Their attractive physiques result from months of hard work and dedication, as well as carefully designed diets.

Acting is not the only area where personal trainers come in handy. Musicians and other stage performers must also be in top shape to withstand the energy-draining months they spend on tour. Celebrity personal trainers enable the entertainment industry as we know it to exist. Hopefully, this article will give them some more well-deserved recognition.