Joey Thurman’s Five Tips to Becoming A Celeb Trainer

Chicago’s top celeb trainer explains what you need to know:

There is no one more valuable on a celebrity’s trainer team than their fitness trainer. “When Chris Pratt went from ‘dad bod’ to ripped, his career skyrocketed,” explains Joey Thurman, model, celebrity fitness trainer, and nutrition expert, “He is starring in the most lucrative movie of all time, and it just couldn’t have happened without his trainer coaching him to physical perfection.”

But becoming a celeb trainer isn’t easy. It requires a unique set of skills and determination, explains Thurman. Here are his top five tips:

1. First, you have to be willing to sweat with the best. “Listen,” says Thurman, ”It’s not enough for your body to be on point (although it definitely has to be). But you also have to be willing to sweat with your clients. Not only does this give them extra motivation, it helps them see the correct form and gives them something to work towards.”
2. Second, you have to be able to keep secrets. “You are probably going to have to sign a non-disclosure agreement in order to work with a celeb,” he says, “As a trainer, you are going to be in their home and working with them intimately. You learn about everything from their health conditions to their sex life. So you gotta be able to stay professional and keep secrets.”
3. Third, you have to be able to speak truth to power. “It can be really hard to tell a beautiful and powerful actress that her abs need major work, but that is part of the job. I don’t believe in wasting time on tact or being phony. I tell my clients the truth, even when it could be painful to hear, and even when I could get fired because of it. At the end of the day, they respect my integrity.”
4. Fourth, you have to stay current. “Celebs always want to know about the latest and the greatest thing. They want to be on the top of every trend, whether it’s something like SoulCycle, Bikram Yoga, Barre, juice cleanses, b-12 shots, you name it. All of those trends started in L.A.and N.Y.C. with celebs, and then they spread to the rest of the nation,” explains Thurman, “In today’s landscape, that means being on the holistic train as well. People are shying away from Western medicine a bit. They don’t want to turn to drugs for everything. As a trainer, you can be a fountain of knowledge for everything from vitamins to herbs to acupuncture to massage.”
5. Fifth, you have to know celebrities! “You can’t work with celebrities if you don’t know any,” laughs Thurman, “So get yourself out there. Network. Go to events. Get a publicist. Have a strong media presence. Hustle, hustle, hustle!”

About Joey Thurman:

Joey Thurman is a health, fitness, nutrition expert and the creator of The Lifestyle Renovation, a website dedicated to helping people achieve their health and fitness goals. Joey was named the best trainer in Chicago by the Chicago Sun Times in 2015 and NEWBEAUTY.com‘s top 3 favorite celebrity trainers. He has appeared on CBS, WGN, FOX, ABC and WCIU sharing his insights as a celebrity fitness trainer, published author and nutrition expert. Joey’s work has been featured in publications such as U.S. News and World Report, NPR, People Magazine, Livestrong.com, BodyBuilding.com, Inspiyr, TimeOut Chicago, RedEye, American Global Traveler, CaliDiet, Chicago Sun Times, and Brazen Women.   Joey is a fashion model represented by Chosen Model Management where he works with brands including Neiman Marcus, Abercrombie, Jockey, Kohl’s, and Carson Pirie Scott. He has also appeared on the covers of Healthy for Men and TimeOut Chicago. Joey is a Certified Personal Trainer (CPT), a Fitness Nutrition Specialist (FNS), a Certified Corporate Nutrition Professional (CCNP) and a FITchef. Fitness Reel:  http://youtu.be/2ljeGMEhSME