Celebrity trainer Gunnar Peterson's tips for a healthier life

Kim Kardashian, Jennifer Lopez, Angelina Jolie and Bruce Willis are just a few of the famous faces personal trainer Gunnar Peterson works with every day in his Beverly Hills luxury gym. One of LA's most sought-after trainers, Peterson shared his no-nonsense approach to getting to the gym, eating well, and feeling your best.


What are some of the biggest fitness or diet mistakes that you see your clients making?
Gunnar Peterson: People trying to right a lifetime of wrongs two weeks before a deadline. Overhauling their lives instead of improving it piece by piece in a way that will work for the long-term.

How can a busy person commit to a workout when it's so easy to let it slip through the cracks?
Write it in PEN! Treat it like an appointment, a job interview, or an oversold airline flight -- don't be late and don't miss it.

If you could offer one piece of advice on achieving better fitness, what would it be?
Strike a balance between resistance training, intervals, longer duration cardiovascular work, and flexibility. Don't stick with one approach then flip after a few weeks. Mix it up weekly, daily.

What are you some of your favorite post-workout snacks?
Gatorade's G-Series Protein Recovery Shake. Oatmeal, egg whites, blueberries.

What does a typical breakfast for you look like?
Vegetable juice, egg whites, hot sauce, blueberries, oatmeal, water.

What is your top advice for a better, more balanced diet?
Protein is key in my opinion. Vegetables are a must. Complex carbohydrates have to be used at the right time. Stay away from processed foods, refined sugars, and fruit juices.

Do you have a workout or life mantra?
"Have to." My brother said it to me once and it stuck. We do things because we are compelled to do them. We have to. There are no shortcuts.

Any guilty pleasures? And how often do you succumb to them?
Peanut butter. Any time it's in the house.

Do you have your own motivational struggles, and how do you overcome them?
I wouldn't call it motivational. I get tired when I keep shorting my sleep but I always make it to the gym. In our house, we live by this: "Never quit, never cancel, never be late." We've found it's a great way to live.

What is your approach to a happy life?

Kids first, work second, everything else works out.




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