Celebrities, A-listers, the rich and famous. We ogle them day in, day out. They’re usually in great physical shape, especially if a new movie or TV show requires them to alter their appearance and their enviable abs leave us questioning that third scoop of ice-cream.
But a perfectly toned temple can’t be bought; it takes time in the gym with an expert personal trainer. We spoke to Corey Calliet, a personal trainer for the likes of Michael B. Jordan and A$AP Rocky, to find out what it’s like to work with Hollywood’s elite – and how to get ripped fast.
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Corey didn’t jump straight into training celebs, but instead as a PT for ‘regular’ people. It wasn’t until a conversation with a friend in 2010 where he outlined his desire to move into becoming a celebrity PT that he started to put the wheels in motion. He said, “it’s been a hard journey, but I was consistent and persevered and eventually I broke into it [becoming a celebrity PT].”
But if you think the rich and famous get preferential treatment, think again. “Everyone gets the same Corey Calliet, we set goals, we push limits and we succeed and repeat.”
“I set out to help my cleints realise what they’re capable of, and I coach them with the formula to get the results they’re after – which is more often than not even more than they initially saw for themselves!”
And you can take some solace knowing that celebrities are just the same as you and me when it comes to wanting to take a break if the training becomes too intense: “Everyone, at some point, is going to feel like throwing in the towel when it comes to my training. It’s what I do.”
“I push people past the limits they create in their mind. However, the moment they realise they’ve broken a barrier they placed on themselves, they become hungry for more.”
While this works for A$AP Rocky and Michael B. Jordan, it’s important for the average gym-goer too – breaking mental barriers is an often-overlooked gym technique that tends to be forgotten in this era of updating your Tinder profile between sets, and listening to music to take the edge of that final rep.
To help them push past self-imposed boundaries, Corey likes to treat them as if they’re family: “I’ve had luck with it [being a celeb PT], I’ve had some amazing clients. I have a conversation with them to build a connection so they trust me. They have to listen to me for any change to happen at all.”
The takeaway for us regular folk? Listen to (and develop a good rapport with) your PT and focus on your training instead of your iPod, and you will see faster results.
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One of Corey’s big-screen highlights was getting Michael B. Jordan into fighting-fit shape for his role in the Creed movies. We asked him what process he has to go through when there are strict shooting deadlines in place.
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“Anytime I do a movie, I take four months before shooting starts. All I need is 12 weeks; it takes 16 weeks to transform the human body, but I can do it in 12.”
Corey puts this quick time-frame down to his expertly honed training style:
“We train with consistency and intensity. Everyday we set out to level up on the last. This type of progression day in and day out leads to powerful results.”
“I also implement strategic active rest days, which protects the body from burnout and allows it to repair and recover while continuing to move. We can more in a shorter period of time by applying all the right methods.”
Again: something the ‘every man’ can learn from. If you want to get ripped quick (whether it’s for a wedding or whether it’s because you don’t believe in moderation), seek the advice of a PT, for maximum efficiency.
If you happen to live somewhere other than Los Angeles, where Corey trains, you can subscribe to his curated workouts on the Fitplan app, or follow his personal blog posts on his website.