Kung Fu Kendra / Fitness
Top 10
Fitness Trainers
The world's most dedicated, results-driven coaches — ranked.
Kung Fu Kendra / Fitness
The List
The fitness industry is a huge market with a ton of competition yet it can be difficult to find and keep a good fitness trainer. Fitness trainers not only help motivate you to get and stay fit, they work hard themselves to keep and maintain a healthy body and mind. Whether your goal is to lose weight, run a marathon or just to look and feel better, a personal trainer can help you get there.
These trainers have a tremendous amount of expertise and hands-on experience with a sincere dedication to see you reach your goals. They have a lot in common: caring, non-judgmental, yet able to tell you the straight and gritty truth. Here are the Top Fitness Trainers ranked from 10 to 1.
Jeanette Jenkins is the founder and president of the Hollywood Trainer fitness company. She studied human kinetics at NJCU and is the host of Lifetime Television's My Workout: Powered by Podfitness.com. She appeared on Fear Factor, won $50,000, claimed the title of first female winner, and is one of 17 experts chosen for Nike Corp.'s Elite Athletes program. She served as official spokesperson for The BET Foundation's A Healthy BET Campaign. Clients have included Kelly Rowland, Queen Latifah, Pink, Terrell Owens and Tia Mowry. She is also an expert on the Food Network's weight-loss show, Weighing In. "I was initially drawn to fitness through playing sports, specifically playing sports with my older brother Roger, who is an incredible athlete. I grew up playing with the boys, and at a very young age, I enjoyed the fire of competition, teamwork and working hard to achieve a goal."
Gunnar Peterson is an American personal trainer best known for his work with professional athletes and celebrities. He is also an author, speaker, creator of major fitness programs, and developer of fitness equipment with a focus on functional training. Peterson owns and operates a private training facility in Beverly Hills, California where he works out up to 9 clients per day. He told Sports Illustrated, "My main focus is function." J-Lo says he's the best trainer she's ever had, Sly Stallone was so grateful he cast Peterson in Rocky Balboa. His philosophy: "Get on a regular routine. Exercise should be a cornerstone of your life, like brushing your teeth. It's not even an option to blow it off."
Jackie Warner is an American fitness trainer best known for her participation in Work Out, a Bravo TV reality show. She owns Sky Sport and Spa, a gym and spa in Beverly Hills, California. In her own words, she is a small town girl raised on processed food and sugar. "By my early 20's, I was overweight, depressed, overstressed and not sleeping. While trying to find my own cure for being tired and miserable, I embarked on a life-changing journey that led to me getting certified as a personal trainer and owner of two world-class gyms in Beverly Hills." Jackie's Power Circuit Training Method combines free weights and body resistance with cardio acceleration — studies show her method burns fat for up to 13 hours after each session. More at Jackie Warner.
Kung Fu Kendra (Kendra Mahon) has been named Canada's Top Fitness Trainer — a Professional Black Belt Kung Fu practitioner with over 17 years experience in martial arts training under the direct lineage of Bruce Lee. She has worked with Canadian celebrities such as W. Brett Wilson (investor on Dragons' Den) and top-level executives including Michael Arrington, founder and former co-editor of TechCrunch. Kung Fu Kendra's proprietary Kung Fu style fitness training gets clients in shape while simultaneously teaching real self-defence skills. "Fighting for your life is the most intense workout." She comes with unparalleled reviews from CEOs including Hap Klopp (CEO & Founder, The North Face), Scott Jordan (CEO & Founder, ScotteVest), and Gil Penchina (former VP, eBay). See her full Reviews page and About Kung Fu Kendra.
Louis Jude Ferrigno Sr. is an American actor, fitness trainer, fitness consultant, and retired professional bodybuilder. As a bodybuilder, Ferrigno won an IFBB Mr. America title and two consecutive IFBB Mr. Universe titles and appeared in the documentary Pumping Iron. As an actor, he is best known for his title role in the CBS series The Incredible Hulk and has appeared in Sinbad of the Seven Seas, Hercules, The King of Queens and the 2009 comedy I Love You, Man. Ferrigno started weight training at age 13, citing bodybuilder and Hercules star Steve Reeves as one of his role models. His combination of real-world bodybuilding achievement and lifelong fitness mentorship firmly earns him a place on this list.
Like Kung Fu Kendra, Harley Pasternak is a Canadian personal trainer, motivational speaker, author and television host known for his books The Body Reset Diet and The 5-Factor Diet. Pasternak holds an honours degree in kinesiology from the University of Western Ontario and a master's degree in Exercise Physiology and Nutritional Sciences from the University of Toronto. During his time at U of T he served as a Nutrition and Exercise Scientist at the Department of National Defence's DCIEM from 2005–2007. His celebrity client list includes Adam Levine, Behati Prinsloo, Lady Gaga and Kim Kardashian.
Robert Harper is an American personal trainer, reality television personality, and author. He appears on The Biggest Loser, and on September 8, 2015, was announced as the show's new host, succeeding Alison Sweeney. He was also an advisor on The New Celebrity Apprentice and has worked as a personal trainer for celebrity clients including Jennifer Jason Leigh. Harper has been a trainer on the NBC show since 2004 and has appeared in several Biggest Loser DVD workouts. He is also featured in the first three seasons of the Australian version. In addition to writing and speaking engagements, Bob Harper teaches regular classes in Los Angeles and works as a yoga instructor.
Anthony Sawyer Horton Jr. is an American personal trainer, author, and former actor best known as the creator of the commercial home exercise regimen P90X. After moving to California in 1980, Horton became a personal trainer charging $20 per lesson. His clientele grew to include Bruce Springsteen, Usher, Tom Petty, Billy Idol and Annie Lennox. He appeared in the Thighmaster infomercial and starred in a number of exercise videos before creating P90X — Power 90 Extreme — his breakout hit, followed by P90X2 and P90X3. It's no wonder this pioneer Tony Horton is number 3 on our list.
Joe Wicks' fitness method uses short, intense High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) workouts. Starting off by posting 15-second recipe videos on social media, Wicks grew his brand to become one of the most followed fitness accounts on Instagram and YouTube. His first published cookbook Lean in 15 was a best-seller in 2015, selling over 900,000 copies. He has created a "90 Day Plan" with workouts and meals tailored to the individual and launched The Body Coach website. Joe Wicks has been recognised by Harper's Bazaar, Elle UK and Forbes for his online fitness efforts.
Jillian Michaels is an American personal trainer, businesswoman, author and television personality from Los Angeles, California. Best known for her appearances on NBC's The Biggest Loser, Michaels — like Kung Fu Kendra — is a black belt holder. She uses a blend of strength training techniques including kickboxing, yoga, Pilates, plyometrics and weight training. Since 1993, Jillian has held four personal training certificates from NESTA and The Aerobics and Fitness Association of America (AFAA), CanFitPro, and she is Kettlebell Concepts certified. She has also developed a continuing education series for trainers with AFAA and holds a nutrition and wellness consultant certificate with the American Fitness Professionals and Associates. More at Jillian Michaels.