Work, Work, Work! Celebrity Trainer Gunnar Peterson Gives 5 Tips to Get in Shape for Summer

Try Strength Training

The dad-of-three recommends that women should give strength training a shot. “That can be body weight, that can Pilates, that can be yoga,” he said. “So, you should be doing something that involves resistance training, something that involves some kind of cardiovascular — whether it’s a 20-minute walk after dinner or 20-minute walk before dinner, a spinning class. Your body is working different angles, different planes of motion.” In his gym, “If it’s not sustainable, it’s not successful” is written on the window, and Gunnar notes that everyone needs to do something in their routine that they can stick with. “You’ve got to find something that builds in. I start clients at two times a week, but if they can’t find a way to get in the gym, then they are not going to continue it.”

Consider Salmon

Obviously, not everyone is going to like the taste of salmon, but Gunnar advises to try the orange fish since it’s sold almost everywhere, and there are tons of benefits. However, it may not work for everyone. “For me, the go-to food is salmon, but it works for my body,” he said. “I can access it anywhere I am, almost any restaurant I go to will have that. I have it at home, if I go on a trip somewhere.” The Los Angeles Lakers’ Director of Strength and Endurance also said that going to a nutritionist is definitely worth it. “That is worth a one-time visit. You go to somebody one time and they tell you you need help with your vision. There is no reason you shouldn’t do that.”

Additionally, The Texas native is always on the go and relies on MITOQ — a supplement that is designed to support cell function and heart, liver, kidney and brain health. “It’s not a stimulant, it’s not energizing me like that, it just keeps me functioning at a higher level for a longer period of time, and I will take that.”

Invest in a Mark Bell Hip Circle

Everyone is different, but the one thing that Gunnar tells his clients to bring with them when they’re traveling is a Mark Bell hip circle. “It’s a rubberized band that is easy to slide up and down, doesn’t curl when you slide it, you can put it above the knee, below the knee, or at the ankle. You can do these bended walks, an easy way to get the glutes to fire,” he dished. “You can do little step patterns in your hotel room.”

Sled Pushing Leads to Results

Somedays we just don’t want to work out, but Gunnar revealed that he has a lot of his clients push a sled, so that they can get the results they want. “If you’re pushing the low slide of the sled, it’s push, whether it’s 10, 12, 20 steps, stop, 5, 8, 10, 15, pushups, push it again, same thing, push it again,” he said. “Then, coming back where you’re holding the high side of the sled, it’s push, same number of sets, stop, and then a lunging pattern — whether it’s a lunge to the side or a twisting lunge, a real lunge, then another x amount of steps, then another lunge pattern. It’s coupling the movements. There is a monster metabolic spike, there is a monster spike in heart rate.” Got all of that?!

At the End of the Day, Enjoy the Workout

It’s hard to hold yourself accountable all of the time, but Gunnar revealed the advice he gives his clients when they are in a rut. “Look, you didn’t get here overnight, you’re not going to get where you want to be overnight, so be patient with it,” he said. “If you can find a way to enjoy what we’re doing, enjoy the work, the end goal seems to come faster. You stop looking at the destination and you start enjoying the journey. I know that may sound corny or contrived, but it’s really true.”

BRB, going to sign up for a gym class ASAP.