Working alongside a personal trainer can give people an incredible edge with their health and fitness goals. It’s often an investment that pays back far more than they expect. So with the internet making it possible to work with a personal trainer anywhere in the world (provided they have an online business), who are the best of the best?
These trainers aren’t just getting incredible results for their clients but they’re actually influencing the rest of the fitness industry. These are the trainers that other trainers look up to and admire.
1. Nick Mitchell
Nick is the founder of Ultimate Performance. He’s based in London but with facilities operating on four different continents globally. He’s authored four books on body transformation and runs a team of 250 elite trainers. Nick recognises that to be a truly great personal trainer, you cannot neglect the business skills required. These are the same skills which gave allowed him to grow a huge international business while genuinely impacting the personal lives of his clients and helping them transform their bodies, mindset and lives into what they really want.
2. Matt Roberts
London based trainer Matt trains a roster of celebrity clients, is a published author and has his own brand of fitness clothing. But despite this borderline celebrity trainer status, he remains grounded. He knows that working with regular people and helping them to achieve the results they’re looking for is what gets referrals, and word of mouth business. After 23 years of experience in the fitness industry, Matt knows something about being able to relate to others and considers interpersonal skills to be one of the most important assets an aspiring trainer can possess.
3. Louise Parker
Exercise professional Louise has published a number of books which have become Sunday Times bestsellers. This isn’t a common achievement, and is evidence of the relatable and compassionate way that Louise discusses the relationship between nourishing your body with food and staying “lean for life”. Since starting her company in 2007, Louise has helped close to 20,000 individuals - a phenomenal number! Louise has taught her methods to a team of coaches so that she’s able to impact even more people each year. Louise is an advocate of connecting goals with values. Both from the perspective of a client connecting with their goal, and also from the perspective of a business owner. Operating from a place of vision means that you’re able to genuinely help people in a way which is meaningful and valuable to them.
4. Shaun Stafford
With a Masters degree in strength and conditioning from Oxford University, Shaun left university and went into a bodybuilding career. He followed that with a semi-professional rugby career and more recently focused on personal training. He supports a number of clients, notably those in a rugby arena from his performance gym and has a huge presence of social media. But despite this level of influence, he encourages aspiring trainers to focus their energy into what’s important to them. He reminds them that an online following isn’t necessary to have a profoundly important impact on someone’s life and to double down on those things that you’re good at and that make you happy.
5. Scott Laidler
Scott is regularly asked to feature as a consultant in fitness magazines and write a regular column in The Telegraph on maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Scott firmly believes in mastering your craft by honing your understanding of your physiology and how your body works in relation to your mind. Scott puts the client relationship at the forefront of all decisions and uses emotional intelligence to help the client to get the best results possible. When outsourcing tasks like marketing or advertising, he cautions against outsourcing something that you have absolutely no idea about because without at least some knowledge it’s difficult to gauge how effectively the work is being done.
6. Embody Fitness
The personal trainers at Embody work very closely with individual clients to help them to achieve a truly transformational experience. With support for nutrition and training complemented with rehabilitation for injuries, sports massage and even osteopathy, this gym is offering a genuinely profound experience for lifestyle transformations. With glowing recommendations across fitness magazines and related publications, the gym has even won awards for style! Definitely not your basic, standard gym.
7. CSS Fitness
CSS Fitness are an award-winning gym and personal training facility based in Leeds, UK. They have a wide range of personal training packages to suit goals related to weight loss, muscle building and specific performance goals for endurance events. Operating out of a well equipped facility, The Graft Haus, the personal training team are so sure that they can help any committed person to reach their goals, that they give a personal guarantee of results, backed up by extensive testimonials and transformation photos on their website.
8. Leading Edge NY
Leading Edge is a group of personal trainers based in the fast-paced and competitive New York City. To stand out in New York, you need a genuinely impressive product or service, and relentlessly execute your business vision to the highest possible standard. These personal trainers will come to your home in NYC, Brooklyn and Queens to train you face to face. But if you’re not in the area, they also offer an online training service which includes nutritional support. With one to one and virtual groups on offer, there are a number of ways to get the body of your dreams - and a method to suit every budget.
9. Recharged Personal Training
Based in Brisbane, Australia, Recharged Personal Training helps to connect people who are looking for some help with their health and fitness with the perfect local trainers for them. Owner, Gary Stimson, recognises that the “best” personal trainer is the one that’s perfect for the individual.
Finding the right trainer for you is key to having a positive experience with a trainer, and the relationship you develop with your trainer will be an important factor in how well any client is able to connect with their programming and performance. Very affordable, and totally flexible with the options to stack and combine one to one personal training with group fitness classes. This is a personal touch that helps to find just the right match for your needs.
Finding the right trainer for you is key to having a positive experience with a trainer, and the relationship you develop with your trainer will be an important factor in how well any client is able to connect with their programming and performance. Very affordable, and totally flexible with the options to stack and combine one to one personal training with group fitness classes. This is a personal touch that helps to find just the right match for your needs.
10. Benjamin Stone
Los Angeles based personal trainer, Benjamin Stone, works with clients all over the world through his online personal training platform. He describes himself as a personal fitness concierge and supports clients with not only their training in the gym but also with their nutrition, and lifestyle factors which can optimise and fast track results. One of the biggest advantages of online training - aside from the scope to choose from the best fitness professionals on Earth, is the flexible and highly personalised support they are able to provide in these areas other than exercise.
11. X-Fit Personal Training
This is a team of incredibly talented, educated personal trainers based in a Bankok. They provide in home personal training for clients who need the flexibility of one to one support at their homes. Their training is underpinned with nutritional guidance and takes a total body training approach.
X-Fit has been established since 2005, and relies heavily on one method of marketing: simply getting incredible results for their clients as quickly as possible. All programming is based on solid foundational principles found in exercise science and physiology. Fitness assessments are carried out in line with NASM and Ace protocols and the analysis of performance is based on data collected before adjustments are made.
X-Fit has been established since 2005, and relies heavily on one method of marketing: simply getting incredible results for their clients as quickly as possible. All programming is based on solid foundational principles found in exercise science and physiology. Fitness assessments are carried out in line with NASM and Ace protocols and the analysis of performance is based on data collected before adjustments are made.
12. Alexia Clark
Alexia is an online fitness coach that provides new daily workouts, nutrition support and direct one to one accountability if you need it. Her goal is for you to feel constantly challenged and stimulated by your workouts. Not just physically, but mentally too. She creates daily challenges to keep motivation high and to promote a sense of community within her “QUEENTEAM”. Membership to the group training programme is extremely affordable, and her social media is full of great ideas that can be incorporated to any at home training plan.
13. Jamie Alderton
Jamie Alderton is extremely well known in the UK for dropping his “daily knowledge bombs” on his social media accounts, his sea dips (even in winter!) and his group training programme, “Train With Jay”. The six week challenge is extremely affordable and includes the support and accountability of a free Facebook group. This creates a sense of friendly competition and camaraderie each day of the challenge. He runs competitions to win gym equipment and is dedicated to pushing himself even harder than he pushes his clients - with huge fitness challenges like Box Jump Everest being undertaken for charity.
14. Kayla Itsines
Kayla is the Australian co-creator of the Bikini Body Guides. She provides 28 minute workouts to women all over the world who are looking to sweat, have fun, and enjoy getting into shape. Her training is delivered via an app called Sweat With Kayla, and has a thriving community of women who are growing in body confidence with Kayla’s guidance. Her six week group coaching programme is responsible for transforming the bodies of millions of women across the world.
15. Christian Thibaudeau
Christian’s name will be familiar to regular readers to T-Nation, and he offers two main services on his website: Online coaching with and without nutrition support. Currently, at the time of writing, both these services are fully booked and there’s a waiting list to get on any form of coaching from Christian. Christian’s unique method of coaching involves Neurotyping - a method of selecting the right training programmes, nutrition protocols, and supplementation plans based on your unique brain chemistry.
16. Sebastian Oreb
Sebastian is one of Australia’s leading strength coaches, and works with some of the country’s professional athletes and elite trainers. Sebastian practices what he preaches, having reached significant success as a powerlifter, he’s supported others in weightlifting, rugby, boxing, and a range of other contact supports. As he says on his website, he is “the go to guy to get strong”. Face to face coaching is currently unavailable, but Sebastian has the strength system online - a group coaching option, as well as one to one online training available.
17. Brett Bartholomew
Known for his published work “Conscious Coaching: The Art & Science of Building Buy-In” he achieved respect and success among coaches who admired his ability to explain the essence of coaching from the perspective of personal relationships. Brett has coached a wide range of athletes, across 23 professional sports, including the NFL, NBA, MLB, UFC, MLS, and NCAA, and the Olympics. Outside of professional sports, he’s coached members of the U.S. Special Forces and Fortune 500 companies to achieve their very best potential - both inside and outside the gym.
18. Team Body Project
These guys rock the home workout scene, with videos suitable for every level of ability. The great thing about Team Body Project, is that their trainers are mindful of Including low impact exercises that minimise joint pain and focus simply on getting people off the couch and moving in a way that’s enjoyable for them. With on demand workouts from home, new workouts every week, and support from a friendly team of personal trainers, Team Body Project really works hard to eliminate all barriers to entry no matter what your experience level.
19. Aaron Horschig
Dr. Horschig is probably one of the most generous people on social media, with endless patience and free advice for those following his account Squat University. A published author, and doctorate in physical therapy, he definitely knows his biomechanics, but is able to explain complex ideas in a way which is informative, educational and entertaining - even for the lay person. Aaron is an accomplished Olympic weightlifter, and uses his time under the barbell to not just to talk about optimising technique but also to prevent injury and rehabilitate weak or lagging areas.
20. Lucas Sheehan
London based Lucas believes everyone has the right to love their body. He takes an approach which is educated, experienced and honest about what’s actually important. No more confusion or chasing shiny objects. Lucas offers one to one and online coaching to help clients to get into the best shape of their lives, and - like his clients - he’s really motivated by that transformational before and after.
Conclusion
As you read through this list, know that this list isn’t written in order of significance. This is a worldwide collection of personal trainers and online coaches who are making a real difference in the lives of their clients and in the fitness industry as inspiration for other coaches who want to grow their fitness businesses in a similar way and make the same level of impact. Some of the personal trainers listed are extremely well established in their field, some even are published authors and while some others are less established, everyone on this list has made it on because of their commitment and dedication to supporting their clients to live their best, most ambitious lives. In writing this list of the top personal trainers in the world, we’ve tried to include a fair overview of a broad range of skill sets, and with a general outlook that reflects that breadth.
