Getting into good shape is achievable for most people. Getting into exceptional shape requires a far more strategic approach.
It’s no coincidence that actors preparing for physically demanding roles, elite athletes competing at the top level, and high-performing professionals balancing relentless schedules turn to experienced personal trainers for help. At this level, training goes far beyond basic fitness routines and had to work with the pressures that come with demanding careers.
The best personal trainers often have key principles applied to their training that helps their clients get fit – and keep coming back. From Los Angeles to London, these ones are most in-demand.
Best personal trainers around the world
Jenny Pacey
Few trainers straddle Hollywood spectacle and elite athletic performance quite like Jenny Pacey. A Loughborough University sports science graduate, former GB international long jumper, and Olympic-level bobsledder, Pacey uses the “the programming and periodization principles employed by elite athletes,” she says. “My personal training technique is highly individualized.”
Her client list reads like a film credits roll. She trained Kristen Wiig for nine months for Wonder Woman 1984, developing strength and sprint mechanics to transform her into Cheetah. She also coached the film’s Amazon warriors and has recently worked with Rosamund Pike across two productions.
But her philosophy extends beyond aesthetics. “It’s crucial to understand that while muscle adaptation occurs quickly, tendon and ligament adaptation takes longer,” she explains, outlining her structured macro-, meso- and micro-cycle programming. Her aim? “To help clients feel like the best version of themselves. We focus on training thoughts just as much as we do on training muscles.”
Aimee Victoria Long
In London’s upper echelons of wellness, Aimee Victoria Long has built a reputation for results-driven training: “I’m a fairly laid-back trainer who understands the importance of balance,” she explains, but beneath that calm exterior is discipline.
Long combines Pilates, strength and conditioning, mobility, and cardio because, as she puts it, “real results come from a well-rounded approach. Nothing is one-size-fits-all; everything is built around the person in front of me.”
Training clients multiple times per week allows her to understand far more than just their squat depth. “That connection is what allows me to truly tailor everything – and really make them enjoy the sessions even if they can be brutal at times.”
Her perspective on luxury training is direct: “Paying a high price tag doesn’t guarantee results. Consistency, effort, and accountability matter far more.”
Emily Schofield
As gym manager of the Los Angeles outposts of Ultimate Performance, Emily Schofield is used to working with high performers. The brand’s client roster has included Glen Powell, Jonathan Bailey, Olivia Colman, Lily Collins, and Dave Bautista, to name a few – but for Schofield, profile is secondary to precision. “The clue is in the title,” she says. “Personal training should be completely personal.”
Her approach is deliberately hands-on and exacting. “A good personal trainer should be present for every rep their client performs. My role is to understand exactly what’s happening in someone’s body – and their head – in real time.”
That attention doesn’t stop when the session ends. “I’m in contact with my clients 24/7… helping them navigate travel, social events, demanding schedules.” She believes that results are built in the margins – the meals between meetings, the workouts squeezed into long-haul schedules.
And while red carpet transformations may grab headlines, her proudest achievements are less visible: long-term health shifts, including supporting a client into remission from type 2 diabetes.
Schofield’s hot take is refreshingly straightforward. “Losing body fat is not rocket science. The ‘magic’ is not about novelty. It’s about execution and consistency.”
Tom Brown
Celebrity trainer Tom Brown is the founder of 1st Class Bootcamp, a globally recognized residential retreat. “My personal training technique is rooted in positivity, honesty, and precision,” Brown says. “Real, lasting results come from more than just sets and reps – they come from strong relationships.”
His work spans elite athletes, including Olympic gold medal boxer Luke Campbell, through to clients seeking a complete lifestyle overhaul. Regardless of starting point, he begins with purpose. “I take the time to understand my clients’ ‘why’ – the deeper reasons behind their goals – because that’s what fuels consistency.”
His hot take challenges industry extremes. “You don’t need to train six or seven days a week, and you definitely don’t need to destroy yourself every session. Intelligent programming, proper recovery, and strategic nutrition always outperform overtraining.”
Roy Dian
Roy Dian, the founder of private personal training service Roydian and pioneer of the Roydian method, works with clients from a modernist private training suite in West Hollywood. Dian is renowned around LA for his high-profile clients, including Robert Pattinson and Chloe Kim, and most recently trained Hollywood actor Austin Butler for his upcoming role in Enemies, transforming him from his Caught Stealing character (which required him to gain 30 pounds) to shredded, in just 14 weeks.
His method is described as a discipline and lifestyle, which prioritizes health and longevity and marries clean movement mechanics, functional training, mindful nutrition, and rest and regeneration. A former bodybuilder, Dian’s exercise style combines the mobility of yoga with the conditioning of HIIT workouts, and the sculpting of bodybuilding and Pilates.
Chan also promises more than just workouts – his approach leans more towards the service of a fitness and wellness concierge. Him and his team assist with nutrition, physiotherapists, chiropractors, and masseuses, and he remains attuned to his clients even when they’re traveling outside of LA, coordinating nearby restaurants, guiding them on menu choices and organizing gym partners.