As an experienced fitness professional, I often get asked a lot of the same questions about my background, philosophy, etc. So I wanted to take this month to answer some of these same questions and give you a deeper look at what makes Giovanni Roselli tick.
When and why did you get into personal fitness?
“When I set out to become a professional wrestler, I knew that I needed to get in the best shape possible. Once I began transitioning out of full-time wrestling, I began receiving offers for personal training. Although I knew what worked for my body in regards to training, I began studying and learning about the complexity of the human body. I was fascinated and I was hooked. I sought to learn as much as I could and never looked back.”
What inspired you to become a personal trainer?
“Since I was a young boy, I have always had a love and passion for fitness and exercise. It makes individuals feel confident and empowered. I appreciate and respect the fact that it keeps us healthy and living well. As my career was transitioning, I couldn’t think of a more rewarding position than to help people with their health and fitness.”
What is your training philosophy?
“My philosophy for training is to have a well-rounded approach to health and wellness. Train for quality movement and in all directions, not dedicating too much time to specific muscles in isolation. Have a good, well-balanced mixture of bodyweight training, weight training and flexibility training. To go along with this, focus on moving well and without limitations first before advancing and trying to get more complicated. Stick to the basics and keep things simple. Find your lowest-hanging fruit and work to improve upon it, while challenging your strengths to make them even stronger.”
What has been the highlight of your career so far?
“As I continue to progress in my career, it has been extremely satisfying to mentor many up-and-coming fitness professionals. I’ve had and continue to have many mentors along my journey, and the fact that I can have an effect on someone’s career is something that I am proud of and take very seriously.”
What common mistakes do you see people making when it comes to personal fitness?
“Putting quantity before quality, having unrealistic expectations, not prioritizing nutrition (not just for exercise but overall health), neglecting recovery and working through pain. Additionally, there is so much conflicting, confusing information because ‘I read x/y/z in a magazine’ or heard ‘So and so said that I should do x/y/z.’ Overall I feel like a big mistake is a lack of planning. I see people walking around not really knowing what to do, how much, how long, etc. and they never make much progress. As Coach John Wooden would say, ‘Failing to plan is planning to fail.’”
How do you keep your clients motivated?
“To keep my clients motivated, I find what personally drives them. That may be to have the energy to play with their kids, minimize the pain that they may have been feeling for many years or get ready for an athletic performance. It could be myriad dreams and desires. I try to find the deepest meaning of everyone’s ‘why’ and tap into it.”
And, how do you keep yourself motivated?
“I’ve achieved everything I’ve set out for in life with hard work and discipline. With that being said, I am a firm believer that anything in life can be achieved depending on how much effort and work you put in. Every day is a chance to get a little better, and that is always my intention when my eyes open every morning.”
Reach Giovanni on Twitter @GiovanniRoselli and at his website, GiovanniRoselli.com.