May 15, 2017

Meet Jeff Palmer of Personal Training by Jeff Palmer in Loyola Marymount University

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jeff Palmer.

Jeff, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I was overweight my entire life, but at the age of 13, with the fear of high school looming over me, I decided I needed to change. The years of bullying, fighting and sadness had to end. I enlisted the help of a personal trainer and with his help I reached my fit7ness goal. After a year of hard work and dedication, I lost 127lbs. Ever since I lost that weight, I knew fitness was my passion. I vividly remember showing my friend how to properly bench press (at the young age of 15) and I had a light bulb moment. Helping people reach their goals was something I found immensely rewarding, even at that young age, getting into shape can be a hard and stressful prospect as I learned, but I take pride in knowing I can make working out both fun and rewarding. As soon as I turned 18, I earned my PT certifications and went to work. Throughout the years, I have worked at private gyms, big corporate gyms and taught boot camps both large and small. All the while I was working at Loyola Marymount University, my Alma matter. I have now gone on to become the Fitness and Wellness Coordinator here, where I find tremendous happiness and work satisfaction. Currently I am doing everything I love, personal training, teaching group fitness classes and managing our student personal trainers. It is my hope to instill in them the passion that I have for helping others achieve their goals. LMU is really at the heart and center of LA, so I have a wonderful ability to reach out to people all over Los Angeles and inspire them to be healthy. I was recently featured in Men’s Health Magazine for my weight loss story, which has always been a dream of mine. It’s so rewarding to see all of my hard work pay off, and I am so excited for the future. I’m ready to change the world!

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Certainly not, it never is! I think if you never have any bumps on your journey, something is probably wrong. I’ve wanted to be a trainer since I was a kid and I always knew getting there would be challenging. I can’t tell you the number of times my superiors told me becoming a trainer or a fitness expert was a bad idea. I never let the doubters get into my head. This industry can be incredibly competitive and cutthroat. Everywhere you look there is a new gym, trainer, diet trend or fitness fad popping up. The most challenging thing in this industry is staying both humble and eager to learn from others. I try to embrace every challenge that inevitably comes way. Every day I wake up I make sure that no matter what is going on in my life, that I will always have both the energy and confidence to help others reach their fitness goals.

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Personal Training by Jeff Palmer – what should we know?
I am currently the Fitness and Wellness Coordinator at Loyola Marymount University. I work in the Burns Recreation Center where I specialize in 1 on 1 personal training, group training, group fitness classes and I also manage the student personal trainers. It’s challenging and incredibly rewarding.

I am most proud of my ability to help people overcome their health issues. Most people who train with me find me easy to get along with and easy to work with. Nothing is more satisfying than having a client reach their fitness goals and become a healthier person. Many of my clients are just happier in general when they work with me and see the benefits that exercise can bring. For example, today my client told me that her anxiety has significantly died down since she began working out last month. Hearing that makes everything worth it!

I think what sets me apart as a trainer is my experience with being morbidly obese. Most trainers can bark orders and throw hard workouts at you, but what I think they lack is empathy. I understand what it’s like to struggle with obesity, it is both physically and emotionally painful. I think my understanding of what my clients are truly going through, sets me apart.

Pricing: