June 24, 2016

Meet West LA Personal Fitness Trainer: Sai Krishnan

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sai Krishnan. He isn’t just a fitness trainer, he’s one of LA’s most talented and hardworking entrepreneurs. Below, you’ll find edited excerpts of our interview with Sai.

Sai Krishnan, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?

Years ago, I was interested in getting in shape myself. I started to read everything I could about it and realized that I could share my knowledge with other people. When I moved from New Jersey to LA, the mecca of the health industry, I was hired at 24 Hour Fitness in Santa Monica. The first few months were tough not because of training but because I had to be a salesman! Once I figured out that I’m selling something I loved to do, it became much easier and I started to get a steady stream of clients. Working with people of various fitness levels and ages made me better at what I do. Not only that, if you’ve ever been to that 24 Hour Fitness, you know how busy it gets. I had to learn how to train on the fly and change the workouts I originally planned depending on what equipment/weights and space were available. I couldn’t be and didn’t want to be a cookie cutter trainer that would give the same workout to everyone and stick to the same boring routine. It was my clients that encouraged me to go out on my own and I am grateful to them. I started The Sai Life in February of 2012, the day my New York Giants won the Super Bowl!! Ever since, I’ve been training outside in the Santa Monica/West LA area whether it was at the beach, local parks, neighborhood hills, or the Santa Monica stairs. The great city of Los Angeles, California is my gym! It’s been a fun ride so far. I failed a lot but I also learned a lot. The one thing I pride myself on is that if you come to me, you will get the best service around…BAR NONE!!!

Has it been a smooth road?

Like all businesses, the main obstacle is getting your name out there. I am not your typical trainer who lives and breathes working out 24/7. That lifestyle to me is a friggin’ snorefest!! What I am trying to sell is a balance of living a healthy lifestyle and having a good time. How do I stand out?! My milestones are my clients’ milestones whether it’s losing 50 pounds, running their first 5k, or doing a pull-up by themselves. They invest so much time and effort to come and train so when they do well, I take pride in that.

What are your plans for the future?

The Sai Life is all about debunking the myth that a healthy lifestyle means you can’t have any fun. You worked out hard all week and want to have a few drinks on a Saturday night? Go ahead! I REALLY believe in the message I’m trying to bring to my own clients and want to spread the word.

The first thing I’m doing is getting into online training. I’ve already started with a few of my former clients who are no longer in the West LA area. I am excited about it! The reason why I haven’t done a full launch yet is because we are in the process of creating a pretty kick ass Client Only Section of my website that will be unique to each person with their specific fitness program and meal plans as well as give them easy-to-use tools to help them reach their fitness goals. There’s more to it but that’s top secret!

Besides that, I would definitely like to have my own clothing line. And mind you, not just the crappy tagline t-shirt that’s not even funny and fades after two washes. I don’t want to be pigeonholed to just fitness clothing but every day wear. Basically, my dream is to be a mix of Lululemon, Ted Baker, and John Varvatos but affordable.

The last thing I would really like to get into is public speaking. The topics will range from what to look for in a good trainer, setting realistic expectations, food/carb addiction, workout and life balance, and getting rid of stereotypes caused by TV and social media where body shaming has become the norm.

Let’s dig a little deeper into your story. What was the hardest time you’ve had?

One of the hardest moments of my life happened in 2005 when my mom passed away from breast cancer. It was tough seeing her go through this horrendous struggle and feeling so helpless. When she passed away, the initial feeling was shock and then I was in a fog. That fog lasted awhile. But eventually, I realized I needed to get into a routine and that’s how I started getting into working out. I based my day around working out. It kept me busy, focused, and most importantly, gave me the idea of what I wanted to do with my life. And after a few years, it gave me the courage to pursue my dream of living in LA and becoming a personal trainer. I’ve always heard people say to find something you love to do and pursue that dream and I’m doing that now. Plus, I think my mom would be proud of me because I’m one doing one thing she loved to do and that’s help people.

Do you ever just stop and think WOW – I’ve made it?

Obviously, my growing bank account would be a sign of success but there are other ways of defining success to me. The first one is achieving my clients’ goals whether it’s losing weight, gaining muscle, or doing a pull-up by themselves. To me, that’s where I take the greatest pride knowing that all the stuff we did worked. The second one is when my clients refer me to people that they are close to. There is a certain trust that they know their friends, family, co-workers will get the same attention and they will be successful as well.

Pricing:

Trial Offers (New Clients Only) • FREE Unlimited 1 Week
$120 Unlimited 1 Month Monthly Membership
$200 for Group Training Unlimited Sessions
$150 for Group Training 12 Sessions
$100 for Online Coaching
***MEMBERSHIP DISCOUNTS FOR REFERRALS***
For VoyageLA readers, use promo code VOYAGELA and get the following discounts:
$100 for trial month of group training with unlimited sessions, only $150/month/unlimited to renew
$60 for trial month of online coaching, only $80/month to renew

Contact Info: