Jon Jon Park is the CEO and founder of Legacy Gym, a state-of-the-art personal training center in Los Angeles.
Jon Jon has channeled his 30 years in health and fitness to develop an impressive collection of exercise and nutritional programs for his clients. From competitive athletes and actors to individuals aggressively pursuing weight loss and strength building to clients that use his on-site physical therapy as they recover from serious injuries, he is well-equipped to handle it all. Jon Jon’s work with world-class athletes includes core strength, balance, flexibility and cardio-vascular conditioning.
Jon Jon has devoted time to designing successful remedial and rehabilitation courses for the aging, physically impaired and those inflicted with sports-related injuries. He provides high risk pregnancy clients with pre/post-natal exercises and correct and ergonomic breathing techniques. Clients who prefer to train in the comfort of their own homes rely on Jon Jon to design their home gyms selecting appropriate equipment for their customized workout.
Prior to launching Legacy Gym, Park founded World Private Exercise in 1992, an exclusive personal training facility catering to a celebrity clientele. Fifteen years of hard work and dedication produced relationships with an array of renowned sports superstars including Oscar De La Hoya, Floyd Mayweather, Vlade Divac of the NBA Sacramento Kings and WBC Welterweight Champion Michael Cotto.
The apple does not fall far from the tree
Jon Jon Park possesses an extensive history of fitness that he shared with his father Reg Park, the legendary bodybuilder, three-time Mr. Universe winner and mentor and inspiration to Arnold Schwarzenegger.
As a former member of the British National Swim Team, Jon Jon participated in the 1976 Summer Olympic Games in Montreal. He later won a series of bodybuilding titles such as Mr. South Africa Maccabiah and Mr. Golden City. He has spoken on a number of issues including: pathological body image in the athletic arena, eating disorders and steroid abuse. He has been a guest lecture for the UCLA psychology department on exercise and nutrition and has been a panel member representing the American Psychiatric Association addressing the International Society for Sport. In 1995, Vogue magazine included him on their list of the top 55 trainers in the U.S.
Jon Jon’s fitness and health expertise will turn anyone into pinnacle shape.
Jon Jon Park currently resides in Los Angeles with his wife Michelle and three children, Trent, Travis and Savanah.
What are you working on right now?
I am working on a new training program geared towards getting children into shape for doing the sports they love. We help kids develop core strength and integrated balance and coordination to enhance performance in skateboarding, surfing, paddling and dryland training.
Trends in fitness or business that excite you?
Fitness trends have evolved quickly and dramatically in the past ten years. Some exercise equipment that excites me are the new portable systems with handles and pulleys. These portable systems can be packed into small bags so that individuals can stay in shape while traveling or sitting at home. One can achieve the same functional training and strength as they do in Pilates on these portable machines, by attaching them to a door handle, bar, beam or hook to the pulley. Duplicating these fitness moves allows one to achieve the same strength, balance, endurance and skeletal benefits as functional training pulley machines. The most recent portable machine on the market enables one to work each side of the body independently as opposed to both at the same time.
How do you bring ideas to life?
I bring ideas to life by experimenting with specific exercises and asking clients and trainers if they are interested in implementing this workout into their fitness program.
What is one mistake that you made, and what did you learn from it?
I have made numerous mistakes but the reason we make mistakes is to further our knowledge and to not repeat the same errors twice. As a trainer, clients trust that you understand the best exercises and will avoid injuring their bodies. Therefore, I try to keep my fitness exercises simple by avoiding heavy weights and body strains. Instead I focus on technique and posture because there is very little room for error with fitness and health.
What is one business idea that you’re willing to give away to our readers?
The best business idea is to provide customers with extraordinary service and to be cognizant of their specific needs and limitations.
What is one book and one tool that helps you bring ideas to life?
Many books, articles and websites offer great information on fitness. I am constantly reading, participating in continuing education classes and speaking to fellow professionals, physical therapists, osteopaths, doctors and nutritionists to expand my knowledge. Individuals can never stop learning and many books help you bring new ideas to life.
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Mario Schulzke is the Founder of ideamensch, which he started a decade ago to learn from entrepreneurs and give them a platform for their ideas.