For Jason Cerniglia, the health club industry was a perfect match. Armed with a passionate commitment for healthy living, Jason’s bringing a healthy blend of personal and professional commitment to his members.
Jason Cerniglia has been obsessed with healthy living since he first started lifting weights back when he was 13 years old. It was a passion that stuck with him through his high school and college days, but it was never something he thought of doing as a career. Stuck in a sales job that didn’t inspire him, Jason’s passion for fitness was so evident that people started asking him to help them get in shape. Pretty soon, Jason was a qualified personal trainer, and his “side gig” was bringing in more money than his career. Jason quit his sales job and never looked back.
“I think I’ve just always been the type to go all out when there’s something I’m really interested in,” Jason says.
His personal training business morphed into a full scale fitness club to keep up with demand for his personal training services. “I was doing personal training and nutrition seminars-basically, I was selling every hour I had. I was maxed out. The only way I could grow from that point was to open my club.”
Now as the owner of Hoover Fitness in Hoover, Ala., Jason says he has the best of both worlds: a growing fitness club with devoted members and plenty of opportunities to share his personal training and nutrition knowledge with eager listeners. Jason realizes that for many of his members, a health club owner needs to be an inspiration and a resource.
“I know I have to take care of myself and keep up my own exercise because my shape has a direct relation to the amount of business I can do,” says Jason. “I realize that I was my own best advertisement.”
It’s not a hard job for a guy who says his goal is to be in the best shape in the world. Jason’s commitment to healthy living manifests itself in a rigorous schedule of workouts and diets, but his realistic approach-“sometimes you just need to cheat,” he says about his weekend eating habits-makes him a role model his members can identify with as well as look up to.
Jason makes a point of doing plenty of his own workouts at Hoover Fitness, where members can see that he truly practices what he preaches. Plus, Jason adds with a grin, getting to work out at the office is one of the biggest perks of his job. “I like to think that by exercising in front of the members and staying in good shape that I am inspiring people to do the same,” he says. His presence on the floor makes him accessible to members, and he’s frequently approached by someone with a workout or nutrition question, which makes Jason’s day.
“I do not like to shove unwanted information down people’s throats, but I like to make people feel very comfortable with asking me questions or asking for advice, and when that happens I try to go out of my way to help people and go the extra mile when doing so,” Jason says.
MOTIVATION – “I am a perfectionist. I am not saying that I am perfect, but I always strive for perfection. That is one thing that keeps me motivated. ”
PHILOSOPHY – “My primary objective is to work hard. I have a motto that I go by: ‘Lift to get big, do cardio to get lean and diet for both.'”
HEROES – “My role models in the fitness industry are any of the little guys who have made it big against today’s corporate giants. They are the only thing saving this industry’s reputation. The fitness industry has taken a big hit with customer service over the past several years, and I feel these people who open their own gyms and pour their blood and sweat into it can possibly save that reputation.
My fitness role models are many of the Mr. Olympias from the 70s and 80-Frank Zane, Chris Dickerson, Arnold Schwarzenegger … These guys were in amazing shape at normal sizes.
My childhood role model was Michael Jordan. His pursuit of perfection inspired me to always be the best I could be.”
FITNESS – “Monday through Friday, I lift weights, do cardio every day and eat well. On the weekends, I rest a little and participate in some active sports like motocross and basketball. My workout regimen goes like this: Monday: Cardio/ Chest/Back/Shoulders/Abs; Tuesday: Cardio/Legs/Biceps/ Triceps; Wednesday: Cardio/Traps/Rear Delts; Thursday: Cardio/Chest/Back/Shoulders/Abs; Friday: Cardio/Legs/Biceps/ Triceps.
I lift heavy weights and do low reps. Usually four sets of 2 to 8 reps on each exercise. I am fairly strong for 180 pounds. I can bench 365 pounds and squat 315 pounds. I focus a lot on the big, traditional exercises such as bench press, squats, pull-ups, lat pull-downs, shoulder press and leg press. Over the course of a week I do a lot of different exercises for each body part, but I focus the most on the “big” exercises.
I do cardio 5-6 times per week. I believe that the best results come from hard work, so I do very high-intensity cardio workouts. I usually go for 20 to 30 minutes total. I think it is much better to work hard for 20 minutes than to go easy for an hour. My cardio motto is: ‘It’s not how far you go or how long you go. It’s how hard you work.’
The cardio that I do most often is running, but I also vary it up with stair stepper, elliptical and bike. I usually will run for 20 minutes, then step or bike or elliptical for an additional 5 to10 minutes. Some days I will take a break from running and just do the other machines. This gives my joints a break, and it also helps me keep from getting “used to” running.
I feel that variety is very important in weight training and cardio. You have to keep changing things up or else you will get used to it-and then it will become easy, and you stop seeing results.”
NUTRITION – “I am not one of these fitness people who says that you have to eat, eat and eat. I believe controlling calories is the most important thing. On weekends I cheat a little and eat pizza or dessert and drink some beer. I don’t think you should ever diet 100%. You will not last. You’re better off eating well 80 to 90% of the time and cheating some. So many people are so concerned with eating the right amount of fat, carbs, protein and this or that, and they end up eating thousands of extra calories. I believe that you should get good amounts of nutrients and balance them out, but you have to maintain your calorie total. You can get fat by eating too much healthy stuff! While what you eat is important, don’t forget that how much you eat is even more important.”
