“I help clients discover their strengths physically and emotionally which provides a foundation for their well-being. “

Results Personal Training, run by Leo Frincu, is a world class fitness facility in the heart of Sherman Oaks. The training system is conducted by former athletes and the PT training system is designed to adapt a world class system used by athletes to a customized system for the average person.

Results Personal Training aims to incorporate personal coaching with fitness training under one roof. The mission is to help people accomplish their fitness goals along with their career/personal/and professional goals.

MO: Tell us about your background and what makes you a great personal trainer?

Leo: First of all, I like to call myself a professional trainer instead personal. I am a professional. It is my job, my career. I probably need two days and lots of paper only to describe half of what I’ve been through growing up under communism. Let me illustrate just a couple of examples to show how life was like in communist Romania … Communism meant waking up at 4am on Saturday and having only 30 minutes for all 5 family members to take a shower before shutting off the hot water for the day; Communism meant curfew at 10 PM, and when I say curfew, I mean the entire city as well as the electricity everywhere and the phrase “Lights out at 10PM”, was programmed into my brain or suffer the consequences. Believe me, life wasn’t too wonderful during that period of time, however, I learned a valuable lesson. I learned to not take anything for granted and appreciate people and life in general, and that reflects in my work, in my career as professional trainer. It helps me in teaching people discipline and will power, something I need it growing up under such an oppressive government. Furthermore, structure is something I also try to instill into my clients. On a daily basis, we all need structure in order to accomplish anything, from weight loss to increasing the quality of life. I am certified as a life/career/wellness coach, and that compliments my fitness training. I help clients discover their strengths physically and emotionally which provides a foundation for their well being. I often have clients coming inn to get in shape and lose weight and end up becoming successful in all areas of life, professional and personal. It’s like accomplishing two goals for the price of one. You can’t go wrong with that.

MO: How were you able to increase capital during a weak economy and create a world class training center?

Leo: Great question… it comes down to doing what you love. If you have a passion for something, people will be able to see that. People who strive towards a goal want to be motivated by someone that is also driven to succeed. I make people feel good about themselves. Its like a drug, you cannot get enough of it. For some people personal training its a luxury, for my clients becomes a necessity. When you start improving in all areas of life, you will still want to continue to improve and that’s what I provide, a way to realize that. Because of that people will continue to use my services. Its simple. My success is measured by my clients’ success, if they’re successful, I’m successful. As they experience success, they start referring their family members and friends and it becomes a snow bowl effect. Also, here at Results, everyone is a professional. Usually people minimize the profession of personal training by calling them babysitters but there is also an education and understanding of how the body works so for example if someone who has a limitation how would one approach that?

This is our job, not just something that pays our bills, it is our career and we have to be educated to be competent as professionals. People need to have a comprehension of what we do. We are not actors that work as trainers; we are former world class athletes working as trainers which are very different. People treat that with more respect. Professional training is a career, a lifestyle and people can see that.

MO: What techniques do you use to adapt systems used for world class athletes to the average person looking to get fit?

Leo: First of all, discipline. Most trainers are dealing only with the physical aspect of their clients’ workout; I’m focusing also on the mental aspect. Fitness doesn’t stop when you exit my Gym door, it continues 24/7. Fitness is not only one hour 3 times per week, it’s a way of living. My background as a former World wrestling Champion taught me valuable lessons in discipline and will power and I’m proudly sharing my experiences and values to my clients. I’m teaching them how to cope and deal with their vices and weaknesses, because we all have them. I’m teaching them the mental aspect of their fitness. My goal every training session is that I want my clients to benefit physically and psychologically each time. I’m taking their workouts to the next level, I’m bringing routines I have implemented with the Olympic team and customize it for my clients. It provides a challenge for me as a trainer to create a comprehensive and equally to the client to participate. It’s a lot of fun.

MO: Your website LeoFrincu.com definitely portrays your personal brand as a trainer. With Results Personal Training are you trying to create more of a company around that brand, or maintain the personal brand?

Leo: My company/Gym represents myself, professionalism at the highest level, we go hand in hand. I will distinguish myself as a brand rather then just a gym. I want in the future to focus more in consulting and helping people accomplish what I did. That is my ultimate passion, helping people achieve their dreams. Helping people open/expand/acquire a business and achieve the American dream, like myself. I want to use my background and life coaching skills to bring the best out of my clients.

MO: You were named the Romanian Athlete of the Year in 1994. Congrats! Tell us about this experience?

Leo: Wow, that is one of my biggest accomplishments of my life. After wining the World title in 1994, I was nominated and won the best junior athlete in Romanian in 1994. It was the highest point in my wrestling career. That is every athlete’s dream. I have a funny story about that; After the award ceremony, which was live on national television, in which I was awarded with the highest of honors, I had to take the subway on my way home by myself holding a large bouquet of flowers along with a huge trophy. People were starting to recognize me and start asking me for autographs and wondering how come such a big athlete like me is taking the subway…The answer was simple, I didn’t own or know how to drive a car at that time…

MO: What do you believe is the biggest misconception people have about personal training?

Leo: Like I said earlier, people think personal training isn’t a real job and I want to clarify that for everyone who shares the same opinion. Personal training for me is a form of art. I’m the artist and the canvas is my gym in which to create from. Everyone can count the repetitions and handle the weights, but creating a perfect workout program is an art. You need to be present and pay attention to details. You need to be one with your client, to notice the change in energy and adjust the workout accordingly. You need to be focused.

Every day I’m dealing with several clients with different physical issues and needs. Every hour I am dealing with a different person with also a distinguishable personality, therefore I need to adapt and cater to each individual in a different way, and I have to do that 10 to 14 hours a day. I have to bring a high level of energy to every person, from the first client which is usually around 5 am to the last one which sometimes can be around 8PM and everyone is entitled to the same level of positive energy because that is what they are paying for. They’re not paying for me to tell them that I’m tired and haven’t eaten in hours. I have to treat every person like it’s the most important person to me at that time. That can be tiring sometimes and I wouldn’t be able to do it if I didn’t have a passion for it. Personal training gives me the opportunity to have a positive and healthy impact in peoples’ lives. I want to make a difference, I want to see people happy and successful and personal training helps me accomplish that. I’m blessed to be able to live my passion.