GUNNAR GETS REAL

with… GUNNAR PETERSON The celebrity fitness guru pushes his famous clients hard — and they love him for it

Celeb trainer Gunnar Peterson dishes to In Touch on his clients.

He’s the man who helped Khloé Kardashian get her revenge body, sculpted J. Lo’s famous curves and has kept Sylvester Stallone in Rocky Balboa shape. And with all the clients he’s known in bodyobsessed Hollywood, married father- offour Gunnar Peterson, 54, has seen it all in the private LA gym where he starts his days at 4:20 a.m. “Crazy things,” the personal trainer teases. “Tons of extreme dieting. I’m like, ‘ Why would you do that?!’” Gunnar, who recently teamed up with LG to design LG TONE-UP, a high-intensity workout to pair with the brand’s new wireless headsets, talks to In Touch’s Hilary Sheinbaum about training the Kardashians, Sofía Vergara’s sweet tooth and his own biggest guilty pleasures.

So you see a lot of extremes with dieting and fitness in Hollywood? GP: Oh yes. You see celery and Swedish Fish diets. No protein. Manorexic guys on calorie-deficient programs who are pushing themselves from a physical standpoint.

What do you tell your clients to eat? GP: Everything as close to its natural state as possible. Fish is your friend. Leafy green vegetables. Complex carbs should be used at the time of day they will best serve your energy demands. I used to train a rock star and he’d say, “I’m not allowed to eat after 8 p.m.” That doesn’t work for somebody who goes to work at 11 p.m.

Are you strict with your own diet? GP: I cheat on my diet every day. The four pillars are exercise, nutrition, hydration, sleep. I never let all the wheels come off. If you’re going to have a couple drinks, maybe don’t eat the whole cake that day. Who always comes in with a great attitude? GP: Khloé Kardashian trained her ass off for me. She’s driven, hardworking, on time and goes above and beyond. Kim Kardashian trains very early, 6 a.m., and is relentless, focused. No surprise she is where she is in life.

Who’s the biggest slacker? GP: I don’t know those people. Sofía Vergara hates exercise, sure. But that’s a little bit of a shtick. It was never difficult having her in the gym. Never.

Did you tame her famed sweet tooth? GP: I didn’t at all. There’s no way. You’re not gonna stop that. She’s the cake queen.

Who’s the most fun? GP: I would say Sylvester Stallone is the most all-around entertaining person. He’s brilliant, so smart, a wordsmith. And Halle Berry is hilarious. I love having her in my gym.

Do you get a lot of demands from your famous clients? GP: The biggest diva demand you get is, “Can I get a cold water instead of room temp?”

Is there too much pressure on female stars to have perfect bodies? GP: There’s not too much pressure on anyone anywhere. Deal with it. It’s America. You want to be at the highest level of your field but you don’t want any pressure? You’re in the wrong field. ◼