The Staff

Angela Almazan

Angela Almazan says she knew she wanted to become a personal trainer when her brother Michael was diagnosed with a brain tumor more than 20 years ago.

“It was very rewarding to see how regular exercise could help someone recover,” she explained.

Michael had surgery to remove the tumor. When he revived a few months later he had to learn how to walk, talk and write all over again.

Angela took him to physical therapy every day to help him with his motor skills.

“He was able to walk again even went to his prom with the help of his friends but the tumor was a grade four tumor that rapidly spread again,” she explained. “He lost all motor skills again and died shortly after.”

Despite this painful loss, Angela says she loves to help people. “I help people look good and feel good,” she said. “The job is: 'motiving people to exercise to lose weight' ” – plain and simple.

Today whenever she is asked to describe her job, she says with a smile, “I work out for a living. “

Angela was born in Philadelphia, PA. She’s a National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) certified personal trainer who’s been helping people with her skills for the past five years.

“I have always been physically active and have been competitive and participated in sports,” she said. “I am still involved in volleyball leagues and continue to do Latin dance and do strength training at the gym on my own time.”

What makes her look forward to coming to work each day is knowing that she can make a difference in people’s lives and “get paid while doing it.”

A typical day of work for Angela is: train clients, sweat and go home.

The dedicated work out queen says that the most rewarding part of her job is instant gratification.

It’s “…the sweat, the grunts the work out high...making people accountable and being part of the process,” that makes it all worth it she said.

Angela says that with new clients, a significant part of having real success is getting to know their needs, wants, strengths and weaknesses.

The advice she gives to anyone who isn’t sure about fitness training is: “results do not start until you start.”

“I know when I am successful with them when they start making life style changes on their own,” she says.