Inspiring Women – Gigi Grassu

Interview with Gigi Grassu, Romanian Woman Across the Ocean

Gigi Grassu, born to Romanian parents with Aromanian roots and an American by birth, is a personal trainer in Los Angeles. In the interview below, she tells us about her approach to physical training and how she also inspires other women to focus on training their minds and souls.

What are your connections with Romania?

My parents are from Bucharest, Romania – my mother was born in Bucharest, and my father in Sinoe. I was born and raised in Los Angeles, California, but I’ve always been connected to Romania because I used to visit during summer vacations and occasional family weddings after growing up.

Moreover, I want to stay connected to Romania to teach my daughter about her cultural heritage and encourage her to visit as often as possible.

What inspired you to become a personal trainer, and what were the main challenges you faced?

I started getting into fitness during a difficult time in my life, when I was dealing with many issues. Consequently, I lacked motivation to do anything, and I wasn’t setting a good example of a strong woman for my daughter. When I attended my first group fitness class, I walked out of the gym with a pounding heart, covered in sweat, but feeling incredibly strong! It was the first time in years that I felt alive. My motivation was to be an example of strength not only for my daughter but for other people as well, but most importantly, for myself.

I wanted, and still want, to show women that you can truly overcome any adversity through fitness because “exercise” is more than just a physical activity. It’s about creating balance and discipline, which improve every aspect of life.

I remember the day I found out that my daughter had opened her own Instagram account without telling me. She knew I didn’t allow her to have social media because she was too young. When I checked her account, I noticed she was reposting all my motivational fitness videos! Even though I was upset that she kept it a secret, I was impressed that she felt so inspired by what I was doing that she wanted to do it too.

What are your professional strengths?

My key strengths include positive energy, interpersonal skills, creativity, openness to learning, discipline, and, of course, a sense of humor.

Considering your life story, what advice do you have for women going through tough times who want to achieve mental and physical fitness like you?

My advice is to listen to your heart and love yourself through the good and the bad. By loving yourself, you start making a plan with goals and staying consistent. This plan should include exercises for your mind, stopping negative thoughts, consuming healthy food, and engaging in physical activities or any form of movement to keep your body in shape.

But most importantly, I would strongly recommend finding a mentor or a coach. Remember that personal development is ongoing, and excuses come in many forms. A mentor or coach will share their knowledge and experiences with you and help keep you accountable.

My progress is also due to the mentors I’ve worked with in the past and the present.

What are some elements of success that helped you achieve your goals?

Never give up! There will be moments when you’ll want to give up or go back to old habits, and that’s okay. Part of the journey to becoming mentally and physically stronger is falling and having the ability to get back up again.

Life is very much like a workout. You can’t grow without resistance. Establishing a routine is essential, especially during those moments when motivation is lacking.

I tell my clients that I don’t care if they come to the training for only 15 or even 5 minutes on a given day. I don’t care if they come to the gym, walk in, and walk out. The process of mentally preparing yourself, putting on your workout clothes, and going to the gym helps establish a routine.

I apply the same process to my acting classes. Sometimes, I finish training my clients late, but I still drive an hour in traffic just to be present for 15 minutes in class because I want to “learn” the habit of showing up and not giving up.

Our mind is the most potent tool we have.

I grew up in a family of Romanian immigrants who escaped communism. My father escaped from communist Romania by crossing the Yugoslavian border on foot. My uncle hid on a ship. My family came to the United States with nothing but the clothes on their backs. My cousin made it to the NFL as the only Aromanian in the league and, I believe, the only American with Romanian parents. My mother beat breast cancer twice. We are a family of fighters, and that’s what I pass on to my daughter and grandchildren.

How do you keep your clients motivated?

The most important way I motivate my clients is by setting a personal example.

I make sure to “practice what I preach,” which means I do all the exercises I ask them to do and work alongside them during each session. Secondly, I create personalized fitness plans for them and monitor their nutrition. With some clients, I even go to the market to teach them the basics of food shopping and what to buy. Private training sessions are also personalized, taking into account not only their physical goals but their mental well-being as well.

For instance, if I notice a client talking negatively about themselves, I address it and recommend exercises to help in that area. Additionally, I organize monthly “Girltime,” open to both clients and non-clients, where we connect, share stories, and do something active, such as hiking.

I have an Instagram and YouTube page called SHAPEUPWITHGIGI, which they follow, offering them additional resources for motivation, workouts, fitness tips, nutritional help, along with lots of fun and laughter. Being healthy should be enjoyable, not a chore!

What sets you apart from other trainers?

What sets SHAPE UP WITH GIGI L.L.C. apart is that I have no limits when it comes to the professionalism and quality I offer my clients. That’s why I went further and started taking acting classes at the Anthony Gilardi Acting Studio. I take elements from acting and

combine them with fitness, and the result is astonishing. It allows me to create a much stronger connection with my clients.

I realized that being active is just an option for most people because most people lack the motivation to start a workout program.

A week has 168 hours. The real challenge is not showing up for the scheduled class (usually 1-3 hours a week), but the true challenge is how to keep my clients motivated during the other 165 hours in a week!

I approach motivation from three angles: physical, mental, and spiritual.

I conduct personal training sessions as well as fitness classes for large groups (10-70+ people). Most trainers either do one or the other. One-on-one training is very different from training a large group.

By interacting with so many people simultaneously, I’ve learned valuable approaches to motivation.

What do you enjoy doing for fun outside of fitness?

I love spending time with my daughter and attending comedy and acting classes together.

My daughter and I enjoy doing sports in the park and creating funny videos together. She is undoubtedly my mini-me. I’ve started including her more and more in my fitness videos because we like to have fun and we have great chemistry.

Furthermore, I love watching Romanian comedy actors! Some of my favorite Romanian comedy actors are Stela Popescu, Toma Caragiu, Puiu Călinescu, and Jean Constantin. Regarding acting, my father was a stuntman and actor in Romania in the ’70s, so I’ve always been intrigued by the art. Afterward, I realized that art is closely linked to understanding humanity, just like fitness.

What do you hope to achieve in the next five years, and what are your objectives concerning Romania?

In the next five years, my hope is to be recognized as a global brand, inspiring women to improve their mental, physical, and spiritual health. Ultimately, my objective is to create a non-profit online mentoring platform that connects trainers with abused women to aid in their recovery through exercise. I want to extend my energy and training style to Romania, helping women there become more aware of the control they have over their own lives.

I also want to create more exposure for Romania in the rest of the world, showcasing its beauty and talent.

Many people don’t know that some of the best trainers in the world have come from Romania. They even invented the Romanian deadlift! Moreover, many people aren’t aware of the immense talent of Romanians in theater and the arts.

Do you have a life motto that serves as your guidepost?

My life motto is “If you leap, the net will appear,” a quote by naturalist John Burroughs. This concept has been essential to my progress mentally, physically, and spiritually. It helped me overcome fear and “take the leap.” We are all driven by the same fear – fear of getting hurt, fear of failure or loss, but most importantly, fear of judgment from others.

I’ve realized that we will never have all the answers, and we never will.

We must act based on limited information. Whether it’s getting married, starting a new career, or leaving a good job to pursue our dreams, we must act (JUMP).

After all, fear isn’t real. It feels real because we create it due to a lack of self-love. When you “leap” (take action), things will fall into place. It always does. You just have to love yourself and believe.

My acting coach, Anthony Gilardi, always says, “fear is false evidence appearing real (F.E.A.R.).” It’s merely negative marketing created by our minds. It’s our choice whether to buy into it.