About

Rich Barretta

For many fitness and training novices, Rich Barretta’s credo – “leave your excuses at home” – can be admittedly terrifying. Especially if one uses photos of Barretta during his 1987 reign as Mr. America as a reference point.

While Barretta’s bulging, phenomenally defined muscle tone was considered the fitness ideal at that point during the 1980’s, a different philosophy now defines the fitness scene. “In the 1980’s, all men wanted to look like Arnold Schwartzenegger, and women wanted to be Linda Hamilton,” says Barretta of “The Terminator” stars who defined the 80’s aesthetic. “Going into the new millenium, the whole goal of working out is different: men are following fashion more than ever before and still want defined muscles, but with a body shape and size that still looks great in clothes. Women want to emphasize strength and flexibility, but are re-embracing the curvy female form.”

Barretta should know; considered by many to be the best personal trainer in New York City, he has spent almost 25 years training a huge, widely-varied clientele that have come to him for their individual fitness needs, including the USFL Philadelphia Stars, Olympic Wrestlers, triathletes and pro cyclists, and a slew of celebrities, such as Pierce Brosnan, Joel and Jennifer Grey, Michael J. Fox, David Blaine, Freddie Prinze, Jr., and Steve Nash.

Barretta was the exclusive teacher to the trainers at some of the country’s best-known gyms and health clubs: Gold’s Gym, Equinox Fitness Clubs, and David Barton Gyms. He has studied BioMechanics, exercise science and nutrition under the private guidance of Dr. Robert Gruskin, and holds certifications in NASM, ISSA, A-I Flexibility, PNF, and Pre/Post Natal exercise. It’s this combination, his extensive knowledge of fitness and nutrition coupled with his years of practical experience, that have made Rich Barretta a powerhouse in the fitness world.