We sat down with Dennis Romatz Head Personal Trainer and Owner of Dennis Romatz in Bangkok for a very candid interview and asked some personal questions and picked his brain to gain some insights into his very successful fitness training business and the fitness industry and personal trainers in S.E. Asia.
Let's Go One On One With Dennis Romatz
First of all, congratulations on 3 decades of being Thailand's best private, mobile condo gym personal trainer.
You've enjoyed tremendous success. So, what's your secret formula?
Hard work...period. I remember driving my motorbike in stinky Bangkok traffic to training client's locations far away in the city where other trainers simply wouldn't go. Also, I remember all those nights when I worked straight through the night on my websites creating my marketing and advertising campaigns which enabled my websites to go straight to number one on Google. All, while many others in Bangkok were out at the bars or enjoying nice dinners. I was the guy putting in the hard work for my business's secure future.
Your name is known around Bangkok as the best personal trainer. How'd you get that reputation?
My focus was always and is now still to put 100% of my knowledge, experience and efforts into my client's training success. Look, I sat through many University Exercise Science and Nutrition classes. I put that education into every session I train and it produces great results!
Where are you currently offering personal training?
I'm currently providing personal training in Bangkok with short personal training stints in Phnom Penh simply because they have an awesome inline hockey rink which I'm all in on. I split time between these cities depending on the time of year. I have regular clients in each of these three cities so I have a solid personal training clientele. Additionally, I have clients who fly in from other countries to train with me.
Let's get up close and personal! Being so busy training your clients, when do you get a chance to train yourself?
Great question! I get it in where and when I can fit it in! I'd like to say that I keep a strict, rigid personal training schedule, but I can't. My client's schedules change and I have to be flexible and accommodate them so my workouts are typically scattered around the course of my 16 waking hours.
What's your style of training yourself?
Depends on the time of year. I swim a lot from April to September when my pool water is warmer. I always do some form of daily cardio. November thru March have always been great bodybuilding months for me for some reason.
What's your daily diet like?
Absolutely flawless! Perfect to the point the my girl friend once asked me "what are you, a rabbit?"!
Ya, I'm plant based so no crap goes into my mouth. I'll have a cheat once in a while, but it's rare.
Speaking of cheat...what is your go-to cheat food?
Pizza! I'll do some chocolate, but it's always dark chocolate with little or no sugar and high in antioxidants.
What's your typical breakfast?
1 orange, 1 cup of coffee, 1 glass of water and always...always a breakfast smoothie consisting of 1 banana, frozen mixed dark colored berries, coconut milk, almond milk, cinnamon, flax seeds, chia seeds, sunflower seeds, cacao nibs and oats.
Are you a supplement kind of guy?
No, not really. Mostly because I know the nonsense behind the supplement industry. I teach my clients to get their nutritional requirement from their foods, not from a supplement which ultimately is a replacement for them not eating correctly.
What is your go-to snack?
I make my own homemade protein bars from organic ingredients including oats, peanut butter, coconut nectar, cranberries, dates, prunes...the list goes on and on depending on which macro and micro nutrients I'm targeting.
Speaking of snacks...Bangkok is a 7/11 kind of "fast snack" city. What's the biggest food mistake people make?
They consume sugar from both foods and drink.
What's your motivation?
My Son...period. I think of him and my goals become these targets that I WILL ALWAYS achieve.
I also get really jacked up and motivated when I see my training clients get killer results.
How do you chill?
Netflix!...hahaha...no, seriously, I like to get daily massages, meditate and keep my mind clear and focused on living a solid, clean life.
You've been called "the best personal trainer in Bangkok" by a very credible source. What does being a great personal trainer mean to you?
It means getting a solid University education in Exercise Science, Exercise Physiology, Kinesiology and Nutrition. There simply is no substitute for a formal education in fitness & nutrition. Have the education. Be passionate. Love what you do. Always strive to keep learning. Be prompt. Keep your word. Be ethical. Be credible. Be responsible. Be dynamic. Be charismatic. Define yourself and your legacy as a personal trainer by being all these things.
Ok, time for the speed round!
Favorite Food? Seafood
Favorite Exercise? I'm diggin' Arnold Press right now.
Can't miss TV Show? Modern Family, The Voice, Black-ish.
Favorite Thailand Location? Nai Harn Beach in Phuket, Thailand
If you could go anywhere right now...? A little Northern Michigan lake in my home town called Guthrie Lakes. Seriously, I'd be on a boat fishing with my Dad.
One thing you can't live without? I'm attached to nothing...except my Son!
We hope you enjoyed going one on one with Dennis Romatz.
Stay tuned for part 2!
