Hottest Trainer Contestant #6: Liu Gross

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Welcome to Racked Chicago's search for Chicago's hottest trainer. Over the coming weeks, we'll profile eight smoking locals and fitness experts who not only look hot in spandex, but can make you look amazing, too. Once you've gotten to know everyone, we'll host a March Madness-style showdown, in which readers vote for their favorites. Let the games begin!

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It's easy to see why our sixth nominee, Liu Gross, was nominated by multiple people: The general manager of ENRGi Fitness is a total dreamboat. He was inspired to get into personal training after watching the NFL Combine and dreaming of working with pro athletes. Today, though, he prefers training regular people. "Few athletes know what its like to shed 10, 20, or 30 pounds and how your whole perspective on life changes," he says.

At ENRGi Fitness, a typical day is packed with "clients, emails, classes, and smiles 'til the sun goes down." This isn't including the 5am wake-up and 6am workout, just FYI. Outside of fitness, he claims that "iTunes and I are very close," and also loves to balance out a fitness-fueled week by hanging out with his girlfriend and their DVR.

In Liu's opinion, Mixed Martial Arts requires the "most well-conditioned athletes," so that's how he keeps himself and others in shape. "What we see in the mirror and how we physically feel are just about the only things we have real control over," he says. "So many things in life work against people taking that control, and I love, love, love contributing to them taking it back. Little do they know that their effort, drive, and trust in me is something I hold dear."

If you train with Liu and notices that he moves like Jagger, chalk it up to a high school job working at Chuck E. Cheese as...Chuck E. Cheese himself. "I had better moves than those Kia hamsters," he says.
· ENRGi Fitness [Official Site]
· All Hottest Trainer 2014 posts [Racked Chicago]