JESSICA & GREG VIGGIANO

City, State/Province:
Tariffville, CT

Country:
USA

Can you tell us about yourself and your fitness journey?
Being a former fashion model living in Miami, I was always told to stay away from weights and only do cardio and yoga. I hated this because I truly love a healthy fit physique. At 26, I left New York to transition from fashion model to corporate working professional, get married and start a family. I still modelled from time to time, but I finally allowed myself to get back to the gym, lift weights and do what I loved to do! Working out has always been an enjoyment for me. We never thought we’d turn it into a business, but sometimes life thrusts you into your passions. When I had my bout of postpartum depression, that was the thing that woke me up and opened my eyes to just how much fitness meant to me and how I should share my passion with others. That’s when I started competing in fitness competitions, and we started our business. It has been so much fun because I love encouraging others to make their health a priority and show others that they can accomplish anything they want, and it’s never too late to start something new!

How did your passion for fitness start? And what was the biggest challenge you have faced on your journey?
I have ALWAYS had a passion for fitness and have been involved in fitness to some degree for as long as I can remember. In 2008, I won the title of Miss Florida USA on my first attempt. That was the first thing that I had to prepare physically for and I absolutely loved it! From there, in 2010, I entered into the Beach Bunny Swimwear model search and won that out of 10,000 applicants. Then two years later, I was selected by Maxim Magazine to be part of the Maxim Hot 100 that year. (I was #75!) And now I compete in the WBFF and I plan on trying out some other federations. All in all, my physique has been an integral part of my career. When I was more involved in modelling, I was encouraged not to develop too much muscle mass, which for me was a bummer, but I still maintained a toned physique and ALWAYS went about it in a healthy manner. You hear a lot about eating disorders, and pressures placed on models to look a certain way. It’s wrong and I think we are finally starting to see a shift in our society to start embracing all body types. But in my day, if you weren’t a size zero, you were gonna have trouble getting gigs. I didn’t care. I didn’t need gigs, I had a college degree and a backup plan. I stayed true to myself, stayed healthy, and was definitely leaner, but my physical health was number 1 to me. I kept this attitude throughout my career and managed to become quite successful despite not being a size zero. I think confidence is more important than your physical appearance and I think that translates a lot in my work.

Share your unique training/coaching methods?
We truly believe in a “Hard and Fast” training approach. The short, intense, circuit workouts, in our opinion, yield the best results both for your appearance and also for your general health (with proper form). It also provides the added benefit of not spending useless time in the gym. Get in, get out.

In your opinion, is weight loss more of a fitness issue or a health issue and why?
Both but more of a health issue for sure. General health should always be the first goal but weight loss happens outside the gym in our daily life and fitness is just one tool of many to help accelerate toward those goals while getting many other benefits along the way. For that reason in particular we don’t do much traditional personal training anymore but rather a more holistic health coaching approach to tackle goals like weight loss and others. Paying someone to stand there and count your reps doesn’t always get results so we prefer a 1:1 relationship where we look at the entire picture of your wellness and build a plan to tackle in a slow and steady approach.

If you have 100 tokens in total and you could apply them to the following categories, how many would you apply to each?

Fitness level: 0
Health level: 100

Fitness is a tool for better health and we believe in using that tool to the best of our ability…so better health is also good fitness.

Thoughts on HIIT, Powerlifting, TRX, Yoga, bodybuilding, others?
We like a balanced approach to our fitness that can fit into a very busy lifestyle that includes much more than endless hours in the gym. That’s why our workouts are usually full-body and blend resistance training with cardio with higher intensity. However, we support any style of fitness that someone is consistent with over the long run.

You have a very unique program that’s online and in person. Explain the reasoning behind this and how it has been going?
We have a hybrid approach to fitness so members can upgrade or downgrade their membership to be either virtual, on-demand daily workouts or they can upgrade their membership to our in-studio membership where they have access to a semi-private studio and a personal trainer to help them with their workout. Members treat the studio as their own with control over music, lighting, TV, etc.

Greg, you and Jessica have formed a great team. Tell us what’s it like collaborating on this and what are the benefits and challenges you have experienced?
GREG: It has been great for us to collaborate on Trilogy Health much more than we imagined. This business started out of a personal struggle when Jessica had postpartum depression after our firstborn and we were searching for answers and looking for ways to get her healthy. So this first started as a project to take care of ourselves with the intent of helping thereafter. Now after a couple of years in business, the response has been very positive and we’ve been fortunate to be able to expand. The major benefit has been that we are both healthy, happy, and continue to enjoy our growing family and business. We don’t dwell on the negative too much in our house so the biggest challenges we face with the business is competing with each other in the workouts and calling each other out on proper form!

Jessica, you have recently given birth to your second child. What has this been like and how has it been getting back into your regular shape?
For me, childbirth was much easier the second time around. No amount of classes, videos or well-intentioned veterans could ever prepare a mother-to-be for her first birth experience. To be honest, the first time around was pure shock. Like a sucker punch to my body, my ego, and my psyche. After experiencing childbirth and postpartum once, everything seems doable from there on out. So my second time around, I was ready for the assault that childbirth is on the body. HOWEVER, I was very pleasantly surprised to find that it was much easier. I truly believe that once you make that transition to becoming a mother, you can handle absolutely anything. The second time around, in the hospital, I was dealing with some pretty gnarly things, but I had such an unruffled attitude. That’s because I was already a mom. Moms are superheroes.

What advice would you give to other moms that are finding it difficult to take care of themselves with all the other responsibilities that come with being a mom?
This is a hard one because today’s society/family system is structured so differently. We no longer have the proverbial ‘village’ and it 100% takes a village! Greg and I are very blessed to have a village with pretty much all of our family living close by. But for new moms who do not have the option of the family my best advice is first and foremost, do not worry about your body, or how much weight you’ve gained, or “bouncing back”. REST!!! I know this may seem impossible with a newborn who is up all night, but make resting and recovering your main priority. Your body went through so much, give it some grace. You can lose weight at any time, but resting and bonding with your baby are imperative to your health and subsequent weight loss. Second, if you do not have the help of family or friends, recruit your partner to help you. Luckily, in today’s society, we see men and women no longer encompassing the antiquated roles of the past. When you become new parents, you are BOTH navigating new roles. Talk to one another and come up with a plan so that both of you contribute and help one another out. This is imperative because taking care of yourself IS taking care of your family. A happy mom makes a happy family. For me working out was self-care, and it’s why we started our business in the first place. Our workouts are designed to be done at the comfort of your own home, in 30 min or less with minimal equipment. Perfect for a busy individual. Our theory is when you work out hard and fast, you get the most out of your workout, period. It is tried and true and I am living proof of that.

Training Plan:
One that fits our clients’ lifestyle while getting them to their goals. We build plans that build habits so they will last.

Supplement Plan:
We start with bloodwork to better understand our clients’ biology then we’ll make recommendations for that. From there, it’s constant check-ins with the client and tweaks along the way to optimize along the way.

Do you prefer to take and recommend all-natural (no sugar, no artificial colours/flavours/sweeteners) supplements or supplements with artificial flavours and sweeteners? And Why?
We prefer all-natural ingredients whenever we can. But we always encourage clients in a direction that fits their lifestyle. You can get to your desired goals without being miserable along the way or not enjoying any of the processes. If you can’t enjoy the process it won’t stick for the long run so we strive for balance and consistency.

Please describe the importance of mental health?
GREG: It’s everything. Physical health begins with mental health but they both support each other. When Jessica first started dealing with postpartum depression we thought she could exercise her way out of it because it always made her feel better. We were dead wrong. While her fitness helped and never stopped we needed more intervention that included a variety of different approaches but most she took the time to figure out what worked for her.

Take us through a typical day in life for you?
Our days are pretty routine, but it usually consists of getting in our daily workouts, taking care of the family and managing our businesses. Any free time we have is dedicated to spending time with the kids, and working on our relationship and time with family and friends.

What separates Status from other fitness magazines?
We love Status because you spotlight true athletes and real people, rather than just getting the next popular actor/actress to grace your cover in an attempt to sell more copies. I love hearing about other athletes’ fitness journeys and believe you can learn the most from them.

If you could ask Status Fitness Magazine Editor in Chief Rodney Jang any industry question, what would that be?
What do you think the health and wellness industry needs more of and how do you see Status Fitness Magazine playing a part in that in the years to come?

Status Fitness Magazine runs model searches across North America including the largest one at the Arnold Classic for the Status cover. As part of the Status family, you will receive a special participation invite. How excited are you for this opportunity?
SOOOO EXCITED!!!!! I love model searches because you have the opportunity to meet other like-minded individuals develop real friendships and a stronger network! What a great opportunity and we are grateful for it!

Describe your coaches and the impact they have on you?
At this point, we are one another’s coaches. Coaches are imperative because we need outsider intervention to keep an unbiased eye on our progress.

Do you have a sponsor? List them and what they mean to you?
Trilogy Health!!

Can you share with us your goals for fitness and life?
To inspire others to take care of themselves and take care of their families. Family is very important to us, and people oftentimes overlook the impact they make on the world just by taking care of themselves and the four walls of their own home. Personally, we want to optimize our health for as long as possible to have quality time with each other and our children.

What is the biggest lesson you’ve learned?
To prioritize your health, and understand that it is a lifelong journey rather than aiming at a single goal.

5 most important attributes you see in a person?
Humility, empathy, honesty, enthusiasm, and drive.

If you could inspire one person, who would that be? And why?
The truth is, it doesn’t matter who we inspire, just someone who wants to be better and willing to take the steps to get there.

Who inspires you? And why?
Our children, this all started when they came along and it motivated us to be better for them now and into the future.

What is your number one tip for people on their fitness journey?
ANYTHING MAINTAINABLE! Crash diets, fad diets, and drastic changes lead to failure. Take healthy steps that you can maintain throughout your life!

What does success look like for you?
Waking up motivated and going to bed satisfied.

What is your favourite quote to live by?
“If you want to change the world, go home and love your family”

Connect with Jessica & Greg: IG | Website
Profile Photo: Wojciech Muszynski