Q&A with Brian Graziano | Owner of Graz Fitness
Introduce yourself with your degree info, and tell us what you do at Graz Fitness Hawaii.
My name is Brian Graziano and I have a B.S. in Health and Exercise Science.I am the owner of Graz Fitness Hawaii. We do 1 on 1, partner, and small group personal training. We help people build strength, power, and mobility to live a better quality of life. We also help with fat loss, muscle building and nutrition counseling. We work with a variety of people from youth athletes, grandparents, business owners and everyone in between.
What inspired you to start your own fitness business and how did your UH Experience influence that decision.
I trained at a big box gym for 7 years prior and had to share the space with other gym goers which affected the quality and efficiency of the workout. I wanted a more private space where I could deliver a high-quality workout without having to wait for machines to open. The gym can also be an intimidating environment for most new gym goers so a private space where there were no outside distractions was a huge plus for me and my clients. These factors ensured a welcoming environment where my clients felt comfortable so we can build a great relationship and confidence in the gym to see results.
You recently launched a strength and conditioning program for High School athletes. What motivated you to create this program, and can you share any success story or memorable moment that shows its impact?
My motivation came from seeing a lack of strength and conditioning/sports performance services in Hawaii. A place where athletes can build bigger, stronger, more explosive bodies in the weight room. There are some great facilities on Oahu that I’ve been fortunate to gain some experience at like Tactical Strength and Conditioning, but not a lot in comparison to skills training centers/coaches that focus on skill development for their sport. They are 2 very different qualities and we need both to reach our full potential as an athlete (both strength and skills).
Learning exercise science/Kinesiology at UH allowed me to build a foundation of knowledge/principles that I implement with my clients to give them results in the most efficient way possible so they’re not guessing/hurting themselves.
Looking back on your time at UH Manoa, were there any professors, mentors, or campus experiences that shaped your approach to health and fitness?
Definitely. There were many but I think all of us KRS majors can agree that Dr. Prins and Dr. Merrit helped shaped our foundation with Anatomy/Physiology and Biomechanics/Kinesiology. These teachers used a way of teaching that helped us to learn the material in a fun/hands on environment. On the practical side, definitely Barry/Darrin from Tactical Strength and Conditioning to implement the book knowledge with real life people/athletes. Football Strength and Conditioning coach Tommie also played a pivotal roll in how to do/teach complex movements like the clean/snatch and strength/power development to get athletes ready for their sport.
What is your favorite memory from your time at UH?
Definitely the group of friends that we made and still keep in touch to this day. Some became Physical Therapists, went into medicine, Strength Coaches/Trainers and it’s cool to see how everyone’s doing and changing lives through Health and Fitness.
What advice would you give to current students or recent graduates who are passionate about health, fitness, or entrepreneurship?
Finish your degree because it matters in this field. I can see how its helped me in the 13 years I’ve been doing this and how having that foundation of knowledge goes a long way in developing safe/fun/effective training programs with your clients/athletes. Learn from someone in the field that is doing or has done what you want to do. Fail quickly and often to learn how to do things better the next time. There’s no book/youtube video that will help you more than taking consistent action each day and figuring out how to solve problems and build a Fitness Business. Find solutions to your clients/athletes obstacles and truly care about getting them the results they’re after. Build strong relationships and get to know your clients on a personal level to figure out what best motivates and find a way to make the process of getting fit fun and enjoyable.
You can find out more about us at grazfitnesshawaii.webador.com or on IG @ grazfitnesshawaii.