JORGE RIVERA

CERTIFICATIONS: ACE Certified Personal Trainer, ACE Certified Corrective Exercise Specialist, ACE Certified Behavior Change Specialist

EDUCATION: Bachelor’s of Music Christopher Newport University

EXPERIENCE: resistance training, strength training, functional fitness, flexibility and mobility, weight loss, body composition change (build lean muscle mass, reduce body fat percentage), injury recovery & prevention, chronic pain, corrective exercise, returning to exercise post-surgery/injury, active aging, nutrition, behavior change

Jorge has been in the fitness industry since 2013 with 6 years experience as a personal trainer, 10 years experience as a group fitness instructor, and 4 years experience working with special populations.

After battling weight gain due to autoimmune disease and reaching 324 lbs, Jorge took a semester off from his music studies at Christopher Newport University to focus on his health. Six months later, he had lost 100 lbs and discovered a passion for fitness. He became a group fitness instructor in 2013 and earned his NASM personal trainer certification in 2014.

Jorge has worked with youth and at-risk populations through partnerships with local community outreach centers. During the pandemic, he offered free virtual classes and embraced chair-based exercise to support individuals with mobility challenges. He earned his second personal training certification through ACE and later specialized in senior fitness, training clients in aquatic exercise, memory care, surgery prehab, and Parkinson’s care.

In 2022, Jorge experienced a debilitating injury that left him unable to walk and then train for over a year. Refusing to give up, he immersed himself in corrective exercise and injury recovery methods. Using what he learned Jorge regained mobility, returned to work, and was able to strength train again. Since then, he has pursued additional credentials as a Corrective Exercise Specialist and Behavior Change Specialist through ACE to better equip himself to serve a diverse client base.

Jorge has presented at several fitness conferences and retreats on topics including chair-based exercise, folkloric and diasporic Latinx & Caribbean rhythms, and techniques to prevent overuse injuries in group fitness professionals.

Fun facts about Jorge:

Is a sommelier and owns a wine rack as tall as him named Brunhilde.  Don’t ask him about his favorite wine unless you’re ready for a 7 minute answer.

Is also a sought-after mixologist with an expertise in food and beverage pairings

Originally from Vega Alta, Puerto Rico