Mike Torchia (fitness)

Michael Torchia is a media commentator on fitness issues and a celebrity fitness trainer for over 20 years. His clients have included Keith Urban, Kim Cattrall, Oprah Winfrey, Matt Damon, Kevin Spacey, Joe Mantegna, Sylvester Stallone and Al Pacino. A native of White Plains, New York, Torchia launched his fitness career in the late 1970's when he won the Mr. Teenage New York and Mr. Teenage America competitions. Torchia moved to California in 1980 and established himself among the Venice Beach bodybuilding scene at the original Gold's Gym where he encountered Arnold Schwarzenegger and Franco Columbo along with other top bodybuilders of that era. Mike began his fitness training career while preparing for the 1981 Mr. California bodybuilding competition, where he won the title.

Torchia has appeared on national news programs over the years to give his opinion on controversies surrounding fad diets and dangerous weight loss drugs such as Fen-Phen. Torchia's appearances have including ABC News, CBS Morning News, Dateline, Fox News, and the NBC Today Show. Torchia also has appeared as an on-air personality for such shows as Extra! and Inside Edition where he reported on stories dealing with celebrity fitness. Torchia has also authored numerous articles for the fitness-centered press, his work having appeared in Muscle & Fitness and Iron Man.

In the world of celebrity fitness training, Torchia is best known as the on-set trainer who worked with actor Kevin Spacey on the set of American Beauty, transforming Spacey into the muscle-man lead actor that later won Spacey several acting awards.

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