• 01 Jul, 2024
• Kelvin Macias Pulido

Strength Training at Any Age with Kelvin Macias Pulido

Magazica: Could you share with us your journey into becoming a successful fitness and sports trainer? What were some of the challenges you faced and how did you overcome them?

Kelvin Macias: Since I was a child, I have been a fanatic about soccer. From my earliest years, I started training in a soccer academy with the full support and constant accompaniment of my family, especially my parents. All my life, I have liked to compete in sports; furthermore, all my life, I have been someone who likes and loves to keep moving. When I was a child, I liked jumping, climbing, and playing at home; I could not stay quiet. With my brother, we liked playing soccer inside the home (sometimes we broke some things), and we enjoyed doing a lot of different activities such as biking, swimming, or other activities that usually played with neighbours. I trained in soccer until I was 18 years old when I went to university. At the University, I left soccer and became a Futsal player on the team’s University, where all my degree I was part of, at Saint Thomas University, I started my degree studies in Physical Culture, Sports, and Recreation and I earned my Bachelor’s Degree in 2017.

In the last 2 years of my degree, I started to work as a soccer coach with children, in the year 2016 I got the TRX Suspension Training and TRX Functional Training Certifications, and a while later I started to work as a fitness coach and a personal trainer. By the year 2017, I began to know about CrossFit and High-Intensity Functional Training modalities when I was working at “La Fortaleza Fitness” Gym, and I got the High-Intensity Functional Training (HIFT) Level 1 certification, at that moment I automatically fell in love with it. I started to specialize in Weightlifting and Gymnastics and started my current career in the High-Intensity Functional Training field. In the year of 2018, I started up my gym “The Warrior’s Box”, with the dream of reaching the CrossFit Level 1 Certification and looking forward to working with the brand CrossFit, a dream, that nowadays has me here in Canada since January 2024. But unfortunately, by the year 2020, I had to close the Gym because of the COVID pandemic.

From that moment on I established myself as a personal trainer achieving a positive impact on the lives of my clients with my work and I worked in three more Gyms: “Delta Box”, “Zasca Training” and “Nativo FitClub” where I worked as the Gymnastics Coach until December of 2023 when I left Colombia. Currently, I am living in Toronto, Canada, I am studying for a Diploma College in Business at Georgian at ILAC College, and I am working as a coach in Fitness Fusebox in Vaughan Ontario, and still working on online personal training with my Mom who decided to start to train in the pandemic and an aunt from Colombia.

I think two of the biggest challenges in my life that come first to my mind today are when I had to close the Gym, invest my entire life in a project, close it for external situations, and recognize that at that moment the best was not to open it again was one of the most difficult decisions of my life, the other one, was the journey that I started in January, come to Canada to start from zero with the goal of gaining international experience, learn and growth professionally. I am a person who believes that life is just one and sometimes says no to you, but because better things come, thinking about that and seeing all that I could change in the lives of my clients throughout this profession, the dream of getting the CrossFit Level 1, and work with this brand are the things that have pushed me to still working on them and do not give up. I am happy with all my experiences since I have been here, the opportunity to start to work in the field that Fusebox gave me, and all the challenges that I am facing in this new episode in this beautiful country.

Magazica: You have more than 10 years of experience in the training field. How have you seen the field evolve over the years, especially with the advent of new training modalities like CrossFit, HIFT, HIIT, and TRX?

Kelvin Macias: I have seen incredible progress. The different modalities that nowadays have landed show the need for people to move and train, and all these kinds of modalities that exist today mean that this science is evolving to meet and supply the different needs and specific conditions that people have. I think all of these are great tools to work for the health of people through physical training, there is no best, there is no worst specific modality, as trainers we have with these different modalities, several ways to work to improve the life of people and adapt the training regarding specific conditions or engage people to participate and provide themselves the opportunity to challenge but know about what the human body can do. Even, in the sports and competitive field, we have the chance to generate a more complete training program and work for better performance in athletes with more and better options.

This huge evolution in the training field over time has engaged people to find a variety and to have more accessibility regarding the time, lifestyle, and specific conditions of people because people now are more aware of the importance and benefits of the training for themselves. Additionally, as coaches or trainers, it is pushing us to be more professional, to be updated with the evolution of our careers, and to manage all these new training modalities properly and professionally to improve and impact positively on our clients.

Magazica: As a professional who has worked with people of all ages, how do you adapt your training programs to cater to different needs and goals? Could you share some examples?

In the beginning, she was too afraid about the training, because I suggested to her that I would base our training program on strength training, and she decided to give me the opportunity and let me work with her, on the training plan over the two years was focused on improving the strength and mobility in her shoulders, on the strength of her leg and overall strength, because the idea was that she could move better, that she could up or down the stairs by herself, walk with less support on the stick that she used to walk and she was able to make the daily activities with the least support or helpful possible of devices or people, that she feel confident and see that she still was a functional person, the most grateful for me was when a few months then she was happy because these objectives were being achieved, she felt stronger, confident, want to walk and do things by herself, and her sons and family saw that she moved better, since there she never missed a training day unless she really could not for any reason, but is so amazing for me as a coach see that someone was happy to see you for what you get with your job. I always will remember her.

Magazica: Can you share some practical strategies for our readers to incorporate fitness into their daily lives, especially those who are new to fitness or have limited time?

Kelvin Macias: Of course, first of all, it is important to find the meaning and purpose of why you want to start training. Secondly, be aware of the resources you have (time, frequency, availability), and knowing whether you can carry out a long and constant process will depend on this, or if you should be patient but equally constant with the few days that you may be able to. Third, do not set long expectations, or impossible expectations in a short time, do not set your goals by looking at the networks of people who have been in their process for years and want it in a short time. I think that the best advice I can give if you are new and are starting or want to start is to leave your process in the hands of someone to guide you. Nowadays, it is too easy to access a quantity of information that bombards us that I think it is what generates in many cases is that people start doing routines that are too demanding that the body cannot adapt in a short time and that is not really what the person needs. When someone professional guides you and knows your conditions, they adapt a plan according to them and provide you with a training plan focused on what you need and with realistic goals.

Magazica: How do you balance the physical aspects of training with the mental and emotional aspects? What role does mental health play in overall fitness?

Kelvin Macias: I like this question. One of the reasons why I decided on my career was because I have always believed that the body is one (soul, mind, and body), not each one separately. I have always believed in the importance of movement and moving well; we are beings that need movement, challenges, and the development of skills that we are born with. When we read, when we are learning something new, when we dedicate time to do activities to work on our mind and spirit, even if we are sitting still, internally the body is executing movement. I believe that training, rather than being seen as a tool to have a good body, is a tool that allows people to exploit the thousands of capabilities that our machine (body) has. For me, it is impossible to believe that the human being is fully alive if one of these three components is missing. I am one of those who love to see when training gives the possibility to people who perhaps thought that due to an accident or something that happened in their lives, they lost a limb or were left with some limitation, but found in physical training what gave them the possibility of seeing how the body is capable of adapting and that movement should not be eliminated but rather adapted because we continue to be functional. Furthermore, today we know the close relationship between physical training and the thousands of internal benefits it generates in people. I am one of those who think that you cannot be healthy if you are not full in your three components.

Magazica: Could you share some insights on how you use your expertise in different fitness modalities to promote a healthier lifestyle? Are there any specific campaigns or initiatives that you’re particularly proud of?

Kelvin Macias: I am a trainer who believes that the best results are when you generate a variety of stimuli to the body, obviously planning and not adding all the modalities at random but with a plan. I always base my personalized training plans on strength work but always think about the functionality of the body. Modalities such as TRX, HIIT, and functional training provide very significant tools to have a more complete plan for people, generating a variety of movements, in different environments where you must alternate positions or more varied ranges of movements.

Magazica: What are some common misconceptions about fitness and health that you’ve encountered in your career, and how do you address them?

Kelvin Macias: The most frequent misconceptions I see are mainly that people think that amount, lifting a lot of weight, getting exhausted, sweating extremely, and thinking that the results will be given in a few months because you are doing a lot. Another I think is that the only or main objective of training is having a beautiful body. Many people think that having or being in Fitness is about dieting, about training because you hate your body, about having to spend more than 2 hours in the gym. I like to make people aware of the real benefits that the science of training today has shown that it has and that training is not to suffer more but is the space where you must realize that your body is your temple and that it thanks you for the movement you give him and when you challenge him.

Magazica: How do you stay updated with the latest research and trends in fitness and health? Can you share some resources or strategies that our readers might find useful?

Kelvin Macias: I have specific scientific pages that provide updated information on training topics, physiology, and new trends. I had a university professor who works on scientific articles on physiology that I read constantly, and on networks, you find a lot of information that is very useful. If you know where to search, you can find a lot of right and useful information. A tip for people who do not work as a trainer but want to know and be a little more updated about training is that in their networks, do not follow the information too much of influencers or people who are athletes but not trainers, but rather pages that are supported by information based on studies, there is plenty.

Magazica: Could you share some success stories from your career where your training programs significantly improved someone’s health and well-being?

Kelvin Macias: As I mentioned in one of the previous points, Dolly’s case was very significant for my career, but perhaps another is with another woman, “Consuelo,” who is over 50 years old. She is the registrar of Cota, the town where we live. She was also a person with whom I was able to work for more than 2 years, with a sedentary lifestyle and problems with sciatica and knees. As time went by, the discomfort related to sciatica was drastically reduced, just as her knees stopped showing pain and discomfort, her fat percentages were reduced, and her muscles increased. She was also a super constant person with her sessions.

Magazica: What role does nutrition play in your training programs? Can you share some tips for our readers to make healthier dietary choices?

Kelvin Macias: Nutrition is not a field in which I have much experience, let’s say that my main and specialized field is training programming and guidance, but in my personalized training, I give a guide or basic advice depending on the objective we have, but a specific meal and personal plan for a person is a complementary service that is optional and I have not performed many in my career. But in the guide that I make, I always tell people to base their diet on providing the nutrients that the body needs (protein, carbohydrates, and fats) correctly, it is not good if any of them are missing. I always suggest that if you want to accelerate your process and use a nutritional plan, do so with a professional in the area, but do not follow diets found on the Internet, since exposing the body to very sudden changes can generate health problems, not all bodies react the same to a diet. That is why someone who guides you and organizes a specific plan taking into account your conditions and characteristics is the best and appropriate option. But I consider that a good and balanced diet is the basis for any training plan to work.

Magazica: How do you motivate your clients to stay committed to their fitness goals, especially when they face setbacks?

Kelvin Macias: I like to constantly make people see how far they have come and what they have achieved, the importance and the benefits that training has brought to their lives, that training is one of the best ways to face difficult times, and that unfortunately, it is faster to see setbacks than the progress, it is the law of life, what you achieve in a year, you can go back in less than 2 months if you leave it. Training should be the best ally and not another imbalance factor.

Magazica: Finally, what is your vision for the future of fitness and health, and how do you plan to contribute to it through your work?

Kelvin Macias: I think that like all sciences, it will continue to grow as it has been doing in recent years, there will be more new tools and data that will come out and greater opportunities for people to have access to it and decide to introduce it into their lives as something fundamental. But I also think that people should be more cautious with all the information they can find and know how to handle it. Since it is your body, it is your health, and exposing yourself to wrong information can produce the opposite effect on your health, which is the objective contrary to what training has. From my work, I hope to continue contributing and impacting positively on people’s lives and their health. I believe that the best way to do so is to continue learning, updating, and applying what is new, always thinking about what is best and what the people I work with need.