When Fitness becomes your Passion...

This week we had the pleasure to meet and greet Carlin Polidano, a well known coach and founder of Fit Stop Personal Fitness Centre.  He talked with us about how fitness changed his life completely. His passion for fitness and helping others achieving their goals made him choose a career as a coach. Carlin shared with us his training routines and how a personal injury helped him start up his fitness centre. He is a very positive person who takes out the best out of every situation. 

How did you start your fitness journey?

I started my fitness journey in the Fire and Rescue Services, as recruit 10 years ago. Physical Training was mandatory as our life depended on our fitness. When I learnt what the body and mind could achieve when pushed beyond their limits, I got hooked to becoming better. I have never stopped training since then and never will until the day I die. 

What made you choose fitness as a career? 

I have always found enjoyment and satisfaction in helping other people. Guiding people in becoming the best version of themselves set a fire in my soul. I enjoyed myself even when I trained and helped my friends for free. So I decided to go all in, I got multiple certifications and made it a career to earn a living from my passion. 

How many times a week do you train? Can you share with us how you plan your weekly training sessions? 

Currently I train 7 times per week on 6 days. 4 days per week I train very hard for an hour using weights, barbells, my own bodyweight, cables and anything that provides resistance. 

The other 2 sessions usually involve HIIT, bike ride, running with a weighted vest, stretching and circuit training. These 2 sessions are planned in between the heavy training sessions to increase blood flow and promote recovery.

However, the types of workouts, durations and intensity change each month in a progressive manner. 

My training is divided on different training blocks. Each block usually takes me around a month and is specifically targeted to improve one major fitness component important to my goals such as strength, conditioning, muscle building, muscle endurance, aerobic fitness and explosiveness. 

During each training block, I focus and train hard on one component but also make sure to maintain the results I gained on the other components from previous months. By trial and error, I learnt that you cannot improve all components at once as you will gain nothing and waist time. 

This is the best approach to become a well rounded athlete. My own training is influenced by some of the best trainers of this world.  Not a single day goes by, that I do not study their work, read their books or read scientific research and articles. Everyday I learn something new on fitness and nutrition.

What was the toughest part throughout this journey so far? 

My toughest part was around 2016. I was training 10 workouts per week for a whole year to prepare for an obstacle race in Spain. 30 days before my flight I badly injured my right leg. Tore my achilles tendon (lower part of the leg next to the heel) and broke my ankle on an obstacle during training. This left me devastated. I am not ashamed to say that I even cried on the day of the race. Recovery took around 3 months and all the hard work I did was for nothing. During this time I trained non stop using nothing but gravity and my own bodyweight in my bedroom, with my leg strapped in a cast. This was also the time when I planned to build my own fitness business.

What is your opinion about healthy food? Can you share with us a favourite snack you take when you are on a hurry? 

We are what we eat. If you would own a sports car, you would not give it cheap fuel. Our bodies are much more valuable than a sports car. If we value our body, we should provide it with the best fuel possible. Humans need healthy food to function at and perform at their best and feel happy. My favourite snack when I am in a hurry is a home made protein bar.

Do you agree that abs are made in the kitchen? 

Abs are developed with hard, smart and consistent training. They will get visible and defined by good decisions in the kitchen. 

What factors do you consider most important in keeping a healthy lifestyle? 

The most important thing is consistency and discipline. Without these 2 factors you cannot achieve and maintain anything in life.

Do you enjoy a cheat meal here and there? What is your favourite treat? 

Yes, I do plan a cheat meal once per week on the days I burn most calories. It's always something different. 

We would like you to send a message to our followers who are thinking to start a healthy lifestyle. 

"My message is that in life we have 2 choices. We can take the easy road or the hard road. The easy road will definitely lead to a hard life in the future. If you take the hard road of discipline, you will have an easy and fulfilling life in the future. It is better to sacrifice now, and enjoy a good quality life later on. To achieve this, you must train yourself to never give up. It's the most important skill any human can master. Everybody owes it to themselves."

Thank you Carlin for finding the time to share with us your experiences through fitness. We hope you find Carlin's message an inspiring push to start up or continue your fitness journey. 

Should you wish to contact Carlin and his team at Fit Stop , check out the link below:

https://www.facebook.com/fitstopmalta