12. Derrick Carlo ‘Dino’ Mercado, 30, Crossfit Insurrecto, Crossfit Katipunan, Ateneo de Manila University, and NLEX Corporation Balintawak Branch
@dino.boom / @boomtwinss
Dino Mercado has been a crossfit coach for five years and a personal trainer for two years now. Crossfit involves constantly varied functional movements performed at high intensity that reflect the best aspects of gymnastics, weightlifting, running, rowing, and more. It is modified to become the perfect application for any committed individual, regardless of experience and age.
Dino shares that he loves coaching because he wants to make people’s dreams come true – and not just in weight loss, but in strength and fitness. “I love how I help them achieve their goals, make them smile, do a first pushup, climb the stairs, or finish a 3km run. Dino also has a twin who is a crossfit trainer, as well; they love to workout and join competitions together.
11. Huan Nguyen, 32, Gold’s Gym
@Huanimal
Huan Nguyen started coaching part-time in 2012 when the Instagram fitness began to grow and flexible dieting gained attention. In 2015, he made online coaching his full-time job and relocated to the Philippines to be with his wife. Last year, he started coaching a team of athletes who mainly compete in drug-tested bodybuilding events.
Huan’s approach is to help create sustainable fitness plans in order for his clients to reach their goals. Things started with calisthenics, whcih became his gateway to bodybuilding. In his first bodybuilding competition, he took home a first place trophy. When he is’t working out, Huan enjoys producing music, drawing, or managing his cat’s social media account @im.bubbles . Huan was born in Vietnam, but raised in the US and married in the Philippines.
10. Franco Rulloda, 34, BAMF MMA Gym, Deftac Makati, Deftac Rockwell, and Fight Factory Gym
@francorulloda
Franco Rulloda has been a martial artist since he was a kid and started training MMA fighters and teaching Jiujitsu around 2012. Franco shares that Brazilian Jiujitsu is a fun way of getting fit while learning a new skill that is both life-changing and life-saving. “We have students who use Jiujitsu to fight anxiety, depression, and/or to get over traumatic experiences in their lives,” he shares. “It’s a very powerful tool and I’m blessed that I get to share it to the world.”
In his spare time, Franco loves to travel. “Nothing beats going to places, experiencing culture, and learning from people wherever I go,” he shares. Food is another passion of his along with surfing and basketball.
9. Mitch Chilson, 40, FightShape Studio
@mitchchilson
Mitch Chilson has been a fitness instructor for 21 years now. He works at FightShape, which focuses on achieving peak performance through corrective movement, strength training, and martial arts. “We believe that the strong should be flexible and the flexible should be strong,” he shares. “We design a workout based on your physical conditon and goal to help with posture, fat loss, or sports performance.”
Before being an entrepreneur, Mitch was a professional mixed martial arts athlete. Right now, he’s the commentator and host for ONE Championship, and a fitness trainer and judge on the hit TV show Fit for Fashion airing on Netflix. He also serves a wicked good bulletproof coffee in their small cafe BUTTR COFFEE inside FightShape Studio.
8. Alexander ‘Ali’ Sulit, Atos Jiu-jitsu Philippines, Ali Sulit Jiu-jitsu, and the Ateneo Judo Association
@alisulitjiujutsu / @alisulit
Ali Sulit has been teaching Judo since 1996 and Jiu-jitsu since 2004. He is currently also one of the coaches for the national Jiu-jitsu team. “I continue teaching Judo in Ateneo because it is a good vehicle of transformation and values formation for the University students. I, myself, being a product of it,” he explains. “I live Brazilian Jiu-jitsu because it enables individuals to focus their energies on something productive, improve their problem solving abilities, promote positive mental attitude and empower then through fitness and martial arts values.”
Other than martial arts, Ali reads and writes a lot. He also focuses on his family. He is a single dad with two daughters and one handsome French bulldog.
7. Mark Alfred Rosales, 28, Freelance
@iammarkrosales
Mark Alfred Rosales used to be a trainer at Fitness First. For the past two years, he has been a freelance trainer who trains most of his clients in Makati through weight training to be more in shape, promote fat-free mass, and increase the strength of connectivity tissue, muscle and tendons improve bone density.
Mark has joined physique competitions in 2017, bagging two 3rd placers and one 2nd placer. He plans to compete again next year. That aside, Mark also has a bar business near UST.
6. Ted Julian Quijance, 34, Fit21
@train_fu
Ted Julian Quijance has been a coach for around nine years now. He trains for general fitness, like body composition and health, as well as athletes in strength and conditioning. His home base actually specializes in athletes, including athletes from different schools. “Anyone who is serious about their career as an athlete should visit us and give our training principle called Periodization a try,” he encourages. While Fit21 is his base of operations, he also accepts training outside of his regular training schedule.
Besides working out, he also loves playing basketball. He is also a huge nerd. “I play Magic: The Gathering,” he admits. “I’m a big Star Wars fan. I love playing Tekken (Law and Paul). Most of the books I read are fantasy novels: Lord of the Rings, A Song of Ice and Fire, Harry Potter, and Wheel of Time.”
5. Jonathan Badilla, 29, PR City Crossfit and Iron Den Crossfit
@donjoncf
Jonathan Badilla has been teaching crossfit for three years now and he swears that it can be done by anyone. “People shouldn’t be afraid to try crossfit because all the movements can be scaled and modified to one’s fitness level with movements that are functional and that mimic the movements that we do in daily life,” he explains.
Jonathan is actually also a registered nurse. However, he doesn’t practice it since he found his passion in fitness, helping others become fit and sharing his knowledge. In his spare time, he likes to watch movies, watch Netflix, go to the beach, and try out new sports from time to time.
4. Jose Villablanca, 34, Rockwell Atletica and Freelance
@holisticjose
Jose Villablanca has been a functional fitness and holistic lifestyle coach since circa 2007, assessing each client and giving them a unique program based on their current fitness levels and goals. “I look at how I can improve their lifestyle in a holistic way to speed up results,” he explains. “It’s also a fun and engaging way to stay fit.” Jose adds that it is his passion to make an impact on everyone he meets in a holistic way.
3. Gerson Dave Gonzales, 23, Prime Elite Fitness Club
@gersondavegonzales
Gerson Dave Gonzales has been teaching basic training regimens for three years now, specifically bodybuilding and some functional training. He specializes in weight loss, muscle gain, sports specific training, strength and conditioning, and power training. He focuses on the three fundamental lifts: the bench press, the squat, and the deadlift, which are most effective in burning calories because they involve the bigger muscle groups.
Gerson loves working out so much that in his free time, he usually roams around the South to try different fitness gyms. He is currently starting a small fitness apparel business, as well: @geargodathletics
2. Jarell Quindao, 28, Prime Elite Fitness
@jmquindao
Jarell Quindao has been a trainer for two and a half years now, focusing on functional and sports specific workouts, such as weightlifting and crossfit. Regardless of whether you are a beginner or have been working out for a while now, Jarell is able to personalize workouts for you to cater to your fitness level and fitness goals. He also makes sure to change things up as needed to avoid boredom and ensure working out doesn’t feel like a routine.
Working out aside, Jarell loves to hit the beach and spend time with his family. He’s also quite the dancer. :p
1. Vince Velasco, 27, Flyweight Fitness Boxing Studio
@vincevelasco23
Vince Velasco coaches at Flyweight, a fitness and group boxing studio, where you work out with awesome beats and fun yet correct combat moves and drills. “It’s really an amazing one-of-a-kind workout,” Vince gushes. “You energize each other, the experience of being in the same room with those who have goals and have fun is an experience.” Whether you are having a good or a bad day, want to get better at boxing, or just want to lose some weight or maintain; this is the place for you.
Vince also works as a host, sportscaster for ABS-CBN Sports and Action. He is also a traveler, and does TV and Events hosting, digital work, and cable jobs. “Aside from hosting, you’ll find me trying to find new experiences, connecting with people, playing video games, or learning while having some coffee,” he shares.
Who’s your current motivation to work out?
