Roberto Portocarrero Makes Fitness Training Personal

While many fitness enthusiasts try their hands at becoming personal trainers, it’s the rare individual that’s able to pursue it full-time.

The ones that do often inspire awe in their clients. Surely you’ve had a friend who has told you (or maybe you’ve thought it yourself if you’ve had a positive fitness training experience) ‘so-and-so really helped me turn my life around.’

The South End branch of has been lucky to find one of those awe-inspiring trainers in Roberto Portocarrero. But don’t just take my word for it: Journalist and Sports Commentator Peter King, known for his Monday Morning Quarterback column in Sports Illustrated, has an opinion that carries some serious weight.

“When I moved here two years ago, I walked into that BSC cold,” King, originally from Springfield, told me over the phone. “Now, mind you, I’m the type of person—I need a trainer. Left to my own devices, I’ll hit the gym twice a week, but I’m really the physical type of guy that needs to go four or five times – I’ve been fairly out of shape my whole life. They paired me off with Roberto and I couldn’t be happier with the results I’ve had with him. He knows how to walk that fine line between knowing when to tell me to shut up and work out and when to fool around and have fun,” King said.

Portocarrero is originally from La Paz, Bolivia. He’s been in the States since he was 17. After years working for Merrill Lynch, Bear Stearns and Houghton Mifflin, he took a chance on making a job out of his personal passion for fitness. That was nearly five years ago and now, his Monday night Boot Camp class is usually waitlisted about ten-deep.

“This is the best move I’ve made in my whole life,” Portocarrero said during a recent interview. At first he wouldn’t tell me his age, but later in the conversation he decided maybe it was important.

“I’m 50,” he said. “And the reason I decided to tell you is because people need to know that age isn’t something they should let stop them from getting in shape. Guys in their 40s can attain the best shape of their lives, they just need to make it a priority. I specialize in weight loss and I really love helping people.”

And King agrees. He’s experienced Portocarrero’s selfless ‘extra mile’ firsthand.

“About a year ago, my brother died,” King said. “That gave me the motivation I needed to turn a corner with fitness. My brother used to love to run, and I decided I wanted to run a half-marathon. Roberto helped me train for it – he set aside personal time off-the-clock to help me prepare and then he ran it with me in New Hampshire last October. There are trainers and then there are personal trainers.”

“I believe that what I do has repercussions,” Portocarrero said. “In the sense that I need to live the way I’m encouraging others to live – to eat healthy, to get fit and live a fulfilling life. I think one of the keys to reaching goals in fitness is really getting at the core of why you want it. Understanding your true motivation, what’s driving you, where it comes from – that’s a major factor in getting where you want to be.”

When I ask Portocarrero if he’s seen A&E’s new show, “Heavy,” a reality program about helping folks that suffer with morbid obesity, he tells me he doesn’t have a TV.

“I got rid of it. I know about the show, but I haven’t seen it. Not having a TV gives me more time to do things I want – run marathons, read books… I’ve been certified by the National Academy of Sports Medicine.” And indeed, BSC has distinguished him as a Master Trainer.

He tells me that the fitness industry has begun to turn its eyes toward people 55 and over.

“Lately the focus has been on educating baby boomers about how they can better care for themselves as they get older. There have been a lot of studies going on about the benefits of balance and strength training to fight high blood pressure, high cholesterol and so forth.”

As someone who works with all walks of life, from ages 21 to 75, Portocarrero says that the biggest misconception that people still carry around about fitness surrounds their diet.

“People think they need to eat less to get in shape, but if they’re working out, they still need to be eating 60-70 percent carbs, 20-30 percent protein and 96 ounces of water a day,” he said. “It’s really that simple.”