REAL LIFE
KEN & HIS BARBIES
By: Lisa Maiorana
Kenny Tali, franchisee of the Max Muscle Sports Nutrition in Walnut Creek, Calif. has found a successful niche in preparing women (and some men) to compete in their first figure competitions, many taking top marks in their classes.
When Kenny Tali found out he could make a career out of something he loved doing, he quickly jumped on the opportunity. The 35-year-old San Jose, Calif. native, is a proud franchisee of the Max Muscle store in Walnut Creek, Calif., and is enjoying every minute of it. As a young adolescent, Kenny spent his junior high and most of his high school days as the “chubby” kid, until a change in thinking got him active and “being in shape” became more than a challenge – it became a way of life.
Hitting sales goals and hearing the sound of the cash register isn’t what Kenny labels success. What he finds most rewarding is helping others feel good about themselves by achieving their goals and optimum physiques. “On a scale of one to five, five being the most, how dedicated are you to losing weight?” This is a question Kenny asks all clients who reach out to him when they are feeling frustrated about their weight. Gina Camacho can attest to answering that question as she was Kenny’s first client. “Ken has always been a huge positive influence on my (figure) competition career right from the beginning,” she said. “I was just hoping for the best, but to win my class and the overall trophy was so rewarding and made me want to keep improving.”
Kenny says asking that question is the best way for him to gauge how much effort a client is willing to put into a full-body improvement. It’s more than lifting weights, it’s about eating right, taking the proper supplements and having a positive mentality, he says. The pair had been dating for six years prior to Kenny convincing Gina to try out for her first figure competition. He watched her wake up at the crack of dawn to do cardio, get ready for work, take her daughter to school, go to the gym on her lunch hour, come home and make him dinner and herself diet meals, and end the day with another session of cardio. “It was so motivating to watch her,” Kenny says.
The hard work paid off as Gina won “overall” in figure at the 2002 Contra Costa Show, and earning her professional status at the Figure Nationals in 2004. After training Gina, Kenny started preparing other men and women, and what was once a hobby has now become a secondary business. “I have trained more than 50 people – the majority of them placing third and fifth in figure competitions and others reaching IFBB figure pro status,” Kenny says.
As a certified nutritionist and per-sonal trainer through the ISSA, and with the success of many clients, Kenny has made a name for himself. He’s the most sought after fitness pro is his area. With an idea in mind, Kenny created a new fitness empire: a team of elite girls that would strut their stuff in figure competitions as “Ken’s Barbies.” The list of 15 plus girls includes IFBB professionals Gina Camacho, April Fortier and Carin Hawkins; and amateur clients Brittney Calhoun, Michelle Watson, Kelly Barton, Sonja Martin, Liz Jinkins, Terri Michaels, Brittney Benedetto, Terri Whitmore, Kimmi Whitmore, Celeste Limke, Elyse Smith, Christy Dalton and MaryBeth Leones.
The name came about when Kenny motivated another client to compete in figure competitions, similar to that of Gina. However, this girl’s name was Barbie, and so the name was founded. Michelle Watson is one of those Barbies. A 21-year-old kinesiology major from San Jose State, Michelle had dabbled in the party scene a little more than she should have and her body paid the price. She decided to get serious about her figure and was ready to jump into figure competitions. She turned to Kenny Tali. “It was not until I met Ken, that I realized how hard work in the gym and clean eating can truly transform your physique and your overall being. He has made every aspect of the dieting and training process easy and fun! I look forward to my weekly visits with the ‘Boss,’” Michelle says.
Having competed in her first figure show, the Fresno Classic, (April 2009), Michelle placed first in her class, and she says all her thanks goes to Kenny, and the following Max Muscle products: Max Pro, High 5, Glutamine, EFAs and BCAAs.
The success stories continue to flourish and recognition of Kenny’s clients has been published in media outlets such as “Oxygen,” “Muscular Development” and “Flex” magazines. The Stanislaus County Swat Team and Jujitsu Black Belt World Champion, Caio Terra, are among Kenny’s clients to date, and have shown a drastic improvement under his supervision.
The truth of the matter is, main-taining a healthy lifestyle and achieving personal goals don’t come easy. In fact, it takes a lot of work. But the true rewards come from staying positive, Kenny advises, and that’s just what he does. He may not have a personal motto, or a prayer he recites each morning, but one thing he does do is make the best out of each day. MS&F
