When the producing team decided to focus this season of Living y Ready on healthy habits, I got excited. It’s personal for me. The gym has changed my life, and I believe it can change everyone’s life. On set, watching personal trainer David Perez walk through an at-home workout with Dorian Klemesine, I reflected on my own fitness journey.
From the Playground to the Gym Floor
Growing up gay, skinny, and smaller than the other boys—in size and confidence—I didn’t fit in with the athletic bros on the playground. Like a lot of queer kids, young adulthood arrived, and I fell in with artists. I was still in the closet. Since I couldn’t express my sexuality openly, I diffused my expressive energy into my work. Bulging biceps were not top of mind. Fitting in looked like being creative, occasionally smart, always one step ahead of any put-down or sarcastic jab at possibly being gay.
Then I came out. Suddenly, there were men everywhere. Big men, small men, old men, and men even younger than me. They were gay, they were on the apps, and they were all looking for connection. Sorta like me. One swipe this way, another swipe that way, a few chance encounters in real life, and I quickly understood the hierarchy of hotness—and at the top were the same athletic bros from my childhood, except these bros might want to have sex with me. In theory.
Meanwhile, I’m flailing through life, eating unhealthily, staying up too late, running across town between jobs that lack meaning, spending money I don’t have, and trying to find validation from the eyes of men who seemingly have it all. I’m also acting. A gig here, a gig there. I came close to scoring a leading role (a gay character, too) in a movie, and the director passed on me not because of my acting, but because they “went with someone with a body.” Yeah—I was mad for a while. I’m still mad about it. But I joined a gym after that. Did I learn a lesson? Not entirely sure. But it did get me fired up.
More Than Just a Body
What I’ve discovered about the gym is much deeper than being hot. Consistently working out sets the tone for healthy habits in every department of my life. When I’m on my gym routine, I cook healthier food at home, I eat out less and thereby spend less money, and I prioritize sleep. I show up at work more confident, more at ease, and in my relationships more compassionate, more giving. The gym is a place I focus on myself. I get out my anger and frustration. I let go of self-doubt. I watch myself get stronger. And, yes, my body has changed and that makes me happy.
In the next episode of Living y Ready, we learn how fitness has made both Dorian and David happier, too. We all have preexisting conditions. HIV, depression, diabetes—these obstacles need not stand in the way of an active life; if anything, let them motivate us to stand even stronger, even hotter, in the light beyond their shadows.
So, should all gay men join the gym? I think everyone should—but let your reason be a personal one. For Latinos navigating the complexities of identity and belonging, the gym can be a sanctuary. It’s a space where we reclaim our bodies, our health, and our confidence. Whether you’re in Bogotá, Buenos Aires, or the Bronx, the journey starts with a single step.
For more on how Latinos are redefining success, check out Where Latino Salaries Surpass the National Average: The American Dream's Best Bets. And if you’re looking for inspiration beyond the gym, explore Essential Latine Books: New Releases Redefining Latin American Literature.
