Meet the Team - Personal Trainer Carsson Del Cid Barroso

Meet Carsson Del Cid Barroso: The Trainer Who Builds Workouts as Unique as the People Doing Them

Six years of experience. Clients from age 3 to 82. A creative approach to fitness that's as much about your mental health as your physical strength. Meet the trainer who's here to prove that fitness belongs to everyone.

Some people find fitness through competition. Others find it through necessity. Carsson Del Cid Barroso found it through Zumba - and then quickly realized they wanted to go deeper.

"After a few months of it, I knew I wanted more in the fitness industry," Carsson says. So in 2020, they earned their NASM Personal Training certification and got to work. Six years, hundreds of clients, and one very clear philosophy later -  Carsson is now part of our training team at our Riverdale gym, and if you haven't met them yet, you're in for something different.

From Corporate Gym to Something Better

Carsson's path to our gym wasn't a straight line — and that's actually a good thing for you.

After getting certified, Carsson began training at a corporate gym. The clients were great. The connections were real. But the environment? Not so much. Big fitness companies come with big policies, ones that are often more motivated by revenue than by what's actually best for the person standing in front of you.

"I wanted a more personal approach without the limits and money-motivated policies of big companies," Carsson says. "So I branched off on my own."

That decision - to put clients first, even when it meant walking away from the security of a corporate structure - tells you everything you need to know about what drives them. Carsson didn't build their career around quotas or upsells. They built it around people.

"It's all about the people," they say. "It's amazing to build relationships with so many different people and celebrate their accomplishments." That's not a tagline. That's genuinely how Carsson operates, and you feel it the moment you start working with them.

What Makes Carsson's Training Different

In six years of working as a fitness professional, Carsson has trained clients ranging from age 3 to 82. That range isn't an accident, it's a reflection of a fundamental belief that fitness isn't a young person's game, an athlete's game, or anyone's exclusive territory. It's for every body, at every stage of life.

Their specialty is functional fitness and overall health, training that makes your real life better, not just your gym numbers. And within that, they focus on areas that a lot of trainers gloss over:

Injury prevention. The best workout is one you can keep doing. Carsson builds training around protecting your body for the long haul, not just pushing it to its limits today.

Balance and stability. The unsexy stuff that makes everything else work - and that becomes increasingly critical as we get older.

Perimenopause and menopause health. This is where Carsson stands out in a real way. Hormonal changes affect energy, body composition, recovery, mood, sleep; and most fitness programs are designed by and for people who aren't experiencing any of that. Carsson brings genuine knowledge and sensitivity to working with clients navigating this season of life.

Mental health and happiness. "Finding workouts that not only increase physical fitness but improve mental health and happiness" isn't a footnote in Carsson's approach -  it's a core pillar. Because what's the point of a workout that leaves you feeling worse about yourself?

And coming very soon: Carsson will be completing their NASM Nutrition Specialization within the next couple of weeks - adding another powerful tool to an already impressive skill set.

The Creative Side of Fitness

Here's something you don't hear trainers say very often: Carsson's favorite part of programming isn't the science. It's the creativity.

"It's so much fun to build a challenging workout and combine exercises to give clients safe and unique movements that lead them to their goals," they say. Carsson approaches each client's program the way an artist approaches a canvas — with intention, with craft, and with a genuine desire to make something that works specifically for that person.

That creativity makes sense when you learn what Carsson does outside the gym. They write music. They write fiction short stories. They go to partner dance events and Latin rhythm dance lessons. They're someone whose whole life is about expression, movement, and making something meaningful — and that comes through in how they coach.

Life Outside the Gym

If you want to understand a trainer, look at how they spend their time when they're not training.

Carsson is, in the best possible way, someone who genuinely loves this city. You might spot them kayaking at Two Rivers Park — their favorite spot on the water in Little Rock. Or walking through the Little Rock Zoo, taking in the animals at their own peaceful pace. ("We can't forget Kevin the Rhinoceros," they'll tell you — and yes, there is apparently a rhinoceros named Kevin, and Carsson is a fan.) They're regulars at the Murray Dog Park, kayaking on the Arkansas River, and cycling through the city when the weather cooperates.

They're also (and this is a fun one)  running a 5K every single month in 2026. Different city every time. "It has been so fun to travel to different cities and push through a challenge with strangers who quickly become friends," Carsson says. If that doesn't tell you something about who they are as a person -  someone who finds community in challenge and connection with strangers — nothing will.

Oh, and ice hockey. Carsson plays and watches ice hockey, which earns them automatic cool points in our book.

A Trainer Who Believes Fitness Belongs to Everyone

Carsson is nonbinary -  and they bring that identity into their work not as a footnote but as a foundation. One of the causes closest to their heart is the fight for LGBTQ+ rights, particularly for young people who need safe spaces to discover who they are.

"Having many friends in the LGBTQ+ community, I have come to see the needs of people that historically fit outside of the norm to feel recognized and included," Carsson says. "Especially children who are learning themselves and need a safe space to discover who they are."

That commitment to inclusion isn't separate from their fitness philosophy -  it's woven into it. Carsson's training space is one where every person, regardless of age, ability, background, or identity, is seen, respected, and celebrated. If you've ever walked into a gym and felt like you didn't quite belong there, Carsson is the trainer who will change that feeling on day one.

Ready to Train With Carsson?

Whether you're 23 or 73, whether you're navigating menopause or training for your first 5K, whether you've been lifting for years or you've never set foot in a weight room - Carsson will meet you exactly where you are and build something that works for your actual life and goals.

Email us or Call the Gym and leave a message to set up a personal training session with Carsson.

We're open 24 hours a day in the Riverdale neighborhood of Little Rock. Come in anytime and ask about training with them - or send us a message and we'll get you connected.