He’s done it all from a stint in the British Army as physical training instructor to personal trainer in Los Angeles and numerous trips through professional soccer. Fitness 360’s Ben Mackie combines more than an extremely high level of physical achievement in everything he’s done; he brings areas of specialty to Fitness 360 including golf and soccer specific and upper-level athletic training. For those looking to excel at the next level in any sport from boxing to golf to track and tennis, Mackie has nearly a decade in personal training and the right tools and knowledge to help anyone raise their game.

What is your personal training background?
Well I was in the British Army for nine years where I was a physical training instructor, so that’s how I got into the field and then when I left the army I went back to school to get more qualifications in England. I moved to America and worked in Los Angeles for a year and then came to Stockton where I moved over from In-Shape when 360 started opening up.

What are your sport specialties?
I was a professional soccer player for the British Army so I’ve played and coach my entire life. I still play with numerous soccer teams today so I take a lot of experience with that and with boxing, track and golfing and can apply that with training sessions. I could take a soccer player or golfer right now and transform them to a higher level. That’s the beauty of Fitness 360 and being here. There’s no one that I would turn away because I could tailor a workout to any individual or group. There really are no limitations.

Do you have a favorite part of athletics and training?
I love the personal side of things; getting people excited about working out and achieving their goals. It’s great to see people happy because they’ve accomplished something that they’ve set out to do. Whether it’s get stronger or lose weight. It’s a goal they’ve reached. I’ve got a great report with my clients – I make friends with a lot of them. I’d say that’s the best part, seeing them come in here, have a great workout and having them see results.

What’s life for you like outside of Fitness 360?
Well I love to play soccer all the time. I help coach some high school kids and I play for a few teams and in tournaments in Santa Cruz. I like to play golf and I’m pretty social. Being English I like to go out; I’ve got a great girlfriend – just going out and having fun whether it’s with clients or friends.

What’s being a personal trainer like in Stockton?
I’ve noticed that here, good or bad, it’s a tight community where everyone knows everyone else. It’s been great that the good news about what we’re doing here at Fitness 360 has been spreading around. That’s how I got so involved with Brookside and the University of the Pacific. What we offer here is a lot more and a lot different from other places in the community. You’ll never be in a group of more than four and that’s special to 360.

What’s training with you like?
People are going to get 100% from me in here. You don’t just stop by for an hour at a time. You get a workout but you also get nutritional information from me and cardio advice. I truly am there for my clients 24-hours of the day because so much of my life revolves around athletics anyways. I want to be involved in what they do and help them through anything. If they don’t see results than I don’t have a job so it’s as important to me as it is to them.