Dr Aldo, the Alicante Architect of Champions

With an enviable academic career, a method obsessed with measurement, and the habit of turning intuitions into protocols, Aldo Martínez—professionally known as Dr Aldo—has transitioned from training firefighters and police officers to designing routines that support world titles. From Alicante, he signs off on successes, including the Alicantinos Award 2025, which this newspaper will award him on November 19.

In the modern narrative of elite sports, the epic of the knockout punch or the sweat that calls for headlines often prevails. But behind many victories lies an unseen architecture: programming, load control, recovery, data, and repetition. This design is often signed by Aldo Martínez.

Born and educated in Alicante, with two doctorates and an academic trajectory unusual among high-performance trainers, Martínez has become a key figure in the rise of athletes like Ilia Topuria, UFC champion. His list of protégés also includes diverse names such as World Cup-winning footballer Raúl Albiol and Olympic boxer José Quiles, making him a cross-disciplinary reference in performance in Spain.

Aldo's professional story is that of a technician who carries science under his arm. A degree in Physical Education, Psychopedagogy, a degree in Physical Activity and Sports Sciences, and two cum laude doctorates—one in Sports Sciences and another in Health Sciences—form the backbone of his authority. This foundation allowed him to leap from preparing civil service candidates, firefighters, and police officers to designing plans for elite athletes with the same logic: measure, control, and adapt.

This training translates into a maxim he repeats and applies: "I train people, not bodies." It's a short phrase that contains an ethic; each individual requires their own map of loads, tolerances, and recovery strategies. In a sport like MMA, where the margin between being fit and being fresh for fight night can be minimal, this personalization makes the difference.

His laboratory is not just material. Cryotherapy chambers, devices to measure neuromuscular load, and video analysis systems coexist with an intangible but decisive part: education and mental training. For Aldo Martínez, performance cannot be sustained without sleep hygiene, habits, and mental strategy. He dedicates time to teaching athletes to understand their bodies, manage fear and expectations, and periodize motivation.

This combination—applied technology plus athlete education—is one of the hallmarks of his work. He doesn't offer shortcuts; he proposes processes. And, above all, he leaves tools in the hands of the athlete to continue functioning when the trainer is not present.

The vocation to systematize his method has found an editorial outlet. In 2024, he published 'Optimize Yourself. The only impossible thing is what you don't try', a text that captures part of his experience and practical approach. The book condenses principles of training, recovery, and mindset, a piece that helped popularize his discourse outside the gym.

But there's more. Dr Aldo is preparing a second book, this time with a clearly practical focus oriented towards training. This new release, the title of which he cannot yet reveal, confirms his intention not to limit himself to intervening in the performance of a few but to leave procedures that can be replicated and adapted by other professionals.

That his base is in Alicante is not an ornamental anecdote: it functions as a hallmark. In a scene where the concentration of resources is usually located in major capitals, Aldo's case turns a province in the Levant into a center of thought applied to sport, without neglecting to travel across the peninsula.

Keeping the base in his hometown, which he loves so much, reinforces the idea that excellence does not need to move far to develop; it can germinate and project from outside the usual circuits.

Moreover, his career has a mirror effect. Young Alicante trainers see in him a possible path, not an unattainable example. The province, therefore, gains in symbolic capital.

If the title of champion is often celebrated with fireworks, Aldo Martínez's work resembles more an architectural project: deep foundation, plans, proven materials, and constant maintenance. From Alicante, this architect of performance has demonstrated that the blend of education, scientific curiosity, and discipline is a valid formula for building sustainable sports careers. He doesn't promise miracles; he designs foundations. And in modern sport, that can be the difference between a shooting star and a lasting champion.