Carina Santi, the decorated Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt under Júlio Pinheiro, has built an impressive legacy in combat sports. With medals from prestigious tournaments including the IBJJF European and South American Championships, CBJJ’s Brazilian Nationals and São Paulo’s International Open, Santi has proven herself as one of the top female competitors of her generation in Brazil. But her athletic journey extends beyond the mats of jiu-jitsu into another demanding arena: bodybuilding.
Throughout her life, Santi’s relationship with physical fitness has been complex and transformative. During her childhood and adolescence she struggled with weight fluctuations and body image issues, experiences that were compounded by severe bullying.
“I was bullied a lot because I was chubby,”
Santi recalled on a recent podcast, describing how these challenges affected her mental health and led to cycles of weight gain and loss. These early struggles with her body would later inform her multifaceted approach to physical training and personal development.
Santi’s athletic foundation was built through various sports, particularly handball, which she pursued competitively throughout her youth. She even trained with the Osasco team and played as goalkeeper for Brazilian national handball teams at the youth level. This early exposure to elite-level training instilled in her the discipline and competitive drive that would later define her career in both jiu-jitsu and bodybuilding.
Her entry into fitness professionally came through her physical education degree, which she pursued specifically to become a handball coach. However, her career path took a different direction as she worked extensively in the fitness industry.
“I worked in physical education in schools, from kindergarten to high school,”
Santi explains. She taught everything from swimming to various group fitness classes, gaining comprehensive experience across multiple disciplines.
“I taught gymnastics classes, step, spinning—I just didn’t teach dance because the movement doesn’t work for me,”
she jokes.
Santi’s involvement with bodybuilding training became more serious as she developed her personal training business. Before opening her women-focused gym, she operated Pana Bianco, where she worked extensively with clients on body transformation. Her approach to training goes beyond simple aesthetics, incorporating the emotional and psychological work she believes is essential for sustainable change.
“It’s no use; you have to work on the emotional side,”
she emphasizes.
“Why did you become obese? It’s not just because you eat a lot. What happened in your life?”
Today, approximately 80% of Santi’s personal training clients are women and she has become known for her holistic approach that addresses both physical training and emotional wellness. Her own experiences with body image, combined with her training as a doula and her psychological insights, inform her coaching methodology. She works to empower women not just physically but mentally, helping them understand the root causes of their relationship with their bodies.
Santi’s dedication to bodybuilding training complements rather than conflicts with her jiu-jitsu career. The strength and conditioning work required for competitive bodybuilding has enhanced her performance on the mat while her jiu-jitsu practice keeps her functional and athletic. This combination reflects her philosophy that different training modalities can work synergistically to create a more complete athlete.
Her new gym, Almeida Woman and Kids, embodies her vision of creating an inclusive, supportive environment where women can pursue their fitness goals—whether in jiu-jitsu, bodybuilding or general wellness—while also accommodating their roles as mothers. The facility offers synchronized classes so mothers can train while their children participate in age-appropriate programs, removing one of the biggest barriers women face in maintaining consistent training.
