Required certification

A proposal to face the informality on physical training.

 

We’ve already spoke up about the apparent lack of control on the manners how the pupils are treated at the gyms of Piura. From a supervision absence in the training methodology to the anabolic-steroids trafficking, passing through an adequate psychological advisory, the issue did not interest to the correspondent authorities.

 

Meanwhile, men and women use the service ignoring if the investment they do will bring them some benefit to their life or it won’t. The appearance of a franchise in the cities of Piura and Sullana  have introduced a service that all the gyms doesn’t have – nutritionists. Although the consultations are included in the cost of the membership, this is over the most can pay.

 

A way to face the problem is the certification of trainers, but a search we did to have an interview that allows us to put this query in perspective with somebody had no results. In the other hand, the Piura Bodybuilding Federation did have summoned to specialized trainings with certification, but it’s ignored if there is an evaluation that allow to know if the learned in those courses is applied and how.

 

Despite, Piura has turned a place of this sport, and every March, it’s organized the Mister and Miss Piura contests to award the people who based on their word, and some –extra—help, have reached aesthetics and plasticity, although not necessarily good health.

 

The united, the stronger

César Campos was chosen as 2011 Mister Piura after years of continuous work for having a recognizement in bodybuilding. During the national phase –Mister Peru—he reached the fourth place in the general classification. Since 2007, Campos Works in a known gymnasium at Piura Downtown, after doing it since he was 20 in his native Sullana.

 

Before he moved looking for a better professional future, he was committed to create a bodybuilding federation in Sullana. His main concern was the lack of certification for trainers at that town. Neither the authorities, neither his most colleagues supported him because they didn’t understand the importance of the process or simple commercial envy. Join the competence and becoming one only front to demand a better labor treatment too was not well seen by the Sullana’s mastership.

 

The gymnasium where he worked in Sullana was part of the franchise that was introducing new practices in the way how the pupils are treated. Once upon a good time, we tried to have an interview with the trainer in charge to explore this issue, but we got no answer.

 

Yes, but…

This was not a difficult to talk extraofficially to other trainers. The most of them recognize that the certification and professionalization of their jobs is necessary, but very few have the money to invest in the courses, or their gyms are not interested in granting them, when the benefit is for the own business.

 

And obviously, there are who have no interest in studying and certifying because they are trainers due to labor chances. This means if they get a better job, they will quit in the long term. In Bellavista, Sullana, there is a dude who eventually works as a trainer at a downtown gymnasium. Unlike his most colleagues, he has Physical Education official pedagogycal studies, but his goal is not staying to work there but to have a job at some school. The reason why he accepted the job was to pay his studies.

 

Butt, analyzing well the issue, could this be a choice to get an official certification? In other countries (like Spain) and Lima, this is a key requirement to work not only at gyms but everywhere that requires to monitor the physical activities of people, no matter their age.

 

Before it turns a public health problem, authorities, store operators, trainers, and pupils should consider the need to assume this issue for the good of community. So, the physical activity will be really constructive and it will develop adequately one of our dimensions as human beings. The indifference to the issue won’t bring positive consequences.

 

The models featured on this entry are Alfredo Rivera, Anderson Sandoya, César Campos, and Christian. Photographs from FACTORTIERRA Archives. Additional photography by Estany Tineo.