Your keyword must be balance

By Luis Curay

 

When the people are asked why they do any type of physical activity, rather if they do any kind of sport, and rather if they do bodybuilding or fitness, the two type-answers they use to give are to be healthy or, being much honest, to look like physically good and make the rest to look at them.

 

They could be very simple answers or to get out the way, but what about if you reset your brain to say something more consistent like you do it to keep a good health, gain security, and increase your energy. But those three components are the consequence. Whichh would they be the ways to get it all? Coming next, three keys that will allow to reach that purpose and life philosophy.

 

Key 1 – Balance your body: The body balances using what surrounds you – the air, the food, the people. It’s ever very important to keep and active and optimistic mind.  For example, your first thought when waking up day by day. That helps much your mind and routes your actions.

 

Key 2 – Balance your mind: When you get your energy to route your daily goal, you’ll see your mind becomes strong. It’s not easy – the mind betrays. You must break down habits, myths. But a mind becomes strong with what it listens, what it sees. From there it comes your time of concentration, breathing control, and everything gets calm – it flows like a river.

 

Key 3 – Balance your feeding: The body speaks, it says you when it needs to rest, when it wants activity, when there is an excess. Do the famous pause and listen. We must be aware that the body is a set of muscles that need exercise as well as your mind needs thoughts.

 

Extra key – Balance everything: Health, security, energy. We are a complement with the Nature, so we must understand we part of that. The Nature is wise, energetic and safe for every habitat.

 

The natural cycle is next: we are formed by good bacteria. The bad ones come but the good ones do their job, what you eat gives you energy for you to move the best way, you do your body to be strong and secure with the right movements, with the whole machinery on the right way your mind flows and it will be easier to think, decide, make the step to upgrade.

 

If you wanna go this topic in depth or you need a customized advisory, contact me on my Facebook and Instagram accounts.

Do you want to share something related? Write us at chulucanasgym@gmail.com or get us on our Twitter account. 

Key Muscle Groups for a Harmonious Physique in Bodybuilding**

When you venture into the world of bodybuilding, it’s natural to focus on developing big, strong muscles, but the real challenge and goal lie in building a harmonious and balanced physique. Having a symmetrical figure will not only help you stand out in competitions but also help you maintain a healthy and functional body.

Here are the muscle groups you need to work on to achieve that desired shape!

1.  Pecs: The foundation of a powerful upper body – The chest is the focal point of the upper body. Well-developed pecs give you that voluminous, athletic look that stands out in any fitted shirt. Spend time on exercises like bench presses and flyes to achieve a defined, broad chest.

2.  Back: The key to the famous “V” shape – The back is one of the largest muscle groups and often one of the most neglected. Developing the lats will help you achieve the coveted “V” shape, adding width and depth to your physique. Lat pulldowns and barbell or dumbbell rows are your allies here. And don’t forget the traps—well-developed traps add visual bulk and strength!

3.  Shoulders: The touch of width— Strong shoulders not only increase your appearance of power but also harmoniously connect the torso with the arms. Work the deltoids in all their parts (anterior, lateral, and posterior) to avoid imbalances. Presses and lateral raises are key.

4.  Arms: The perfect combo of biceps and triceps – Well-developed arms are always admired. But to have fully developed arms, you need to focus on both the biceps and triceps. Exercises like barbell or dumbbell curls for biceps and dips or triceps extensions will help you maintain balance between both muscles, achieving an impressive aesthetic.

5.  Abs: Definition at the center of the body – A sculpted abdomen is the hallmark of a well-worked physique. It’s not just about aesthetics; strong abs provide stability in other heavy exercises. Incorporate variety: from crunches to planks, to achieve a strong, well-defined core.

6.  Legs: The foundation of any great physique – Voluminous quadriceps are fundamental if you want a complete and proportioned physique. Well-developed hamstrings balance the volume of your legs and protect you from injuries. Squats, leg presses, and deadlifts are essential to making your legs as impressive as your upper body.

7.  Glutes: Don’t underestimate them – In bodybuilding, well-developed glutes are crucial for a strong and balanced physique. They help improve your posture and shape the lower body. Exercises like hip thrusts and lunges are key for developing this area.

8.  Calves: Don’t neglect the details — Calves are one of the most challenging muscles to develop, but well-developed calves complete a balanced figure. Include calf raises in your leg workouts to ensure this muscle group doesn’t fall behind.

Why is balance important? – It’s not just about having big muscles; what will make you stand out is a proportioned physique. A harmonious development will help you avoid injuries, improve your performance, and, most importantly, achieve a visually pleasing body. Working on each muscle group in a balanced way will not only make you a bodybuilder but a complete athlete.

Stay motivated to keep improving! – Bodybuilding is an art, and you are the sculptor of your own body. Don’t just focus on the muscles that are more visible or easier to work on. The key to success lies in balance and consistency. With every workout, you are one step closer to your best version. Remember: true strength lies in balance! | Follow us on X | Write us at WhatsApp | chulucanasgym@gmail.com 

The Importance of Celebrating Achievements Over Time for a Bodybuilder

In the world of bodybuilding, every stage of physical transformation represents a challenge that demands dedication, discipline, and patience. From long hours in the gym to careful nutrition planning, bodybuilders put in a tremendous amount of effort to sculpt their bodies.

 

However, amid this focus on continuous progress, a fundamental aspect of the journey is often overlooked: celebrating achievements along the way.

 

Acknowledging Progress

Bodybuilding isn’t just about the final goal; it’s a journey made up of small victories. Every increase in strength, every visible change in musculature, and every improvement in technique are accomplishments that deserve recognition. Celebrating these milestones is a way to stay motivated and remember that success doesn’t happen overnight but through consistency.

 

Acknowledging personal progress also helps maintain a positive mindset. In a sport as competitive and demanding as bodybuilding, it’s easy to fall into the trap of excessive self-criticism. Valuing the achievements made strengthens self-esteem and provides a more balanced perspective on physical development.

 

Reinforcing Motivation

Motivation is a key factor in the success of any bodybuilder, and celebrating achievements, both big and small, can be a powerful motivational booster. When a goal is celebrated, the brain releases dopamine, a neurotransmitter associated with pleasure and reward. This release not only generates a feeling of satisfaction but also encourages continued work toward the next goal.

 

Moreover, these celebrations foster a mindset of continuous progress, where each achievement opens the door to new possibilities and challenges. This helps maintain long-term energy and enthusiasm, essential factors in a sport where perseverance is key.

 

Setting New Goals

Each celebration of an achievement is also an opportunity to reflect on the journey so far and to set new goals. A bodybuilder who takes time to celebrate their achievements is also better prepared to define the next steps in their evolution. This process of reflection and planning is crucial for sustained growth in the sport, allowing each victory to become the foundation for future success.

 

Creating a Healthy Balance

Bodybuilding, like any other high-performance sport, can be mentally and physically demanding. The pressure to constantly improve can create stress, which could affect both mental health and physical performance. Celebrating achievements helps maintain a healthy balance between the ambition to reach new goals and the need to enjoy the present.

 

Taking time to celebrate doesn’t mean stopping progress but rather acknowledging the effort made and enjoying the journey. This balance between hard work and reward is crucial to avoiding burnout and maintaining a positive attitude over time.

 

In summary, celebrating achievements over time is an essential part of a bodybuilder’s journey. It not only reinforces motivation and helps maintain a positive mindset but also provides the necessary balance for sustainable development. By valuing every milestone reached, bodybuilders can keep their momentum, enjoy their accomplishments, and continue moving toward their goals with greater enthusiasm and determination.

 

The model for this entry is José Escobar. Follow him on Facebook and Instagram. | Follow us on X | WhatsApp | chulucanasgym@gmail.com

  

Go training sustainable in time!

Peruvian host Elías Velasco shows us what the fitness gave him but from an alternate perspective.

 

Photos by Jair Tacza Herrera, special to ChulucanasGym. Special gratitude to Legion Fitness Gym (Lima) for allowing us to shot the star of this entry during his training session.

 

In 2007 Mister Lima, 2007 Mister Summer, and 2007 Mister Peru (Photos from Elías Velasco’s archive).

 

“I live sustainable in time inside-to-outside,” Elías Velasco (Lima, Peru, November 21^st, 1974) affirms. Almost turning 49 years old (at the time this entry is posted), the director, creator, and host of Café & Conversa, a Spanish-language streaming TV talk-show, looks like an amazing body, that highlights from other guys of his generation.

 

Elías began in bodybuilding in 1993 like a psychological therapy. A love disappointment, a dismissal in a job opportunity, and a good friend were the blasting recipe that turned a thin guy, 5.6 feet, 119 lbs, into a128-pound athlete in the lapse of one year.

 

In 2004, he studied and specialized in fitness. Later, in 2007, he started contesting  in Mister Summer, in Lima, what he wan. Then, Mister Lima selective came on, what he reached the second place in classic bodybuilding category (137 lbs, 7% body fat). Ultimately, in the same category, he got a third place in Mister Peru (141 lbs, 10% body fat).

 

Bringing down, then being reborning

He couldn’t go ahead in the competitive field because he took anabolics that activated a bone disease that reduced him to 108 lbs. elías depressed so much that he almost committed suicide.

 

In 2008, when he healed in body and mind, he returned to the gym  but another thinking. He never left it from that moment on, restoring his physique – his inner peace, over all.

 

Inclusive, he was summoned to work as an artistic model  in three times, even, between that year and 2012. Eventually, he played the role again for one of his shows in 2023 – he continued to look like amazing. At this entry closed, Elías have scheduled to feature his body for another  art exposition. Meanwhile, the pictures we present you here, all were produced exclusively for ChulucanasGym.

 

A new philosophy

“The humankind has built pretty fragile, easy-to-corrupt personal issues in time because it don’t know itself, it don’t train inside neither,” elías says to ChulucanasGym.

 

“People vainly live decorating the front yard in their lives, but  not generating substantial changes because they hardly negotiate and deal for living collectively  healthy,” he adds.

 

Elías Velasco affirms the main benefit of training sustainably in time is having found the balance between body and mind, at least speaking by himself.

 

The power of mind

Training with emotional intelligence, having reached living inside-to-outside seem to be the break point, in his words.

 

“Because you achieve training and empowering yourself plenty finding harmony, balance, fullness, and a pretty mighty and clean decision power  to live in health connected to the cosmos, so you apply it into your daily life, then you will look like strong inside and outside,” he advises.

 

Additionally, Elías has found his vocation working in the media, and he is preparing more and more each time, learning from the guests to his TV show. “We’re what we decide,” he states.

 

Follow Elías | Comment on X | chulucanasgym@gmail.com

  

Pranayama - The Health In Your Breath

By Christian Palacios (also photos)

We live in shaking times. everything has been accelerated with the technology and the people sees affected by psychosomatic unbalances much everytime, like the stress and the anxiety.

The yoga is a millenial science that incorporates the practice of pranayamas (breath exercises)  and the meditation as part of a process that allows to activate the healing processes of our body, for reaching an optimal health sstate, the balance of our mind, and a calm state that leads us to the harmony with ourselves and everything around us.

The practices of pranayama allow us to get a better oxygenation of the blood. All components of the body require oxygen for its optimal function and because of pranayama we can balance the chemical processes happening inside ours.

The pranayama exercises allow us to reach a longer, deeper breath, which reflexes into a major oxygenation  and increasing of blood circulation.

Benefits Of Pranayama Practice

• Provides you more energy and vitality.
• Helps to disintoxicate the blood.
• Improves the circulation.
• Strengthen the inmunologic system.
• Helps to clean lungs.
• Reduces the depression sensation.
• Improves the digestive system.
• Benefits the spine function.
• Helps to relief thiroid  problems.

According to Dr Thakur Dass, doing pranayama can increase the normal volume of ventilation for ten times without needing workout. The researcher points out the oxygenation creates the energy, generating ATP (adenosynetriphosphate), what delays the cells degeneration, so doing pranayama acts as an anti-oxidant.

Dass affirms that doing pranayama provides the enough quantitty of oxygen to the entire body, and helps to relief breathing system diseases as the bronchitis, the laringitis, the bronchial asthma, helps in case of heart diseases as the thrombosis and allows to control the blood pressure.

It influences on the endocrine system. It helps to relief diseases as the diabetes and helps to improve the condition of kidney diseases.

[READ ALSO: How To Get Calm?]

Nidra Yoga
This practice  is based on the meditation and encourages the person to get learning to dominate the biological mechanisms of the body from the mind, for having a deep relaxation, that helps to sleep correctly and to avoid problems such as the anxiety and the insomnia.

If you need further information and you are in Piura City,  visit us in Reiki Yoga Piura: Magisterial Urbanization, 490 Bernal  St., in front of the  Santa Ana Park. You can also follow me on my fanpage.

A bodybuilding-based cult?

By ChulucanasGym

VISITOR’S DISCRETION ADVISED

The story is not probably new., but who tell it did look for  picturing it as featured on this post. It’s about the young farmer male, who doesn’t find opportunities to develop in his environment and decides to migrate to the big city. But instead finding progress, he finds much obstacles and multiple temptations  those put him in the edge of social risk, mainly crime and drug addiction.

Then, a solidarian hand ddiscovers him at an eventual job that only provides him the necessary to survive, and realizes he has a potential to launch a career in bodybuilding. It opens him the doors of a gymnasium, the Young male wonders about the new world revealed to him and takes the opportunity. He begins to work out, grows up physically, changes his mind from conformism to competitiveness, feels motivated to contest, and eventually gets little-but-significant triumphs.

Itt’s evident the contrast between a life without goals and what seems to be the beginning of a career that promises achievements, and it could be the story of your own life. But the element that nobody would think is that the story were pitched to some magazines or websites specialized in bodybuilding, instead, it could have a religious use, rather. Yes, themuscular development of a bodybuilder becomes to use for enhancing a very little cult considering its followers, but what uses an ancestral symbology.

It happens in Jamaica, where the Church of Kyrios Christ, that proposes a big influence of the African culture in the three big religions of humankind, but what became invisible because of apparent race factors, has used the power of bodybuilding to make popular the cult for one of its orishas, a kind of demigods, named Olorun. The Church, which theology is based upon youruba  cults, also proposes the reinvindication of the African-descendant people into the world’s history, and it performs a ceremony every year when it renacts that orisha’s myth.

According to its parishioners, Olorun was made a slave during the colonial trafficking started in 16^th century (beautiful literary works have born from that time in the Americas). Once he lived at the barracks  of an estate located in the actual Chalacalá Town, near Sullana City, Peru, the orisha was a rebel mood, so the estate-owner used to punish by leaving naked and wearing a fetter with chains to humiliate to him, but Olorun, calling out divine forces, took the bold piece of metal with his hands and broke up by his own power.

A very ancient tactic

Independently this event was whether historically true or not, it’s enacted during this ceremony in Jamaica with the evident purpose that the parishioners not to forget about it, so reaffirming the cult values. And according to the Church, it looks for a model, usually Colombian or Jamaican, every year to perform the Olorun role, something that, as the organization’s leaders say, is accepted as a high honor by the chosen actor.

The idea of taking a real human being to remember or invoke an abstract reference or a belief is an oldest resource as  the art and culture of humankind. In Classic Greece, the Olympics’ winners used to be featured as the models for the statues of gods (and goddesses, because there were also  contests for women), and one of the philosophic principles at the ancient gymnasiums stated that the perfection of human shape was the closest way to look like a god or a goddess.

And that health-art-religion relationship has kept along the time, maybe hidden until the Renaissance (15^th century), but present up to today. Iff not, look around slowly when you go to the gym and have your own conclusions.

Good or bad?

So, only if the bodybuilder is aware he is actually training. It could be an interesting strategy  to reach constance, one of the values muchly hardworking to grow. But if the bodybuilder cannot take off the character of god or demigod, or celebrity, or famous person, or popular referent, it will be necessary professionalassistance with pairs advisory.

In this sense, the work of the trainer is crucial. It must not be reduced to care the athlete for doing the movement correctly, or complete the required reps or sets. He also has to take time to explore the psychology  of his pupil so giving him  the right support, and knowing to motivate him for continuing to overcome. Maybe, it’s not necessary to say him that he has to look like a god, but it’s important to feedback the goals  both proposed since the training began, and maybe this is one of the keywords – goals.

About the rest, the use of the religion to advocate a healthy lifestyle, only done with awareness and not falling into the fanatism, could result very positive. Many ancestral religions have very specific habits about feeding, for example, those have been incorporated as diet schemes accepted by international organisms, but stressing the basis of the variety and the balance.

And about the art-bodybuilding relationship, we think it’s an excellent combination only provided the bodybuilder assumes his artist stage as a dimension to set free in the whole sense of the expression, not like an obsession many times badly directed by some producers or career managers, who could be thinking the things more of audience or incomes matters. Like the food, everything in the right balance will be ever positive.

Shive Roy is featured as the model of this post. Photographs provided by Dwight Foster.

Do you have a similar story to share? Let us know it at chulucanasgym@gmail.com, our Twitter account, or using the comment box below.