Importance of mentorship and legacy in bodybuilding

Bodybuilding has held on alive such itself since it began to spread and promote in Europe in the second half of 19^th century, and in the U.S. in the beginning of 20^th century, and from both social and cultural spots toward the entire world. Today, it’s very rare the corner of the planet where it doesn’t do, especially if we talk about nations with a high sports vocation as Brazil, here in Latin America.

 

It wasn’t only about opening more gyms – rather, the gym is the ideal space for what the tradition keeps ever alive, but the history tells us since Lacedemone, Ancient Greece, 18^th century B.C., until Esse, actual Germany, 1852 A.D., and then up to date, the importance of this institution ffor learning and developing the physical culture has not fallen down – quite the opposite.

 

Let’s consider this first idea: it’s not the physical facility what makes the bodybuilding to everlast. The first gyms were big open-air lots delimited with walls where the athletes trained fully naked. Today, although the idea could sound very exotic to rescue, what we have are buildings that keep the same concept of these big lots but under a roof (the most) and with the comfort of modern architecture.

 

Obviously, most of us already don’t train naked but even at the time of our routine, we unavoidabily end giving up to the marketing of big sports brands. Let’s remember we also can train in the open and we could get the same effect if we do it correctly.

 

Then, a second idea we should consider is the gym, before the physical space, it’s about a 38-century-old institution, and as a human creation, it’s the presence of persons training and inspiring others to continue training and getting new goals, no doubt.

 

How does our example influence in the motivation that many bodybuilders and athletes have to start their own sport careers, or a healthy lifestyle at least? The truth is it influences much, if not, think of who inspired you to attend that very first day and to continue persisting until getting your first results, your actual achievement later.

 

These models inspiring us, whether we meet them in person or not, are called mentors in pedagogy – the persons who form in our heads that we wish or want to be. We have mentors for everything: our profession, our fashion style, our criteria for choosing mates and friends… anyway. Think of your actual life and you’ll understand that somebody inspired you to be who you are, and there’s somebody who is inspiring you to be someone else.

 

It’s probable we don’t propose to be mentor of anybody and we are in our right, but we are an example the same, and somebody is going to see in us for continuing to train, or leaving to do it. And as the years go by, that one we have inspired to, it’s going to inspire another new generation, and so and so.

 

But if you are aware of how much your example can influence in the life of other person or other people and you want to take control of the situation, it would be actually good you have a plan or a methodology in mind that allows who you inspire to learn the bodybuilding in a progressive and sequential way, that they appreciate it in a positive way, and that they value their first achievements as an won creation they can go improving.

 

So, you go building a legacy or heritage of knowledge and attitude around the bodybuilding, which purpose must be the improvement of the training ways, the increasing of life quality, the affirmative and positive self-validation, and the long of who come behind evolve the physical culture for their benefit and the one of who will come behind them. In this sense, the mentorship and the legacy will do the bodybuilding as a sustainable activity in time and space.

 

You’re not a substitute

This implies you to educate, to get ready for when that new bodybuilder or athlete gets close to you, you have true, precise, and inspiring answers. It’s not about you are going to turn in his physical trainer, but you could complement favorably the work of those professionals so that person gets motivated to ccome back working out the next day, and the next week, and the next month, and the next year.

 

It would be interesting if these mentorship and legacy strategies are precisely coordinated with the physical trainer for having unity in the messages and the quality of examples. Also, beyond how much weight you lift, it can turn in a natural opportunity to forge constructive social relationships that form a community which you ever could count.

 

Prepare and tell us your experience or let’s interchange tips. Let’s talk on our Twitter account, or also at our e-mail chulucanasgym@gmail.com

Coming next - we link you to the developing experience in Callao, Peru.

The model featured on this entry is José Escobar. 

Learning, Innovating, Publishing

How Starting To Build A Personal Brand

What do I do now when I can’t already play soccer?

When an injury stops your sports career, it doesn’t mean necessarily it’s the end of your labor life.

 

The photos of this entry have been provided by Martín Castañeda who is the model too. For contacting him, check the story right below.

 

Martín Castañeda, 48, is looking for a job as personal trainer, bodyguard, and driver. Due to the existent economic crisis in Peru, this former pro soccer player decided to expand his job chances, so he told us his story hoped to somebody could hire him. “Work dignifies  people,” he states.

 

Castañeda is a Sullana, Peru-native. He began a productive career in soccer, in 1994, when he was 18 years old. He held active until 2010, when he was 36 years old, the moment when he was forced to retire because of an injury in the meniscuses of knee.

 

How did he deal with the injury after 16 years chasing a ball, that included to join Alianza Atlético, the emblematic pro soccer team of Sullana?  “I took it pretty relaxed because I was just finishing my career,” he says.

 

What he did OK

When you face a similar situation which you had a highlighted career in sports in general, and any circumstance forces you to stop, your choices will be ever to think it’s already the end, or reinventing yourself not leaving to do what you like to do, or adding other abilities you already had but what were not necessary to deploy once a time.

 

If you think it’s already the end, go here to read more tips.

 

If you chose to reinvent yourself, the plan that Martín Castañeda decided can serve you as a reference.

 

1. Turn on your lamp – Being a competitive athlete is ever going to put the spotlight on you, but when you’re out, that lamp is going to be turned off for other new talents to occupy the place you occupied. It’s a life rule, you can’t do much against it… or maybe you do. Turn on that lamp again but this time holding your whole legacy under your arms and a good story to tell based upon your achievement and experience.
2. Become trendy – The social media allow that any retired athlete follows keeping in it if somebody knows how to keep a close, warm relationship with his community of followers. And if you don’t haveany? Do what Martín did – meet some specialist who have followed your career, who has the skill to hold you in, so no matter if you are not in activity, you will be indeed in the active mind of everybody. It’s called… marketing.
3. Open up your chances – This is a time of your life which you don’t have already to focus your full time on one only activity, but you can add others more which you have trained or which you have proven experience. If you don’t have it clear, do like Martín did – he sat down to talk to one of our producers, he began to think about himself and his talents, and he could define in the process he could be an excellent personal trainer, an skillful security agent, a right driver. Explore these things you do well too, these can turn in a way to pay your bills, including your sport abilities. Everything counts.

 

What he must do now

A Martín Castañeda’s comparative advantage is he met ChulucanasGym, then he told his story. That is going to provide him international exposure and it’s a good play because the people who come toward Peruvian Northern are going to contact him directly for taking any of the services he provides. We are going to leave his contact later.

 

In fact, this article is a big step but it’s not enough so what it’s coming up next counts as much as what he did up to this moment.

 

1. Acquaint yourself to technology – your social media accounts give you exposure but they also must allow you to talk directly to the people who are going to take your services, and that means you must develop skills for that contact to be made in a kind, friendly environment. If you get that contact to talk to you through any chat application, it’s an extra point. But remember – never be impatient, remind the smiles are for free to give but they end to reward you worthy at the less-expected moment.
2. Provide an excellent service – We repeat that if you get to close a deal, give your best for the experience working with somebody else hiring you to be satisfactory in every sense, since the moment both say hello until the moment both say a see-you, and that to start a long-term relationship. Don’t push the people to hire your or to follow hiring you – let the things to flow naturally. A user who feels to take the control of the situation uses to turn a satisfied user, and that means he can recommend you to his contact list, what will be a better advertisement than the best pic, the best vid, or the best written copy.
3. Don’t let they miss you – Do you remember that about don’t let to turn off the lamp what we suggested you in the beginning? The fact you have engaged with somebody doesn’t mean you can chant victory. In the opposite, that means you must grow a relationship which you make to highlight every certain time. How? Look for special moments (birthdays, holidays) to send a greeting and remind you are ever available. Or sometimes, setting a good conversation asking for the mood of that user uses to come good, especially in these times when it seems the stress is going to swallow us. And never push – let everything to flow organically.

 

Thanks, Martín, for trusting us, we hope those tips serve him as well as yourself. If you want to contact him, go to his Facebook and WhatsApp profiles.

 

If you want to share your story with us, or learn more insights about this issue, contact us by Twitter, WhatsApp, or write us at chulucanasgym@gmail.com