Contreras's Comeback

by KENNETH KIM

Jesus David Contreras, senior, stands up victoriously, with 315 pounds of weight on his back, a new personal record (PR). While hoisting this heavy weight is an achievement on its own, for Contreras, the PR is symbolic of his overcoming a serious injury to his ACL in 2017.

“Although the tearing of my ACL was a burden at the time, I found that it ended up being a blessing, because it [motivated] me to focus on bodybuilding,” said Contreras.

As an eighth grader, Contreras began lifting in earnest for the first time in order to get into shape for football. When he joined the Wildcat team freshman year, he discovered a passion for bodybuilding, which Contreras believed was a way for him to express his love for working out.

“Bodybuilding is a great way to express oneself. I love bodybuilding [because] it helps me be who I really want to be. I want to be someone who can push themselves to the farthest of their abilities, and bodybuilding is, at least for me, the best way to do so. After I tore my ACL, I had to [adopt a new] mindset,” admitted Contreras.

For Contreras, his mindset ultimately plays a large role in how he approaches bodybuilding, a process he says is incredibly long and mentally taxing. According to Contreras, modern bodybuilders focus on gaining bloated mass at the expense of the “aesthetics” factor, a juxtaposition to the ‘Golden Era’ of bodybuilding during the ‘70s and ‘80s, during which, athletes focused on large, symmetrical muscles. For bodybuilders, their bodies are art pieces, with athletes such as Contreras constantly working to keep their body as close to physical perfection as possible.

“I’m very inspired by the ‘Golden Era’ of bodybuilding, by people such as Arnold Schwarzenegger, Frank Zane, [and] Franco Colombo,” said Contreras. “What people think of bodybuilding nowadays isn’t what bodybuilding used to be, and I want to return back to that ‘Golden Era’.”

Contreras’s workout routine changes everyday, but he always maintains a basic set of rules. He begins with a pre-workout of light weight workouts or dynamic stretching, just to get his body in a ready condition and his blood flowing. After that, he usually divides his six workout days between his back, biceps, arms, legs, shoulders, core, and triceps, making sure to train all parts of his body equally. In addition, he also does a high intensity cardio exercise once or twice a week.

Although he wishes to compete professionally as a bodybuilder, Contreras has other career plans to focus on his love for a healthy lifestyle.

“I do plan on competing in the future; in about a year and a half to two years from now. However, [at the moment], it is just a hobby,” said Contreras. “As for my career, I plan on helping people out. I want to be a personal trainer. I’m currently working on receiving my personal training certificate through the National Academy of Sports Medicine. Once I get it, then I can pursue my overall dream.”

When asked if Contreras had any words for budding bodybuilders, he chuckled before replying, “Never forget leg day. I know that’s a joke that a lot of people like to say about the gym, but seriously, never forget it.”

FOCUSED ON FORM: David Contreras, senior, works out at 24 Hour Fitness. Contreras’s football career-ending knee injury sparked a passion for fitness and body building.

Photo by Daniel Cho