Bodybuilders from “La Mole Hard Core Gym” in Calexico train, diet, get coached, and compete to follow their passion. But the lessons they learn from bodybuilding can help any person make their life better.
Heriberto Delgado is also known as “La Mole.” He’s a personal trainer and bodybuilder. He’s also the President of the Mexicali Municipal League of Bodybuilding and Fitness. He’s in charge of the main events he organizes: the annual Mr. Mexicali tournament, which is endorsed by the State Association of the discipline, headed by Luis Ramirez. And he is the owner of the Gym “La Mole Hardcore Gym,” in Calexico, Calif.
“How can someone start? First, they should come to a gym with qualified trainers who can help them from the beginning with the right training techniques, since everyone has different goals,” said Delgado, “La Mole,” translated from Spanish.
Melissa Gallegos is training to be a bodybuilder in the wellness category, and she has made many achievements in her life due to bodybuilding.
“I managed to change my physique, achieve things I never thought possible, and I can inspire my colleagues and other people,” said Gallegos, translated from Spanish. “And also have my logo. To achieve having my logo, it’s not just me. Through the work I do, I have managed to inspire the people around me.”
Carlos Ramirez is a bodybuilder who has already competed but continues his journey, and he was one of the top finishers of the Mr. Mexicali 2024 competition. His journey started when he was just 4 or 5 years old, posing with his sisters.
“Well, people who are born with that love, not just for bodybuilding, it’s the passion they have,” said Ramirez, translated from Spanish. “I was born with that gift, that desire, that hunger, that drive to do things. You’re born with it; you just have to be with the right people so that when you’re little, your parents support you, and so on. My dad wasn’t very into bodybuilding back then, and he never supported me the way I wanted. So that’s what I think about myself.”
Oscar Palero did bodybuilding as a novice, and he is willing to train and compete again. He competed two years ago in 2024 and won the title of overall novice bodybuilder. For Palero, the hardest lesson to learn was patience.
“I feel I have learned to be patient because normally I’m a very impatient person who wants things quickly, and with bodybuilding, that was not the case,” he said. “It’s something that comes with time, with discipline. So for me, it forced me to be patient because there was no way around it. I couldn’t get the results quickly, so I just had to stay disciplined, push through the pain, push through the mental pain of wanting to eat fast food and not being able to. And I learned to be very patient when before I could not.”
Palero said that being physically active is even more important as people get older.
“I would say to always try to stay physical one way or the other way, to always be active that challenges your mind, and it makes you stay dedicated to something when it can be hard to,” he said. “Also, it is very important to stay physical that way; you’re prepared to join in, you know your limits, and you know everything is working as it should. If you don’t start at a young age, you could start feeling physical pains, which should not be the case for anyone.”
One last lesson Ramirez has for people is that pain makes a person stronger.
“Well, nothing good is easy, so like in all aspects of life, you can’t give up,” said Ramirez, translated from Spanish. “Pain is a thing; if you don’t experience some kind of pain, whether at the gym or in life, it won’t make you grow. Having big muscles requires pain, like when you lift weights, and without pain, your muscles won’t grow. That’s life; life’s blows affect you, they cause you pain, but they make you stronger.”
“Bodybuilding is a beautiful sport, and it not only changes your physique, it also helps you change physically, mentally, and emotionally, and you can go as far as you want,” said Gallegos, translated into Spanish.
