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by Christian Duque<\/em><\/p>\n Santi Aragon is by far one of the most liked and respected IFBB Pro\u2019s in the sport. He\u2019s always been very open about his positions on competition, supplements (including PED\u2019s), and the fitness industry. Being consistently transparent is a rarity in a scene that\u2019s all about backstabbing and clout chasing. Nonetheless, if you asked Santi a question, he\u2019d give you his honest opinion. Over the years, we\u2019ve done several interviews and there\u2019s never, ever, been a situation where he told me any line of questions was off limits. Also, he\u2019s never been one to beat around the bush. Yes, he takes time to articulate his points succinctly, but answers every question asked. A bullshitter, on the other hand, will talk and talk and talk, ultimately, not really saying anything, much less answering the question at hand. It\u2019s not everyday that you meet a pro that\u2019s truly an open book.<\/p>\n Aragon\u2019s straightforwardness has earned him the respect of an often overly-critical fitness media. It\u2019s also gained him the respect of countless companies that have been burned left and right by hustlers who talk a big game, but really don\u2019t have a single hardworking bone in them.<\/p>\n Santi is a guy who\u2019s been on the sponsored athlete side and transitioned to owning his own business and growing that company into a full-fledged powerhouse. That doesn\u2019t just happen in an industry typified by a dog-eat-dog nature, where the pie stays the same size, but more and more people race to the table. To be successful, you have to work hard, chase the dollar, but also be all about customer service. Most people in our wonderful industry are so self-absorbed that the idea of caring how others\u2019 shopping experience is like, is completely foreign to them. While it may seem like I\u2019m taking a dump on the bodybuilding world and making Santi out to be a sort of diamond in the rough, he really sort of is. Most people could not do what he does, consistently, over the span of a career as bright as his. That being said, I totally respect his decision to retire now, and here\u2019s why.<\/p>\n The fact of the matter is, there\u2019s really no telling how long it might take for an athlete to earn pro status, especially in bodybuilding. Competition is fierce and unlike other divisions, getting the card is reserved for the very best. Some guys can go pro after a couple contests, while others can easily spend months, years, or even decades in this endeavor. What it really boils down to, is how badly does the competitor want it?<\/p>\n While a competitor may not know how and when they earn professional status, they do, sometimes, have the ability to decide how and when they retire. I say sometimes because there are situations where retirement is the only option on the table. Some guys can be sidelined by health concerns, ranging from kidney failure to heart disease. Others can see a career ended right before their very eyes due to injury. Whether it\u2019s a serious injury or a botched surgery, either, could put competitive physique sports off the table. If walking is in question, then lifting is definitely out, as is competing. Worse yet and without being morbid, we can\u2019t ignore the fact that a number of top tier pro athletes have died in the line of bodybuilding. We can point to preexisting conditions, genetics, and\/or bad supp combinations, but the fact is, 2021 has been an exceptionally tough year for the sport. <\/p>\n As Santi said on his IGTV video, he\u2019s retiring with his good health and when he wants to. That\u2019s the ideal way to leave the stage. Although there\u2019s three men\u2019s divisions (technically four), the sport\u2019s in a place where Aragon\u2019s look isn\u2019t a perfect fit for Classic, 212, or Open Bodybuilding. That being said, his look is considered, by most, as being the bodybuilding ideal. <\/p>\n Supplement companies trip over themselves to work with him and years ago, one company even used a portion of his physique (uncredited) to profit off of. Of course, they left his tattoo in the shot and it soon got back to him. That company made things right, however, you know you\u2019ve built something great when you see others profiting off of you. That being said, being perfect for the fitness industry doesn\u2019t always translate to the best placings possible. I still can\u2019t believe Santi didn\u2019t win an Olympia or Arnold. In his prime (which is arguably, now) he could have won either of the biggest shows in physique-based sports. The only knock on him is that some would argue he was too big for Classic, but also not big enough for 212. What the hell does that even mean? Especially when one of the lightest guys in the sport, 212 Mr. O Shaun Clarida, won the top title in 2020!! Then again, Santi\u2019s 212 look wasn\u2019t comparable to Shaun\u2019s; it was all his own.<\/p>\n <\/center> Now, far be it from me to paint the Cuban-American physique sensation as a choirboy. That he was not. He partied, he drank, and he had a life outside the world of chicken breast and sweet potatoes. But isn\u2019t it weird how just because he stopped competing we\u2019re talking about him all in past tense? Well, I guess \u201cwe,\u201d is me, but you get what I\u2019m saying. Santi is very much with us and will continue to be a driving force in the industry; however, he will no longer be competing. And I think this kind of announcement is the right thing to do for the fans and the media.<\/p>\n Some guys spend years inactive, without ever confirming what their actual status is. They know full well that they\u2019re done, but for whatever reason they toy with their supporters. Either they give vague answers or they simply ignore questions when they\u2019re on IG Live or doing an interview at a contest or expo. Some athletes who are, essentially, retired, choose to be dodgy on the subject of retirement because they don\u2019t want it to affect their ability to land and retain lucrative contracts. Is that playing it straight? Of course not, but that\u2019s what most do. Santi is the exception. He didn\u2019t need a big send off or a huge media build-up in order to get this off his chest. He simply took to his own Instagram and spoke like one would to a good friend. <\/p>\n From the first time I met Santi at LA Fitness in North Miami Beach, FL, thanks to our mutual friend Shawn Rascona, he has always been stand-up. Here\u2019s a guy who could get 10x more views than me, just for blowing his nose, but he\u2019s never turned me down for an interview and he treats me the same way he would if I worked for MD, RX, or Generation Iron. For a DIY journalist like myself, that\u2019s huge. I\u2019m a one man act competing against networks, but to a pro who truly wants to grow the sport, it isn\u2019t about that. Every media opportunity is a chance to build relationships, grow brands, and reach more people. If more pro\u2019s carried themselves like him, bodybuilding would be a mainstream sport. <\/p>\n I can\u2019t say enough good things about my friend, Santi Aragon. I applaud him for retiring at 33 years of age, for building a great brand, and for building a reputation in bodybuilding that will ensure he\u2019s always relevant \u2013 whether he competes or not \u2013 and is always well respected. Good luck with all your future endeavors, my friend!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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\nOne of the things I always loved about Santi\u2019s approach to competing and working the industry as a pro, was that he never sacrificed his shape for placings. I don\u2019t think blowing up size-wise was ever appealing to him. What\u2019s the use in being heavy and puffy, if you don\u2019t have a tight midsection? What\u2019s the point of being so muscular that you\u2019re no longer athletic? Some of the freakiest mass monsters get winded after walking 20ft and they\u2019re usually drenched in sweat and gasping for air. What\u2019s the point of being so big you can\u2019t wipe your own ass? To guys like Santi, having the best shape, the best condition, and bringing the house down with artistic and entertaining posing, is what it was all about. Being a good person didn\u2019t hurt, either. <\/p>\n