Today we’d like to introduce you to Jermaine Castaneda.
Hi Jermaine, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
It all started because my brother said “I need a trainer, you have school tomorrow.” This was 2013. Reality was he knew I enjoyed fitness as well as helping others along their path if I was able to. From interning and learning playing sports in highschool, working out with friends or just doing reps in my room of calisthenics. I proceeded on enrolling into Mueller College of Holistic Health which is now gone but back in 2011-2012 a 15month program taught by NSCA guidelines is where I developed my foundation with monumental tutelage of teachers I credit my work to, even to this day. I’ve worked within amazing facilities with such people of great character. “Urban body Gym” in North Park where I discovered a love for bodybuilding. Deadweight strength where I trained for Strongman and Powerlifting with podium finishes and wins that lead to national competitions. GoFitness in National city where I taught bootcamp classes and aided in coordinating the bodybuilding competitors with training/nutrition I was honored to coach many as I walked next to them in their journey to the stage or in their personal fatloss/muscle gain transformations. Successfully I have coached folks in all 3 sports I’ve competed in personally to their own podium finishes of top 3 as well as numerous first place finishes in the NPC bodybuilding federation. As I found my niche in bodybuilding, I never left my forte of strength and conditioning to drive my coaching method fundamentals in body composition training. Strength is my belief in anyone and any facet of goal orientation in the gym. This took me further and into the natural bodybuilding world of drug tested athletes landing me in the World Natural Bodybuilding Federation (WNBF) where I coached athletes to step on stage and even winning a World Title as a coach for good run with phenomenal athletes in 2019. I was a one half a team promoter conducting bodybuilding shows back in 2019 & 2021 as well awarding “The Best Poser” award at the WNBF SoCal Uproar. 2014 to current day I still coach bodybuilding. However nowadays I’m pose of a “posing” coach to help athletes display their physiques better on stage. I’ve dived more into the performance based world of Tactical Strength & Conditioning training where I aid law enforcement, military and first responders with excelling in their physical fitness tests. I get first hand experience training under a firearms company known as United States Overwatch (USOW) where physical fitness rears its head constantly as we train under pressure giving first look at how I’d need to understand soldiers to train them more effectively. My goals currently are to eventually compete in Olympic Weightlifting under the Strength Tank coaching and try my hand in the Tactical Games. I keep up with boxing as well, training and learning at Azteca Boxing under Chris Martin and Adrian Melendrez, friends and mentors.
Fitness has been a blessing. Taking me to modeling and even acting. However the biggest blessing is meeting and having the privilege to help everyone that has come to me with their goal in hand, entrusting me with such an honor. I can’t say I’ve made it to the finish with all but even then, I am proud of them for starting. Profoundly proud of them all to which if they read this, I just want to say thank you for without you all there is no me! I still stand a strength coach, your personal trainer.
Credit to my mentors Jacque Crockford, Erik Blekerg, Arnell Casteel & Scott Markey.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Struggles, let’s talk about it. Mental health which lead to the wake up call of my brother pushing me into fitness.
Mental health is something to be comprehended as whenever I hit a point of lacking self worth in the past I spiraled staring down at the abyss. Victimized by imposter syndrome despite my accomplishments and accolades. I’ve had to conquer that demon we call depression. Grateful I have.
Like many, Covid hit me pretty hard. I’m just not the guy to do online training on a mass scale, I do it but 5-8 max. I thrive with in personal training as a sense of purpose to help. My mental broke me down which even lead to a divorce which catapulted me to even less concern of myself. Thankfully I was able to rebuild and indulge into my familiar but still very unclear path I found myself back into fitness. I almost changed careers at one point to corrections or boarder patrol however, my calling rang hard and here I am.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
As a Personal Trainer & Strength and Conditioning Coach I specialize in fatloss and muscle gain otherwise known as Body Composition and Recomposition.
Within this training category I teach proper barbell technique fundamentals with a variety of Squats, Deadlifts, overhead press and bench press along with other training modalities in the gym. Injury prevention encompassed by mobility and stability training as well.
I’m proud of everyone I’ve trained and have witnessed their personal transcendence in growth.
(I suppose I may have answered this all in my previous answer to previous question)
Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
My advice to those starting out is to do the free work. Build your resume and understand word of mouth can take you far. The other stuff like social media is second. Without a solid foundation as that, you’ll have a hard time. Have proof before hand that you’re comprehensive and capable.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @maineevent
