Rodney Bastian Muscle and Fitness

The Reason

Going to the gym and working out in general always comes with hopes for a change. And a change that is hoped for often comes with a purpose. Some may find it, some may not; but everyone’s pursuit of change is often pushed by a purpose, or some call it “reason”.

Autism spectrum disorder. These are the words that crushed me 8 years ago. When I heard my son’s diagnosis, I was scared, confused, and worried about his future. Would he still be able to study, get a job, or get married? Would he ever be able to live independently? To do silly things as I did growing up?

Watching my son, I wanted him to make friends, and I wanted to see him hang out with his pals talking about stuffs they are interested in. It took me several years to try not to get ahead of myself and accept that he needs to find his own way, his own tribe, and embrace the uniqueness that is his own. It was indeed a roller coaster ride for me as a dad. His therapies and schooling went on, and while I feel I have learned so much about how to be a better parent for my son, I still feel at a loss much of the time when we were later informed that he had non-verbal autism. It took me another ounce of courage to understand that hearing my son speak to me remains a question mark. Over the years, time spent with my son made me realize there were so many forms of communication besides conversational speech. He taught me things that I could never learn living the ‘normal’ way. At some point, I wish I could live in his world. What is normal anyway?

This was and still is a tough journey. I look forward to a future in which parents like me don’t have such a steep learning curve. With all the stress faced by parents like me, there may be a few health issues you are going to face. Raising a kid with autism sometimes gets so overwhelming that you need an ear to listen, a heavy break and a little time and room to be yourself. While I don’t have much of these, keeping myself fit is my one way of being a father my special kid deserves. I need to be physically fit and healthy for my son, for the life we are sharing together. Working out has always been one of my hobbies growing up, but this is the first time I have found it worthwhile because I know I am doing it for the right reason. I will always be optimistic and dwell on what he can do instead of what he cannot. I praise his accomplishments and help him when he needs it. I speak with him even if I know he cannot answer back. His nods, his warm embraces, the way he looks at me, how he clings at my arms and how he looks for me when I am not around are more than enough to tell me we got each other. My son is a handsome little man with a beautiful mind, and I love him very much. This is the reason why I am taking care of myself. He made me take care of myself than I ever did in the past years of my life. He overhauled my life’s perspective.

I am not the person who hits my knees all the time, but thankful as can be, I still don’t know what I did right to deserve a ‘reason’ like him every day.

How about you? I hope you find purpose in everything you do.

Sometimes, intentions matter more than deeds.

Our Core Values: ILUGE 💙

At the Baguio-Benguet Sports & Fitness Coaches Association, our actions, decisions, and service are guided by five core values that define who we are as a coaching community.

These values shape our mission to empower coaches, strengthen our profession, and create a positive impact in our communities.

ILUGE — the foundation of our association and the standard we strive to live by every day. 🤝

When education and experience come together, they create a powerful foundation for any coach. It’s not about titles or certificates alone—it’s about continuously learning, applying, and growing to better serve others.
Every client we handle is trusting us with something important—their health, their confidence, and their quality of life for themselves and their families. That’s why both knowledge and real-world experience matter.
If you’re given the opportunity, invest in your education. Not because it makes you “better than others,” but because it helps you become more effective, more confident, and more equipped to deliver quality service.
At the same time, never underestimate experience—the hours on the floor, the coaching moments, the lessons learned from real people. globally

My first classic physique NZ