A conversation about professionalism, clear thinking and motivation in Bulgaria – Strahil Ivanov

Strahil is young, motivated and understands the need for a proper approach when creating a healthy training regimen. For him, the relief of the body is not the main determinant, but health and the approach to it. Strahil knows and practices all the processes we need to reach the dream figure. Full of energy and motivation to help, he approaches each of his clients with patience and understanding.

He graduated from the "Bodybuilding and Fitness Bodybuilding" department at the coaching faculty of the National Academy of Sports, he is behind the Facebook page Fit with Strahil and the fitness blog Fitbg.net . He is the author of two books - " Transform Yourself" and " Motivate Yourself" , and his high professionalism gives him superpowers with which Strahil is now the most successful fitness trainer in Bulgaria.

Tell us how it started and what was the turning point that provoked you to turn to a healthy lifestyle?

There is no exact moment, it's more like a lot of accumulated things that have been depressing me. Rejection from people, misunderstanding, facing diabetes, insulin resistance... I was quite young, but I felt that I had to start my change and overcome all of this.

You have two published books on how to take care of ourselves and our bodies – “Transform Yourself” and “Motivate Yourself.” What helps you keep your motivation alive and pass it on to so many people?

Everyone goes through emotional cycles. Everyone is not always 100% motivated, and that's true for me. But I'm definitely pretty motivated most of the time. In my case, all this responsibility that I have to my readers and my clients is what fuels me and tells me not to stop because they're counting on me.

Seeing that they are satisfied with achieving their own goals and moving forward successfully, I also become more motivated in what I do and in my desire to help as much as I can.

And are we expecting a third?...

Yes, I'm currently working on a healthy recipe book, and I have others planned. But I can't commit to a deadline. It takes a lot of time and effort, and my team and I are also working on other projects.

What are the trends in eating habits?

I notice that from one extreme, we started going to the other. From not thinking about what we eat and how we eat, and healthy eating being last, we went to looking at every single food under a magnifying glass and overtraining. The perfect physique is put on a pedestal, and this leads to other problems – both mental and physical stress in excess.

We don't have to be perfect in everything, as long as we are healthy, active, and happy with who we are. The clichéd expression "we should look for the golden mean" applies with full force here too. One should seek balance in everything in one's life.

Have you thought about classes in schools that would help and inform about the basic processes in the bodies of adolescents, and how to properly take care of themselves?

I never thought in this direction. It would be very nice, but I have understood one thing. A person must reach the need for change himself. Whoever appears, trying to pour a funnel of ideologies and principles on us, it will never work if we ourselves do not want it. Besides, I do not think that school is the first line of defense against an unhealthy lifestyle.

I believe that the ideology of a healthy, balanced and active lifestyle should originate first and foremost in the family. Parents are the ones who should pass it on to their children by personal example. School can help, but without parental guidance and support it will be difficult.

You mention that the problem most people have is misaligning their priorities. What advice would you give in this regard and how do you organize your hectic daily life?

The most important thing is to think about what is really important to us! To understand that if we don't think about our health now, it may leave us in the future! If we have health, every other test in life is easier.

In most cases, people only think about their work. In the evening, they come home exhausted and lose motivation for life. It is then, in our free time, that we should build ourselves up and find the important things for us in order to improve our daily lives and our lives in general.

We don't live to work, we work to live better. Nowadays, observing many of my clients, I see that many people forget that this is how things are and take them the other way around: Work, work, money... and health remains in the background.

What's new about Strahil?

Well, the latest venture I've embarked on is creating a culinary video channel . In it, I search for and share with my followers useful and delicious recipes for variety in the diet. I started this venture because I myself found it difficult to find new, delicious, but also healthy recipes to include in my diet, and also to offer for variety to my clients who follow a diet. This way, I can both experiment in the kitchen and communicate more with my audience, share ideas and take them from my readers. Many of whom, by the way, are wonderful culinary experts and experimenters in the kitchen.

So I hope the culinary channel will be another successful and useful initiative for many people! I believe I'm on the right track! But time will tell! :)