What does it take to be fit?  

By Aakil Riyaz

Ayoob Aboosalih is a budding fitness coach making waves in the local fitness industry. Fondly known as ‘Coach Ayoob’ this 23 year old software engineer is a  unique meld of brain and brawn, and is an epitome of hard work and perseverance. 

This week we caught up with him to get a sneak peek into his life as a fitness coach. 

What got you into fitness in the first place?  

‘I started working out way back in 2016, simply because my classmates decided to  join the gym and I promptly followed suit. Despite going through a number of pitfalls  and setbacks over the years, I’ve successfully managed to complete 2 1/2 years as a  coach in the fitness industry, with a number of clients and corresponding results to  account for it.’

How have you managed to educate fitness enthusiasts on the benefits of  fitness, through your social media pages?  

‘With every single post I put out, I try to put out something that offers some form of  value addition to my followers, no matter how small it might be. Considering people  having short attentions spans with social media, I still believe that there are enough  & more people who want quality content. Which is why I haven’t given up on writing  fitness related content. Apart from this, I’m working on simplifying my content in a  manner that resonates with anyone, irrespective of their levels of fitness related  knowledge.’

What setbacks have you had to face over the course of your fitness journey?  

‘To be honest, I have had my fair share of setbacks both while working on my own  fitness and climbing up the ladder within the industry, but the most recent and taxing  one was an injury I suffered to my shoulder in December 2020. It gradually worsened  during a span of 6 months and I finally managed to make a complete recovery  around March this year. It was an excruciating 16 months of rehabilitation and  training, so in all honesty I’d say that I sure learnt my lesson!’

Do you believe that everyone needs to incorporate a fitness routine into their  lives?  

‘The short answer? Yes, and you don’t necessarily need to lift weights or get into the  gym per se, but you’ve got to find something you enjoy and stick to it in the long run.  And there are a lot of people who would enjoy the gym if they gave it a chance. In  the sense that if they stuck to it for more than 3 months. As far as I’m concerned, it’s  about holding onto that delayed gratification and putting in the work for months on  end, with no visible gain in return. Some might even lose confidence during that 

period, but afterwards you start seeing the fruits of your labor which is truly  gratifying.  

There’s something you would always find somewhat enjoyable, so I’d say go out  there and find what it is, you could even do it for the rest of your life depending on  how comfortable you are with it.’  

Having competed in a powerlifting tournament recently, what was the feeling  like leading to the competition?  

‘During the days leading to the tournament, it was mentally taxing and trying to keep  my head in the right place while consistently pushing away any negative thoughts  wasn’t an easy task. The feelings were simply overwhelming to express because  even though you’re in the right place physically, you feel like breaking down at any  moment. The only thought running through my head at the time was that, I’d never  be competing in this again, but having finished my lifts I was bubbling with euphoria  & thinking that I’d definitely do this all over again.’ 

Do you believe that novices need to hire a coach?  

‘Not necessarily, even professionals hire a coach. I have a coach and my coach has  his coach too. The main reason for the two of us having our own coaches is that,  we’ve done it on our own before and we understand the massive value addition in  having our own coaches. The best analogy I can give you is, me coming back from  an injury. Once I got to a decent level where I could start lifting weights again, I  programmed a month for myself & as the weeks flew past, I came to the conclusion that I wasn’t pushing myself enough. Straight afterwards I began training with my  coach, Dhanushka Kodikara and I was putting in the effort to get myself out of the pit  I had fallen into. So, in all sincerity, everyone needs a coach, not just novices.’ 

What changes do you hope to make in the local fitness industry?  

‘Like I mentioned before, I’m big on educating people and my main goal with any  person that trains with me is for them to be able to handle themselves to a certain  extent, without me. I’ve also thought of a more futuristic and accessible approach  where I would be able to coach and hold workshops for large groups of people. So,  for me it’s all about levelling up the standard of the fitness industry, not only Sri  Lanka but the industry as a whole worldwide.’  

What advice would you like to give anyone willing to embark on their fitness  journey?  

‘You’re probably going to suck at it when you first start, which is completely normal.  Everybody struggles with it at the beginning, from the bad form to the slow progress.  If you’re anxious about getting into the gym, the best way to relieve yourself of that  anxiety is to keep getting into the gym continuously. Being a fitness coach, myself doesn’t mean that I’m impervious to all the problems above and believe me I have a  number of experiences to relate to these. Take it one day at a time and be extremely  happy with yourself after getting your workout done.  In conclusion, always have a performance-based goal that goes well and beyond the  mirror, one that makes you push past your boundaries.’

Aakil Riyaz is a 22 year old writer reading for a BSC in International Relations at the University of London. He is an outdoorsy person and is always seconds away from jumping into some form of physical activity. Between his studies, Rotaract & work, he manages to make time to write on all the topics he loves.