You should enjoy your career, not tolerate it

Alysha Jamal, A certified personal Trainer and international Bikini Athlete at Racing Sports Gym in Parklands, Nairobi, Kenya, on January 16, 2017.PHOTO | DENNIS ONSONGO

What you need to know:

  • Deep down, Alysha knew her passion was in fitness. “I would wake up every single day at 5am before reporting to work to go to the gym.”
  • After work, she would return to the gym for another one hour of workout. She realised that this was her purpose, but she had no idea how to turn it into a lucrative business.
  • I am certified under canfitpro, (Canadian Fitness Professionals Inc.) as a fitness and nutrition coach. I am also doing an online course; the hour glass workout program specific to women. I hopefully will also be going to Dubai to get some training and a license for Kettlebell training.

When Alysha Jamal, 28, graduated in 2009 from University of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, she had no idea what was she was going to do next.

“I graduated and thought to myself, what do I do with this degree in International Development?” she says.

She decided to go through a process of elimination to find her bearing. One of the questions she asked herself was, “What course did I enjoy most in school?” the answer she came up with was Human Resource. She then took a one year specialisation course at a different college in Ontario, and after completion, got a four-month job placement at Deloitte, a multinational services firm. Her internship was heavily focused on recruitment, which she realised she did not like, but due to her experience in this area, all subsequent jobs that she was offered were in that; recruitment.

“I kind of fell into a career that I didn’t enjoy, but (to keep going) I kept thinking about the stability and the pay check the job offered.”

This she did for seven years.

Deep down, Alysha knew her passion was in fitness. “I would wake up every single day at 5am before reporting to work to go to the gym.”

After work, she would return to the gym for another one hour of workout. She realised that this was her purpose, but she had no idea how to turn it into a lucrative business. She also admits that she was afraid of what people would think of her if she took it up as a career, “until I realised a few years later that my happiness matters more.”

FIRST STEPS

She started training friends for fun for about three to four hours after work at her local gym in Canada. She was the person that shared her insights on her workouts and encouraged people to try out something new. With her twice a day trips to the gym and the training from her personal fitness coaches, she started building a client base. “It wasn’t so much for money; it was mostly for the fun of it.”

Three years ago, Alysha set a goal to compete in the International Federation for Body Building Bikini contest. She trained for 10 weeks for the competition. “I learnt the most about myself then - stepping on stage in a bikini and having judges and an audience judge you is not easy.”

In March 2013, in Cobourg, Ontario, Canada, she competed at the International Federation for Body Building Bikini contest and won the Regional Title of the Ontario Physique Association competition in the natural athlete category, this is where athletes do not use performance enhancing drugs. “The work and dedication that goes into it blew my mind. I never thought I would be able to do something like that.”

After her initial win, Alysha was hooked; she spent the year competing all the way from regional to National competitions. As you read this, she hopes to compete in another bodybuilding competition in Ohio, in the US, in March 2017.

After two years of competing, Alysha decided it was time to pack up and head back home to make a living as a fitness instructor; the Canadian market was saturated, and she knew there was a demand for health and fitness services here in Kenya. 

An average day for her starts at either 5.30am or 6am with a workout session, some breakfast, and then she does home visits for clients that prefer training in private. She also trains at Racing Sport Gym in Parklands, Nairobi County.

She normally sees her last client at around 7pm. After this, she has her final workout, before heading home at 10 or 11 pm. To stay in tip-top form, every three hours, she eats her pre-made and packed meals, she also drinks four to six litres of water a day.

What do you love about bodybuilding?

It is about setting a goal and watching the transformation and the mental struggle, pushing a personal barrier - that makes it all exciting; and going to bed at night saying that I am one day closer [to the competition].

What makes your style of training unique?

I have had numerous personal trainers, I have learnt from experienced body builders, yoga and pilates instructors and I have been able to build my training based on the different types of training that I have had, including other techniques I have learnt such as strength training and plyometrics; a workout routine that incorporates jumping to strengthen muscle. There is no cookie cutter program. Nutrition is heavily a lifestyle change and changing your relationship with food. I really dislike the word diet. I don’t believe in restricting people from food. What I preach is ‘if it fits your macros” – this is a breakdown of your protein and carbohydrate intake daily, based on your height, weight and body type.

What kind of certification does one need to be a professional fitness and nutrition coach?

 I think it is easier to do a certificate, but what drives you in this profession is passion. You need to live and breathe this. There are numerous federations that offer certifications out there. I am certified under canfitpro, (Canadian Fitness Professionals Inc.) as a fitness and nutrition coach. I am also doing an online course; the hour glass workout program specific to women. I hopefully will also be going to Dubai to get some training and a license for Kettlebell training.

What are some of the misconceptions people have about what you do?

They seem to focus solely on losing weight, not realising that they need to adopt an overall healthy lifestyle, not a diet. I think we live in a society where we want results immediately. We don’t have the patience or the interest in learning about things that are long-term.

How soon did you start looking for clients on your return home two months ago?

I arrived at midnight and the next morning I woke up and started looking for a gym that I could train at and also seek clients. I heard about Racing Sport gym, it felt like home, and I signed up that day. I returned to the house and started a WhatsApp group mostly made up of my sisters’ friends. All I said was, “I am in town, does anyone want to train with me?” In two months, just based on word of mouth, I have 14 clients now.

 How do you market your services?

Right now it is a lot of work of mouth advertising. I do have a Facebook page though, Get Fit with AJ. By end of this month, I will open my one of a kind, fitness studio; Sculpt, in Lavington.

How much do you charge?

Charges depends on consultation. My rates are based on an hourly rate or a 10, 20, or 30 session package. It depends on the client, what their goals are and how much time they can invest in training. On nutrition, I do a monthly nutrition consulting fee, with weekly and bi-weekly check-ins.

What is your advice to fitness enthusiasts interested in a career in this profession?

I think the hardest part is starting, but based on my clients, and my own experience; take the first step. Once you take that leap, it becomes a healthy addiction. You keep pushing yourself to do better and greater things.