Fitness and nutrition guru's journey to building a brand

Mohamed Abdi, 27, is the founder of Mofit, an international health lifestyle company, as well as Mofit Supplements that provides vitamins and supplements.

He shares his fitness and entrepreneurial journey.

First things first. Tell us a bit about yourself and how you started your fitness journey.

Mohamed is a Somali-born who grew up and studied in Europe. In his early 20s, Mohamed is a well-established entrepreneur with his business brand gaining a recognisable footing across Africa, Europe and North America.

In 2016, I started an online fitness program that was more of a consultancy on maintaining a healthy lifestyle and nutrition.

What was your motivation at the beginning?

When my father learned about what I wanted to embark on, he negated it without a second thought. Not only did he have a negative view about it, he also denied me any financial support because he preferred other professional careers such as engineering, law and medicine. 

However, I insisted, and chose to go into a healthier lifestyle which I integrated with nutrition and later realised my dream. There are always obstacles in every career, but what determines success is being happy and comfortable with what you do.

Fast forward to becoming a fitness and nutrition consultant. What inspired you to do so? Could you tell us more about it and why you would say it is successful?

My passion to change how I looked inspired me; and I’d say it is successful because of how many lives I have been able to impact.

What makes it different to other body transformations out there?

I could say it’s because I’m the only person in Africa who has his own brand, in which we produce our own supplements.

Read: How to maintain your workout routine without overdoing it

How do you make sure each person’s training plan is truly personalised?

I usually consider the weight, height and eating habits to personalise one’s diet plan.

What do you consider workout heaven?

That’s any time I’m working out, I call it my little heaven. (Laughs).

And workout hell?

Working out is definitely hell for lazy people. (Laughs).

What one thing do you never skip in your workout?

Abs workout.

If you don’t mind, how much do you charge for your services?

I usually charge $25 (Sh 2951) three months for students and $35 (Sh4,131) for three months for non-students.

What’s the most common fitness goal of your clients?

To lose weight, as well as to build muscle. 

You are very consistent in your fitness content. Are you as disciplined in other areas of your life as well?

Yes, I could say I’m a religious person. Without God, nothing would have been good for me.

What essentials do we need at home to get the same results as we would at the gym?

A treadmill and a yoga mat - both of which help people achieve the results they want to.

Who are your fitness idols?

(Laughs). I would say no one. I’m my own fitness idol.

What training principle do you live your life by?

To never skip leg day.

What’s your main rule when it comes to your diet?

To always get enough sleep.

What are the little fitness luxuries you can’t live without?

That’s simple. Drinking water.

Read: The key to setting fitness and diet goals

What role does the mind play when it comes to getting into shape or weight loss?

It plays a major role because whatever you put in to your mind can be achieved with consistency.

In your opinion, what's the biggest reason people fail to meet their fitness/weight loss goals?

Inconsistency. This is the mother of all failures.

What's one piece of advice people ask you for?

How to get into shape, and how to be disciplined when it comes to working out.

Most people toil in gym month in month out and never lose weight, is there a secret to losing weight and never regaining it?

If you follow certain unhealthy lifestyles, you have higher chances of never seeing any changes.

Do you watch what you eat?

Definitely. I follow strict diet rules. 

What’s your work out regime like?

I work out five times a week. I also lift 160 kilograms and do six repetitions of an exercise.

What’s your current height and weight?

I’m 170 meters tall and weigh 90 kilograms.

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