Prestige: According to you, what does it mean to be fit and healthy?

I feel that being fit and healthy means living a disciplined life and following a proper diet.

 

Prestige: What is a proper diet according to you?

Everyone is different in terms of body type, therefore diets are unique to the person following them. If they can figure out what their body requires in terms of nutrition and exercise then it will benefit them greatly.

 

Prestige: In your opinion, do you think that people should consult a dietician or a nutritionist in order to maintain a healthy life?

I personally do not consult a dietician nor a nutritionist but it would be good for people that are relatively new into the fitness realm

 

Prestige: How did you start your journey into the fitness world?

I got majority of my ideas from the internet and from looking at people around me

 

Prestige: At what age did you get interested in fitness?

If I remember correctly, I got interested in fitness at the age of 16 when I was in class 10

 

Prestige: What made you get interested in fitness?

When I was younger and in class 9, I watched a movie called Rocky 4, that movie inspired to me and my friends to start my fitness journey as I felt that being fit would be a good thing, unfortunately out of all of my friends, I was the only one to continue and end up doing bodybuilding.

 

Prestige: What is the main factor that drives your fitness journey?

There was an incident where I had gone on a vacation with my family to Thailand and had posted some photos online, later on some of my friends started call me and make fun of me by making jokes such as “haha bro, I think you missed your leg day”, it had distraught me to a point where I had to cancel the rest of my trip and come back home. Since then I have been training and it has become a passion.

 

 

 

Prestige: How do you maintain your level of fitness? Do you have a routine that you follow?

I do have a routine that I follow, I work out 4 days a week. When I was younger where I would work out 7 days a week but unfortunately due to age, recovery takes more time. When you do weightlifting/bodybuilding, you stress your body and cause small micro-tears on your muscles which then heal and strengthen the muscle, thus leading your muscles to be stronger and bigger, the older you get, the more time it takes the muscles to recover to optimal strength which means you have to have gaps in-between workout days.

 

Prestige: So in this 4 day routine, what do you do?

In between my 4 day routine, I regularly concentrate on my full back/biceps, chest/triceps, squats/glutes and shoulders.  

 

Prestige: Do you have a workout partner? Who is he/she and how important is it to have one if you do?

I do have a workout partner and his name is Tanvir Anwar, and I feel that it is quite important as there are days when you will feel like giving up or being lazy and they will motivate you to take that extra rep or run that extra mile

 

Prestige: What are your achievements in the fitness field and when did you get your first one?

I got my first achievement in 1997, I’ve won Mr. Bangladesh 4 times and came second in the World Regional Bodybuilding competition which was held in China.

 

Prestige: Amongst all of the achievements that you have received, which one was your favorite and how did you feel when you received it?

My most favourite achievement was winning Mr. Bangladesh in 2014, I felt very proud because my mother was there with me and It was at the time in which I felt that my body was in the best shape as I could see the result of my time investment in working out.

 

Prestige: What do you think are common mistakes that people make when they get into fitness?

The biggest common mistake is that people assume that they would be able to get fit really quickly in a short amount of time due to their lack of patience, in which they end up permanently injuring themselves and/or build themselves with the wrong posture.

 

 

Prestige: Do you think that its right for people that work out 7 days a week?

Absolutely not, your body needs time to rest in order to recover from a stressful workout otherwise your muscles will end up deteriorating instead of building. Everyone needs at least a day or two after every workout.

 

Prestige: What are your nutritional secrets?

What I like to do is religiously control my carbohydrates intake, I eat as much as I need and make sure that I do not consume unnecessary calories

 

Prestige: How many meals do you have per day?

My regular eating routine consists of 6 meals, in which I consume up to 34 eggs a day.

 

Prestige: What do your current meals consist of?

 I take very simple meals, in the morning I eat oats along with 6 egg whites and 2 yolks, in the afternoon I eat about 50-60 grams of rice with chicken and vegetables, before the gym I consume about 100 grams of chicken, after the gym, I have a protein shake and at night chicken with broccoli and seasonal vegetables.

 

Prestige: Where do you get your supplements from and which brands do you consume yourself?

I buy my supplements from a shop in Sylhet that purchases their products from the UK, I trust them because the local Bangladesh market is flooded with fake supplements which may severely harm you. My supplement of choice is ___ which is an American brand.

 

Prestige: How important are supplements in fitness?

Supplements help with your overall workout and well-being but they cannot be relied on, but regardless, you should always make sure that your supplements are authentic.

 

Prestige: How many cheat meals do you have and what is your go-to item of choice for cheat meals?

Honestly I barely even have cheat meals, there are very rare occasions where I might pick up a burger from Herfy.

 

Prestige: What is your guilty pleasure when it comes to sweets?

I love to have Gajor er Halwa (Carrot Halwa) and/or Chaler Payesh (Rice Kheer) made by my mother.

 

Prestige: In your opinion, how much do you believe in the phrase “Train Smarter, Not Harder”?

I believe in training smarter instead of harder, the majority of the people tend to focus on trends and what other people are doing instead of trying to figure out what their own body requires.

 

Prestige: The word “Fitness” does not mean the same in Bangladesh than it does all over the world, what’s your opinion on this statement?

I feel that it has to do with the economic condition of the country, majority of the people are more concerned about things such as livelihood and current fashions/ trends instead of thinking about fitness,  but what people do not understand is that fitness is something that need to be incorporated into our daily lifestyle, going to the gym does not automatically equate to fitness. Although when I started going to the gym, there weren’t many options available so I used to go to a gym in Sadarghat but now there are endless options around the country.

 

Prestige: Why do you think the current young generation starts going to the gym?

The majority of the time it is because they are influenced by other people such as actors/actresses or just because it’s the current trend, but not everyone’s the same.

 

 

Prestige: Who is your fitness inspiration?

Undoubtedly Arnold Schwarzenegger.

 

Prestige: What was your aim at the beginning of your fitness journey?

I just wanted to stay well, fit and look good.

 

Prestige: How did you end up entering the Mr. Bangladesh competition?

Back in 1996, me and my friends went to see the competition as viewers, then one of my friends managed to convince me to register and participate in the tournament so I did, and somehow I ended up winning a prize. I went back later on to participate and ended up winning the competition.

 

Prestige: What is one thing that you can’t cut out from your fitness routine?

That would be cardio for sure, I make sure that I run at least 10 kilometers a week at the Gulshan Park in order to make sure that I do not gain any fat as cardio is one of the best ways to keep in shape.

 

Prestige: What would you suggest to any newcomer that wants to start training?

I would suggest trying to incorporate your fitness regiments into your daily lives as it will help you in the long run, life is not only about making money, you have to worry about your own health too. I am 46 years old and I still do both at the same time because I made my health a priority, my friends all regret not getting into the fitness mindset earlier, you have to love it with a passion.

 

Prestige: What do you do besides fitness?

I love to do painting, it’s one of my most favourite hobbies! I also love to collect paintings.

 

Prestige: What is your daily routine?

I wake up early in the morning and I take my children to school, I would then head out to do a little jogging. Throughout the day I would be looking after my two businesses (I run two duty-free shops, one located in the Sylhet airport and another in Chittagong airport)

 

Prestige: How many tattoos do you have and what do they mean to you?

Every one of my tattoos has a meaning behind them, one of them was a painting done by my son, he had done it with a pen and I felt that was something I wanted to keep with me so I got it tattooed instantly. Another one was a tattoo of my ex-wife’s name.

 

Prestige: Are you children following in your footsteps as well?

My daughter is learning martial arts and how to play the guitar, but i really want her to become a boxing champion.

 

Prestige: Are you into sports?

Although i love sports, i never participated in them myself.

 

Prestige: What is your most favourite football team?

I love Real Madrid and Barcelona.