Adam Youssefbeygi Personal Trainer
Adam was inspired to get into karate from a young age thanks to his dad. He tells Sundried how this set him up for a life in the fitness industry.
Tell us about your journey to fitness? Where did it all start?
My fitness journey began when I was 11. As a child I took part in lots of different sports; football, rugby, tennis etc but it really all kicked off for me when my dad took me to my local karate dōjō. When my dad was young, he trained in numerous martial arts and he thought I may take to it better than other sports. He was right. Karate gave me the fitness, structure and most importantly the discipline and confidence to push myself to places I didn’t think I could go. I trained consistently and ended up training and fighting for the England squad at the age of 17.
As I grew older, I started to move into the gym environment and I stared to apply my skills that I had learnt in the dōjō to pushing my strength and fitness to new levels. I began personal training at the age of 25 and now at the age of 30 I am still improving, sometimes failing but always trying.
I work with a wide verity of clients, from bankers and lawyers to actors and musicians. It’s great to be able to pass onto each of them the same disciplines I learnt growing up.
What are your training goals now?
My training goals now are simple: to excel in strength, mobility, and fitness. I really love to be as functionally fit as possible.
Tell us one unusual fact we wouldn’t know about you:
I went to drama school at age 20 and trained as an actor in London.
What advice do you wish you'd been given when you first started out?
Don’t expect to get anywhere fast. Consistency and disciple are key but don’t let that get in the way of having a bit of fun as well.
Do you follow a specific nutrition plan? If so, what/when do you eat?
I have never dieted, never been a fan of the term but my nutrition tends to be pretty savoury. I have followed a fasted cardio diet before where I trained at 5/6am in the morning and pushed my first meal to midday which gave pretty swift results but it was pretty unsustainable. Being a personal trainer, I needed to keep my energy levels high first thing in the morning so my clients could get the best out of their sessions.
I love a good stir fry with fresh ingredients for lunch. I avoid any fast and processed foods. Espressos and nut butters are my vice but everything in moderation. Or at least I try!
What do you do to keep your clients motivated? Do you have any top tips to keep motivated?
I encourage them and never give up on them, but I'm also honest and realistic with them. Training regularly requires a whole lifestyle change; it’s important to make sure they stay motivated even when I’m not around.
Talk us through your training regime.
I train 4 times a week currently. Mainly in the evenings before sessions begin. My training consists of 40 minutes of body weight training followed by 20 minutes of weight training keeping the reps high and the weight not particularly heavy. I tend to find this combination works really well for my busy training days.
How do you keep your fitness knowledge up to date?
I am constantly looking for progressive moves. Watching and learning from other trainers is key. But I love to play around with pieces of kit.
What are your top 3 trainer tips?
- Be positive
- Be consistent
- Be better that you were yesterday
If you could only eat one thing for the rest of your life, what would it be?
It would have to be cashew butter!
Why work with Sundried?
It's refreshing to see a company that is actively keeping a low carbon footprint whist providing great quality training gear that is stylish as well.
Favourite fitness quote:
"Take ownership, take chances and never give up."
