How this young mother became a bodybuilding champ

For Hyderabad-based Syed Asifa the reason came after she became a mother in 2017. “After experiencing postpartum trauma, I started running to get fit. Meeting other athletes inspired me and led me to the gym and the world of bodybuilding," she says. The 29-year-old is now set to participate in the 15th World Bodybuilding and Physique Sports Championships in the Maldives from 5-11 November. 

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Asifa did her first 5km run as a new mother in 2017 when she was 22. Between 2018 and 2020, she completed her post-graduation while also training and competing in half marathons across the country. But it wasn’t until July 2019 that she ventured into bodybuilding. It didn’t take too long for her to push herself and compete at the district, zonal and national levels. 

Winning titles 

“In 2023, I won a district level competition in Karimnagar, Telangana, and the fourth position at the nationals in Ludhiana, Punjab. This year, I won the overall championship in Katpadi district, Tamil Nadu," she says. In March this year, she competed in a national bodybuilding event in Shirdi, Maharashtra, and secured the fourth position. In June, she was selected for the World Championship in Kochi.

“I’ve competed and won several titles, including the Telangana Amateur Bodybuilders and Fitness Association Championship, where I won first place," she beams with pride. The selection process for the 15th World Bodybuilding and Physique Sports Championship was rigorous, Asifa recalls. The Indian Body Builders Federation (IBBF) held a selection trial on 11-12 May in Ernakulam, Kerala. “I was selected to represent team India in the under-55kg category," she says. 

A strict regimen

Asifa’s training regimen spans seven hours every day. Her routine is divided into three sessions: three hours in the morning and two each in the afternoon and evening. “I focus on two muscle groups each day, combined with one hour of cardio and one hour of abdominal work," she says. She is equally strict about her diet. “I follow a high-protein, six-meal diet that includes foods like chicken, eggs and red meat. I avoid all forms of sugar," she says. She also holds a full-time job as an associate area sales manager for Novo Nordisk in Hyderabad, and is mother to a seven-year-old. 

“Balancing personal goals, career and family is challenging, but I’ve been able to overcome many difficulties with the support of my family and by planning and managing my time well," she says. It’s natural then that Asifa hopes to dispel myths surrounding women in bodybuilding and encourage more women to take up the sport whether at the professional or amateur level. “Some common misconceptions are that women are not as strong as men or that they can’t lift heavy weights. My aim is to break these ideas as well as stereotypes," she asserts. 

Returning to the competition at hand, she says, “I have always wanted to represent India in sports, and now I have the chance with the IBBF. My goal is to win this championship and encourage other women to take up sports and make a name for themselves and for our country." 

Deepa Natarajan Lobo is an independent journalist based in Bengaluru.

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