Bob Harun’s transformation journey began in the middle of 2010 when he weighed over 100 kg and had a waist size of 40 inches. He was diagnosed with diabetes and hypertension and realized that he couldn’t be in that condition at his age. Two of his siblings had passed away at a relatively young age due to health conditions, and that was a trigger point for him to make a significant lifestyle change.
“I can say it was out of necessity,” Bob, who is now 57 years old, said. “Both my physical conditions and what happened to my siblings were the trigger points for my decision to make a major lifestyle change.”
Bob’s transformation journey wasn’t easy, but he knew that he had to do it to improve his health. He began by seeking knowledge and educating himself on proper diet and exercise. “Based on my experience, one of the biggest contributors to failure in the fitness journey is the lack of knowledge,” Bob said.
Bob Harun’s Transformation: From Dad Bod to Fitness God!
With at least a basic knowledge of diet and exercise, Bob was able to begin his fitness journey with the right mindset, expectation, and necessary knowledge in terms of what needed to be done to achieve his goals.
How drastic was the change required for Bob Harun?
Bob embraced the fitness lifestyle for more than 10 years and has consistently worked out at least five times weekly since then. His typical day in a week usually begins with some light exercises for about 10 – 15 minutes, first thing in the morning. Then for breakfast, his standard breakfast would be a high protein breakfast with 6 eggs – omelette, scrambled or just plain fried eggs with 2 slices of bread and a cup of coffee.
Bob has become a fitness enthusiast and has even turned it into his career. He obtained his first fitness certificate as a Certified Fitness Instructor in 2014 and then continued his education and obtained more certifications, including personal training and strength and conditioning.
Social media “influencers” have content that can be very poor or very good “
Bob believes that social media can be a good platform for health enthusiasts to seek knowledge and also to verify information. However, he also warns that there are many so-called health and fitness “Influencers” on social media, and the quality and accuracy of their content ranges from very poor to very good. Bob advises that we should not choose whom to follow based on the number of followers.
From ‘Fluffy’ to Hard Rock! Bob Harun’s incredible transformation is proof that it’s never too late to pursue your fitness goals! His journey is truly inspiring, especially for those in their golden age.
Bob’s transformation has inspired many people, and he has received many congratulatory messages. The strangest comment he received was whether he used any drugs to lose weight and build his muscles.
Doing this full time.
Bob’s involvements in the fitness industry were not planned. He worked in the corporate world for over 25 years in the oil and gas and ICT industries. However, his transformation journey led him to a career as a full-time trainer. “What begins as a personal transformation for health reasons back in 2010 has led me to a career as a full-time trainer. Initially, it was just some knowledge-sharing sessions on weight loss with close friends, and then I realized this is something that I enjoyed doing and wanted to turn it into a career.”
When asked about his hobbies and interests, he replied, “Yes, of course. Obvious one would be my love for food and my penchant to try all kinds of foods. The other one would be reading. I have no specific area of interest as far as reading is concerned as I read everything under the sun to expand my general knowledge.”
Malaysia is number one in terms of obesity “
Bob Harun also had some thoughts on the fitness culture in Malaysia, saying, “Although Malaysia is still unfortunately ranked number one in terms of obesity in this region, however you can see some positive developments.”
“The level of interest and participation in fitness activities are getting much better nowadays and you can see people are at the gym working out, jogging, cycling and involved in some kind of healthy activities everywhere.” He went on to add, “The diet and fitness industry are still full of misinformation, myths and lies and are usually propagated for commercial benefits. Therefore, as a Fitness Professional, I would love to see more Malaysians become more knowledgeable and able to filter out all the misinformation in the market.”
He also shared some of his memorable experiences, saying, “Some of the memorable stories were being featured in Harian Metro on a full two-page article over a series of 3 articles. Another one would be being recognised as the oldest Strongman competitor in Malaysia and qualifying for the final of Asia Pacific Masters Strongman competition in 2016.”
Bob Harun’s passion for fitness and his dedication to promoting healthy living are truly inspiring. As he says, “Wishing all Malaysians good health, happiness and prosperity”
Social media platforms:
- Instagram: @bobharun
- Tiktok: @bobharun
- Email: coachbob@bobharunfitness.com
Leave a Reply