Do you have what it takes to become the next Beast of the Middle East? Well, we all know that with great power comes great responsibility. And by power, I mean core strength to defy gravity and explode mid-air with a superman push up.
I had the chance to interview UAE national Walid Yari, a social media and fitness enthusiast who is called The Beast of the Middle East. He hides himself as a cyber security engineer in the morning and transforms himself into The Beast avatar after work, trying to convince people to leave the junk behind and go for the jugular in fitness training. Having 508,000 followers on Instagram, we got a chance to find out what his fitness mantra is all about:
Why are you called ‘The Beast of the Middle East’?
From the different types of workouts I post on social media, all the followers and fans say that I am the beast of the region. It then came out as The Beast of the Middle East because there is no one else in the Middle East doing freestyle and aggressive workouts which I created myself.
At what age did you start bodybuilding?
At the age of 13. My parents sent me to a fitness centre to keep me busy, and to become a stronger child.
How many hours did you have to train when you started bodybuilding?
Two hours per day back then.
How much time do you spend in the gym in a day?
I train four hours a day.
What time do you usually workout in the day?
Training early in the morning is the best. It’s like changing from sleeping mode to beast mode.
What were your initial challenges/obstacles before you became The Beast of the Middle East?
My own weaknesses. And also the idea of fitness here in the Middle East. I recently joined gymnastics class just to improve my flexibility, strength and also to add more things in my workout routine.
Did you have to give up something to get to where you are now?
Yes, I gave up sleeping late and doing unnecessary things — eating fast food and other unhealthy lifestyles, among them.
What are the 5 things you enjoy about being the Beast of the Middle East?
- I receive a lot of positive vibes from my fans.
- I am able to change so many people’s lives to be better and healthy just from watching my page.
- I am well-known not only in the Middle East, but also globally.
- Brands are happy to work with me.
- I make my family and friends proud always.
What is your fitness goal in the next two years?
To be able to use my abilities to create a great Hollywood movie and be a superstar. And also to be one of the fitness leaders in the UAE.
Sure enough we do need a lot of BCAAs, protein shakes, sleep, and most importantly, determination to get to where @walidyari is now. For him, the type of routine he is following is life-changing. However, he says to reach this level constant practice is required. You have to be prepared for new challenges.
Yari certainly did not want to end his interview without telling everyone to, ‘always try to look at the mirror. And, if you see something you don’t like, change it! Don’t just sleep on it, or forget about it. You have to do something about your life. Because a healthy body can give you an amazing lifestyle.’
