How did you come up with the idea that led to the creation of the 42 day challenge?
Well, I had been having issues with my weight ever since I was young. I tried to lose weight through a lot of ways most of which were unhealthy, and I eventually got so slim that I got sick. That is when I decided to join a gym in search of a healthier lifestyle. That’s where I met Torsum too, who was super skinny at that time and was trying to gain weight.
We tried a lot of programs that we found online, but every plan had something that made it hard for us to follow it. There were many things that we just couldn’t find here in Pakistan, so we started to mix things up. That is how we came up with the idea for the 42 day challenge. Initially, we tried it on friends and family members but once we saw that the results were very positive, we expanded the program. The basics of the entire program stem from Torsum’s medical knowledge and expertise.
Tell us what the 42 day challenge really is?
The 42 day challenge is basically an induction period. The core concept of the entire program is to set a goal, and to incorporate a lifestyle change. We teach people what to do in these 42 days, but the real challenge starts when those 42 days end. That’s how people are introduced to healthy living. Additionally, 6 weeks provide ample time to all the participants to analyze the overall benefits of the program.
Read more: Meet the Russian ‘muscle barbie’ who is inspiring weight lifters
How many sessions have you conducted till now?
So far we have held 11 sessions in Karachi and 2 in Lahore. We have recently started the program in Islamabad and soon we are planning to go to Faisalabad and Hyderabad.
What is the overall success rate of the 42 day challenge?
Initially, we started with 51 people, most of whom were friends and acquaintances. Now we have around 750 people in our “Moin Khan Session”. That makes us the largest mass camp in Asia. We came into the fitness industry to change people’s perception of fitness. We are actually happy that now there are several other individuals/organizations who are offering the same type of programs as we do, since our major goal is to improve the overall health and well-being of our society.
What happens after the 42 days?
We give cds for regular workouts to everyone. We also provide comprehensive meal plans to all the participants so that people can maintain a healthy lifestyle.
Read more: Want a sharp brain for lifetime? try superbrain yoga
How do you guys cope with so many candidates?
We have different teams for every session and we create the meal plans ourselves.
How do you people feel when the participants of your program achieve the goals they set for themselves?
Our primary objective is to transform the lives of our participants and we try to help them successfully switch over to leading healthier lifestyles. It is very encouraging for us to see that our program makes a positive difference in the lives of the participants. The participants themselves are very excited to see themselves meeting the goals set out for them.
We have seen a lot of people with medical issues coming to us and getting better. Even kids have started to come to our sessions now. In the last session we had a 4 year old kid who was working out with 1 pound weights which was a great sight. Now we have a specific program for children who have just entered their teens which will not only help them lead a healthy life style but it will also spread more awareness about the benefits of working out and staying fit.
This piece was first published in Kulchit.