Samira Sayed became one of the finalists in the qualifying round of the BD Powerlifting Championship 2020 and secured fourth place in the final in the 63 kilogram category
October 31, 2021, 11:05 a.m.
Last change: October 31, 2021, 11:41 am
Women do yoga, men lift weights – that has been the fitness stereotype for decades.
In fact, having muscle was not considered feminine for a long time. Women’s fitness revolved mostly around aerobics, dance classes, or morning walks.
But that has changed since then, and more and more women are doing weight training in gyms.
Fitness enthusiast and model Samira Sayed has been doing powerlifting for two years. She believes it’s never too late to start your fitness journey.
In 2018 Samira started going to the gym just to keep fit.
Photo: Noor A Alam / TBS
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Photo: Noor A Alam / TBS
In 2019, she deadlifted 80 pounds while training for a powerlifting championship, and that inspired her to focus more on strength training.
She became one of the finalists in the qualifying round of the BD Powerlifting Championship 2020 and secured fourth place in the final in the 63 kilogram category.
She is particularly grateful to her trainer Zico Zaman, the owner of Oxygym in Dhaka, who recognized her potential and trained her.
“Simply put, powerlifting is a game of strength,” she said, adding, “It’s also about the emotional and psychological connection with your body. It’s a lifestyle. ”
Samira’s first day in the gym wasn’t that difficult because she was mentally prepared for what was ahead of her. “Sore muscles are a common problem for new gym goers. So you can’t stop training, you should get your way, ”she said.
Photo: Noor A Alam / TBS
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Photo: Noor A Alam / TBS
Samira follows a high-carbohydrate, high-protein, and low-sugar diet. She strictly avoids restaurant food, but every now and then she indulges in something.
“I don’t usually eat dessert, but I do have some cheese or yogurt. I love to cook, that’s a bonus,” she said.
She absolutely loves leg workouts and deadlifts. “I don’t like upper body training, but I have to do it anyway!” she communicated.
She suggested exercises like squats, planks, and lunges for those who want to start exercising at home. “Invest in some basic free weights and resistance belts so you can do full-body workouts at home,” she said.
When Tasneem, a master’s student in Brac, tried to lift weights, she was stunned by negative comments from those around her.
The first resistance came from her parents, who found it difficult to understand why their daughter wanted to do something so “masculine”.
When we asked Samira about this, she explained that when someone starts exercising, their body shape naturally changes and that weightlifting is not a man’s thing.
Photo: Noor A Alam / TBS
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Photo: Noor A Alam / TBS
“Male or female, everyone has different bodies and different goals and even different trainers. Anyone can lift weights if they want, but the ideal combination for losing weight is doing cardio and strength training together, ”she added.
If you’d like to see Samira’s workouts, you can check them out on her Burn it with Samira S Facebook page.
A report titled “Global Trends in Inadequate Physical Activity Among Adolescents: A Pooled Analysis of 298 Population-Based Surveys of 1.6 Million Participants” found that 69.6% of adolescent girls in Bangladesh are inadequately physically active.
Even globally, 85% of girls who go to school do not meet the WHO recommendation of at least one hour of physical activity per day.
Photo: Noor A Alam / TBS
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Photo: Noor A Alam / TBS
Menopause and aging can lead to loss of muscle and bone health, and regular exercise can help build muscle and get your body back on track.
When it comes to testing physical strength, test it yourself before someone or society stops you.
In 2019, Mabia Akter won gold in women’s weightlifting at the South Asian Games, the same year 19-year-old Awhona Rahman became the champion of Bangladesh’s first female bodybuilding competition.
Performance stars like Mabia, Awhona, and Samira let us see that fitness is a choice and gender is certainly not a factor in that choice.
