Mohamed Chakouk, Success Comes From Perseverance

Dialna.net had the chance to interview Mr.  Mohamed chakouk  -a young IFBB professional bodybuilder and personal coach born in the south of Morocco-  in order to walk us through his professional life and share some fruitful advice about sports with us. Chakouk has achieved several titles at the age of 25, he was ranked first place three times in a row  in regional competitions and was crowned overall winner of Mediterranean championship in 2019.

How did you live your life through the Covid-19 epidemic ? 

“Honestly, at first it was not easy. Gyms were suddenly ordered to close so as to avoid catching the virus, which I completely understand. But again, it was extremely hard for me to accept the fact that I won’t go to the gym for a long time. Lately, things have gotten better. I managed to find ways to remain active during lockdown. I’ve built a small gym at home to be able to train whenever I can.”

Why did you choose Bodybuilding as a sport? 

“truthfully, I feel like I didn’t choose bodybuilding, it rather chose me. I can recall that I’ve always been attracted to sports. As a child, I had the chance to try a wide range of sports and ended up achieving a certain level of success in all of them. When I picked up my first dumbbell, I had a rush of adrenaline, the feeling was intense. I felt like I’ve found my passion, what I belong to and what I want to do with my life.”

When did you start participating in competitions ? 

“My very first regional competition took place in 2013, I won the game and was ranked first in my category. If truth be told, I started working out consistently ever since that day.”  

How did you manage to stay motivated and disciplined until you have become a professional bodybuilder? 

“Good question. Quite a lot of things help me to stay motivated 24/7. First and foremost, my family. My family means a lot to me, and is one of my sources of motivation.  My passion, sports are my escape from everything. I exercise a lot to stay in shape and positive. Apart from that, I set numerous goals for myself and spare no effort to reach them. And finally, I get motivated  when people tell me that I inspire them.”

Congratulations for your great achievement in Portugal. Could you tell us more about the day you won your IFBB pro card and share with us your feeling ? 

“Thank you very much. Sometimes I happen not to believe I won it; the feeling was and still is magical. Besides, I moved to Marrakech for a few months so that I could be closer to my coach. And our preparation plans were as follows, I used to wake up at 5AM each morning to start my workout. Then fix a rigorous breakfast that I eat after working out, and do one hour of cardio to burn some calories and then head to the gym to finish my workout. The competition was held in Portugal; I was there with my coach and best friend. It was my first abroad experience as well as my first competition outside of my country. Now let me get back to my feeling, the intense preparation for the competition paid off. The feeling was a mix between success ans pride. And the key to winning a game starts before the competition and it requires a lot of energy and persistence. Just believe in yourself« 

Did you encounter any difficulties in this journey ? 

“The most challenging part was staying disciplined and managing my time to make sure I could do everything I needed to do.  Between cooking six meals every day, going back and forward to the gym twice a day, and practicing my poses, I had to make sure I stayed active even in a busy schedule.”

What is your Goal in Bodybuilding & who is your idol in this Sport?      

“I want to go as far as I can in bodybuilding. I get inspired by all the great body shapes that have stepped on stage before me. My number one  athlete is Dexter Jackson. His longevity in this field is quite  impressive and it reflects his wisdom.“

 As far as you are concerned,  what is the reason behind Moroccan bodybuilders’ non-success to reach high levels in bodybuilding ? 

“Bodybuilding is expensive, and it can be hard to find sponsors. Without their support, one often has to balance between work and gym and believe me, this balancing act will propably be exhausting both physically and financially when one is getting ready for a competition. But again,  I think Moroccan bodybuilders have great potential and can go farther in bodybuilding.” 

What advice would you give to young people who take steroids to get fit body ? 

“The key to success in bodybuilding is staying consistent with diet and keeping a steady workout schedule. One has to be committed and make exercise a habit to get fit. My humble advice would be that they make sure they never skip a meal or a gym session before thinking about using steroids.”

One last word you want to share with us

“I want to thank each single person who believed in me and contributed to my success. And I want to clarify something as well, bodybuilding might seem as an individual sport, but the truth is, it necessitates a lot of support to keep moving forward. Honestly, I would not have been able to do it without the help of my team and so many other people, I am grateful to have them in my life.”

Thank you