When you come across Murali Vijayakumar, aka Biglee, a fond moniker he has earned over the years, you are sure to assume that he is the quintessential fitness trainer — strong, with a Salman Khan-esque muscularity, one whose focus is to take in unhappy clients and belt out transformations, mere weeks later. A few months ago, I visited a fitness fest in the city with the theme ‘Fitness for all’ — and true to its theme, there were kids trying to squat and lift dumbbells, under the careful supervision of experts, of course. On making inquiries about who had approved of introducing weights to kids, when it is usually frowned upon until a certain age, the name Biglee made the rounds again. In conversation with Biglee, a professional bodybuilder, celebrity fitness trainer, and winner of many prestigious national-level competitions.
Inspiration
“My father is my first inspiration,” he says. “I was in class VII, and had accompanied him to the market, when a cow came charging at us. He turned, caught the cow by its horns, and pushed it away. I asked him how he had found the courage to act instantly. He responded that it was because he worked out regularly, and then flexed his tiny biceps,” laughs Murali. “That was my first step towards aspiring to get into fitness.”
Formative years
After class XII, Murali wanted to go headlong into bodybuilding, but his parents were firm that he graduate with an engineering degree. After all, back then, there was not much remuneration that the fitness industry offered. “I graduated in computer science from Anna University, and landed a job at Infosys. In college, studying became a breeze — due to lifting weights, which involved a lot of focus, my concentration levels had vastly improved. I needed to merely sit down to study with focus, for a couple of hours, and concepts would become crystal clear,” he exclaims.
In college, Murali had multiple opportunities to prove his mettle as an upcoming fitness enthusiast. He not only represented his college, but also districts, and eventually the state. Whilst still in college, he participated in and won Mr. Anna University in 2006 and 2007, Mr. Kanchi, in 2006, and later, the state championship, in 2008, bagging the title of Mr. Tamil Nadu.
“I had the chance of representing my college in the university meet — if one won a university show, he/she would get a month off from college, a stipend, and the opportunity to work under an extremely effective coach,” reminisces Murali. “Unfortunately, 20 days before the event, I met with an accident. Not one to wilt under problems, I continued to workout while wearing a cast. On D-day, the PT staff appointed to accompany me was a no-show. I managed to go to the college, participate, and won a gold. But, as I was unaccompanied by a faculty member, I was not selected for the national university meet. I returned to college, got into an altercation with the PT, and was asked to leave the college.”
Mentors
“Though I may not refer to her as a mentor, my English teacher, Ms. Saipriya, stood up for me. She managed to convince the principal to cancel my dismissal and let me write my exams, in which I eventually scored 80%. I owe a lot to her. Two others who I consider mentors, though not from college, are Murtuza Rashid, my friend and training partner, a national bodybuilding champion, and M.Arasu, an ICF bodybuilder, who was my first trainer, and my wife Sandhya who was my batch mate in college and stuck with me through thick and thin. ”
Murali was your typical IT-working, corporate dude, who got into fitness, by a sheer quirk of fate. He happened to design a nutrition plan for a friend’s cousin and she witnessed befitting results, merely training with him online. A chance comment from her on how he could give the fitness field a whirl, as a career, got the cogs in his head whirring. He decided to take that leap of faith, quit his corporate job, and ventured into fitness, full-time. And voila, his risk paid off rich dividends.
He has had the opportunity of coaching some passionate individuals. One is commonwealth fencer, C.A. Bhavani Devi, the first Indian woman to bag a Commonwealth gold in fencing. “I worked with her for over three months. It was heartening to see how passionate and dedicated she was. Yet others include Anuradha, gold medallist, winner of Miss Asia Bodybuilding, actress Upasana, Selvan Nagarathinam, IPS, all of whom are extremely dedicated to achieving their goals.”
Courses
“Most universities here do not have the syllabus to help aspirants form the base for a career in fitness. So, international certifications are the need of the hour,” he explains. “There are many courses at the PG and UG level that aspirants could pursue, but two organisations stand out. The International Sports Sciences Association (ISSA), founded by Frederick C. Hatfield, aka Dr. Squat, gives out certifications for personal trainers, dieticians, and so on, and is recognised across 160 countries, worldwide. Next is the American Council on Exercise (ACE), which not only comes up with comprehensive certifications, but also teaches students about the marketing aspects of fitness. Most of their certifications are valid for three-to-five years depending on the certification, after which certificate-holders have to sign up for an update. In other words, they are constantly learning and innovating.”
Opportunities
One can become a life coach, nutritionist, work as a crossfit trainer, train at bootcamps and dance classes, among others. “Only about five percent of the population is into fitness. If you manage to inspire the other 95%, the world is your oyster, and the opportunities, innumerable,” believes Murali.
Some advice
“Many aspirants who get into fitness as a career, go by the rule book and stick to it. However, when it comes to the human body, the rule book can only contain generic scenarios. Every person is different. To be successful, you must understand the law of individual differences, and respect it,” he says, signing off.
