Introducing Isaak Fu.
Isaak, 24, is a fitness professional who works as a trainer. Since he was 16, he has been a fitness enthusiast and loves weight training and boxing. He began training seriously when he was 18 and has gained a great deal of knowledge by trial and error.
“Always follow your dreams and do whatever you want.
Never settle for less.
“Stay hungry and humble.”
How has your fitness journey been?
Since a very young age, I have been involved in all kinds of sports. However, soccer is my favorite. I played with South Yarra Soccer Club’s U16A for a year and then stopped because of school. Zap Fitness Richmond was my first gym, and I discovered my new passion.
It has been a long journey, full of ups and downsides, trials and errors, jumping from gym to gym, and injuries. But the trip was worth it! I learned from all the mistakes I made and corrected them with my acquired knowledge. I want to share this with as many people as I can in the hope that the mistakes I have made won’t be repeated. When I meet with new clients, I always tell them to “do it right the first go.”
What made you decide to become a personal fitness trainer?
Plumbing was my first choice after graduating from high school. It didn’t go well. I was living paycheck-to-paycheck, working part-time at Woolworths, and stuck.
I trained at the gym 5-6 days a week, which included Muay Thai, boxing, and weight training. Why not make it a habit to go to the gym every day? I decided to study to become a personal trainer.
During my studies, I helped friends transform, educated them, and motivated them. This always gave me a feeling of accomplishment. I felt as if I had contributed to the betterment of society. It made me want other people to have the same impact on them as I did.
Have you found that your expectations about this career path have been different from reality, positively or negatively?
It has been a lot of fun to be in the fitness business so far. The fitness industry has its own challenges, such as running a small business. It was a big reality check. I realized I would no longer be working for anyone. It meant that I had to put myself out there and network and build something from scratch. It’s something that I didn’t think about when I started this.
Before I started, I thought that this job would be easy because I already knew what I needed to do, how to train others, and what I should train them in. But there was so much more, such as acquiring clients, learning to speak and sell, and organizing. This is a steep learning curve I didn’t anticipate, but I wouldn’t change a thing.
What advice would you offer your younger self when you were first starting out on the path to becoming a PT?
Enjoy the journey, and be patient. You must be hungry to achieve it. You have to work hard and put in long hours if you want to be successful. How much you are willing to put in and how motivated you are will determine how successful you can be. Be patient but hungry for success.
You motivate your clients and help them stay motivated. Do you have any motivational tips when you are not using a guide to follow?
Motivation is a mere excuse. It will only take you so far.
It doesn’t matter how important or what you are doing; discipline is getting it done. When new clients tell me that it is their “motivation,” I ask them, “Do you like your current job?” The majority of people have jobs they don’t love, and they show up every day without realizing it.
By working for someone else, they are helping to fulfill their dreams. Why do we go to work if we don’t like it? Money. They are willing to do anything to get money. This is a sign of discipline. You can’t spend 30-60 minutes of your day at the gym doing something that will only benefit you in the long run and provide you with health benefits. Motivation is a false notion. When you stop being disciplined, it stops.
What/who inspires you?
My family is my biggest inspiration. My family is my biggest inspiration. I have a three-year-old daughter, a five-month-old son, and an amazing partner who has supported me from the very beginning.
All I do is to make sure they have a great life. My family is the reason I work late and stress myself out. They encourage me to get up every day and stay strong. The challenges of being a young dad have changed my perspective on my ambition and hustle. It’s about giving up everything in order to be an amazing father and partner. This is my greatest inspiration and what drives me to do everything I do.
Which personal attribute is most responsible for your success?
The drive I have to succeed is my personal characteristic.
I want to be the best and be a good role model for my children.
