Back Room Talk Coach Spotlight: Ahmed Tarek’s Journey from Corporate Life to Creating Egypt's Premier Fitness Destination
This episode of Back Room Talk explores the inspiring journey of Ahmed Tarek, an Egyptian fitness coach and gym owner who transformed from electromechanical engineer to community-building fitness entrepreneur. His story demonstrates how passion, persistence, and professional education can create not just a successful business, but a thriving fitness community that changes lives through sustainable health practices and genuine care for client success.
The Athletic Foundation: Building Character Through Sport
Ahmed's journey began with a strong athletic foundation that would shape his entire approach to fitness and coaching. "My background is an athletic background. I was... I played swimming, water polo, volleyball. I played several sports. My childhood was full of athletic career and full of playing different sports."
This diverse sporting background gave Ahmed something invaluable - an understanding of movement, competition, and the mental aspects of athletic performance. However, life took an unexpected turn: "Then after some time, for some reason, I stopped playing the sport and I didn't want to stop doing what I love the most, which is fitness."
This pivotal moment in 2014 would become the foundation for everything that followed. At a time when CrossFit was booming globally but hadn't yet reached Egypt, Ahmed found himself at the intersection of personal passion and market opportunity.
The Accidental Discovery: From Participant to Leader
What started as personal fitness participation quickly evolved into something much larger. "I started doing fitness with a group of people in the club... then I started thinking about why not take this into the second level or maybe learning a bit about how to help people get better and how to help people move better."
Ahmed's natural leadership abilities and athletic background made him a standout participant, which led to an assistant coaching role: "I was one of the best athletes in this fitness group and I came into the assisting phase of being an assistant coach."
This organic progression from participant to assistant coach taught Ahmed his first crucial lesson about the fitness industry - the power of authentic community building and the importance of helping others discover their own potential.
The Education Phase: Investing in Excellence
Recognizing that passion alone wasn't enough to serve clients professionally, Ahmed embarked on a systematic education journey. His first major investment was traveling to Dubai for his CrossFit L1 certification: "I decided to take this with a certificate first. So I went to Dubai, took CrossFit L1 and it was really interesting to see how people in the CrossFit community look at fitness."
However, Ahmed quickly identified a gap in his knowledge: "After I finished CrossFit, I still didn't know how to write a complete program for a client. This was the main thing that made me explore something like OPEX. And this was like, this is okay, this is the complete thing. This is where you can coach any type of person."
This led him to pursue OPEX certification in 2016, followed by Precision Nutrition Level 1, Level 2, and the Master's Class. This comprehensive education approach would become a hallmark of Ahmed's professional development and coaching philosophy.
Building Community: The Power of Free Service
What sets Ahmed apart from many fitness entrepreneurs is how he built his initial community. Rather than immediately monetizing his growing skills, he chose to serve: "I reached coaching almost a hundred, a hundred people, a group of hundred people... and this was for free. We started doing this for free, doing something just to educate people about how functional training is a good thing to start with."
This approach accomplished multiple goals:
Built genuine community around shared values
Allowed Ahmed to refine his coaching skills with diverse populations
Created word-of-mouth marketing based on real results
Established trust and credibility in the market
"We did this for free to build the community," Ahmed explains, demonstrating his understanding that sustainable business success comes from genuine service, not just transactions.
The Career Crossroads: Engineering vs. Coaching
After graduating with a degree in electromechanical engineering in 2016, Ahmed faced a decision that many career-changers know well: "I had this argument of like, are you going to pursue the career of being an engineer or you will go to the career of coaching? And this was like a big question in my mind that took like a year and a half to find an answer for this."
During this transition period, Ahmed maintained both paths: "My day started by going to train. I go do my first workout. Then I go to the nine to five job. I finished the nine to five job. I got my lunch. Then I go to... I coached, I finished coaching, I went home and I kept repeating this for like a year and a half."
This exhausting but necessary period taught Ahmed about commitment, time management, and the true cost of pursuing your passion. More importantly, it allowed him to test whether coaching could provide both personal fulfillment and financial sustainability.
The decision point came when Ahmed realized: "I built a great community. The returns coming from this were good enough to say that I can independently depend on something like coaching."
Creating a Destination: More Than Just a Gym
When Ahmed and his business partner decided to open their gym in 2019, they had a vision that extended far beyond traditional fitness facilities. "We waited so long to do something like, we didn't want that gym to be like the four walls where you don't see the light outdoors. We wanted something like having an outdoor area, indoors area, having the functional equipment, having the luxury to spend some time with the people around and to build the community."
Their approach was holistic from the beginning:
Multiple Service Offerings: Personal training, group training, online training, kickboxing, open gym access
Community Spaces: Areas for clients to socialize, work, or have meals after training
Comprehensive Support: Rehabilitation center, nutrition coaching, food and beverage options
Professional Standards: Bringing in specialists for services outside their core expertise
The result is a facility that serves as a community hub rather than just a place to exercise. "We try to build something like a community-based gym and have different services around," Ahmed explains.
The Technology Integration: Scaling Personal Touch
Ahmed's use of technology, particularly CoachRx, demonstrates how modern coaches can scale personalized service without losing the human element. The platform enables several key aspects of his service delivery:
Milestone Recognition and Community Building
"With the update coming on CoachRx... clients get like when you finish a workout, you get the workouts done and the count of the workouts. So people started looking, finished the hundred workout and we have that PR bell."
Ahmed took this digital milestone tracking and made it physical: "We take a picture for them with a Polaroid and we put the picture right away on the wall and people, any newcomer coming, they look to this wall... people in the gym who did 200 or 300 workouts, which gives somehow credibility to the place and to the coaches and to the community."
Video Analysis and Remote Coaching
For both in-person assessments and remote coaching, Ahmed leverages video technology: "Usually when I do the assessments, I capture videos for the clients while doing the assessment... And we started doing the analysis on what can be the starting point, what can be the limitations."
AI Integration for Enhanced Service
Ahmed embraces AI as a tool to enhance rather than replace coaching: "AI is a tool and coaches who are not using AI, AI might substitute them one day or another. So a coach who's using AI is having the tools and he's getting updated with what's new."
He uses AI for ideation and efficiency while maintaining the human element: "It's like drawing a picture and you're coloring what's inside. So it's one of the colors that I use, but not the main thing, or it's not the main drawing."
The Art of Deep Goal Discovery
One of Ahmed's greatest strengths as a coach lies in his ability to help clients discover their true motivations. Drawing from his Precision Nutrition education, he employs the "Five Why's" technique: "Sometimes people come and their goal is like, I just want to get fit. Okay. What's fit for you... tell me more about being fit."
Ahmed provides a powerful example of this process in action:
Client: "I want to get fit"
Coach: "Why do you want to get fit?"
Client: "Because I want my kids to see me better"
Coach: "Why do you want them to see you better?"
Client: "To be their role model"
Coach: "Why do you want to be their role model?"
Client: "So they do this when they get older"
"So you come from getting fit to seeing their kid getting better in the future. So now this is a strong reason why whenever they feel down, whenever you feel demotivated, they know what they want," Ahmed explains.
This approach transforms superficial goals into deep, sustainable motivation that carries clients through difficult periods and long-term lifestyle changes.
Market Education: Fighting Misinformation
One of Ahmed's biggest challenges has been educating a market saturated with quick-fix promises and misinformation. "I think the biggest challenge when it comes to business and to coaching is educating the clients... about the difference between what you used to do and what you want to do and what you need to do."
He faces common misconceptions around transformation timelines: "Most people think about transformation programs where it's a 12 weeks program where you're going to lose fat and shred your body in 12 weeks... So what we told you can happen in some conditions. The first thing you need to understand is that results take time."
Ahmed's approach to this challenge is educational rather than dismissive: "You can start losing weight, yes, and you can transform, yes, but transformation is mainly in your habits. If you're gonna transform your habits, you're gonna transform your body. And this is going to come as a byproduct."
The Equipment Philosophy: Function Over Flash
Another education challenge Ahmed faces involves client expectations about gym equipment: "How people usually depend on mainly the machines... but we don't have a lot of machines and we're not planning in getting a lot of machines to keep emphasizing on how moving well and how using your core and how using free weights is way more important than doing isolating muscle."
His approach to this challenge is practical demonstration: "Then after they go into the workout, we give them a trial session or a free session... And they give it a try and they see how they can get out of this workout drained or tired more than doing a bodybuilding workout and seeing where the weak point is."
This hands-on education helps clients understand that "you're having an imbalance. If you want to lift more than this in the bench press, you need to have a strong core to avoid injury."
The One-Step-at-a-Time Philosophy
Ahmed's approach to habit change reflects his understanding of sustainable behavior modification: "It's usually one step at a time. This is the rule of thumb that we do one step at a time."
His process for prioritizing changes is systematic and client-centered:
Assessment: Three-day food log and comprehensive consultation
Identification: List all desired changes
Prioritization: "If you have to choose only one thing of this, putting in mind that if you choose one thing, you need to think about what's the thing if I fixed it, it's going to fix the remaining things"
Implementation: Focus entirely on the one priority change
Progressive Addition: Add new elements only after the first is established
This approach prevents overwhelm and creates sustainable, long-term change rather than short-term compliance followed by regression.
Building Retention Through Relationship
Ahmed's exceptional client retention rates (evidenced by numerous clients reaching 200, 300, and 500+ workout milestones) stem from his relationship-first approach: "Retention rate is one of the strongest things that build the reputation of any coach and retention rate might be one of the most important aspects I communicate with clients."
His retention strategy involves several key elements:
Clear Long-Term Vision
"From the beginning, when we start, I tell them that as their coach, I'm not coaching them for a one month program or we're not doing a challenge for like 12 weeks... if you want to lose like 10 kilograms of fat... you want to build five kilograms of muscle... Theoretically speaking, you will need like a year in two years."
Shared Ownership of Goals
"The client's goals are my goals. If you want to get better, if you want to stay consistent, what can keep you consistent? This is what's going to make it consistent."
Adaptive Programming
Ahmed adjusts programming based on life circumstances: "How you can adjust the program to... we're traveling this month... They're coming back from a long break. They got injured... How you shift the mindset from this to that is what keeps clients going because you keep them focused on the goal."
Positive Daily Experience
"When you're in person, you're seeing the client every day. So you need to make every day a nice day for them. You need to give them positive energy. You need to be friendly with them. You need to be motivated on the days where they're down."
Continuous Learning and Mentorship
Ahmed's commitment to continuous learning exemplifies professional coaching excellence. He spent two and a half years being coached by Sam Smith, one of OPEX's premier remote coaches: "Sam Smith is one of the best coaches I've met in my life... I learned a lot from him when it comes to programming, to managing stress, to adjusting the programs."
The mentorship extended beyond technical skills to business and client management: "He mentored me a lot in coaching and in business and in dealing with the hard type of the hard cases in clients, how can I deal with these people?"
Ahmed also draws inspiration from studying successful coaches' development: "When I went in the immersion course in 2016, Sam was one of the people who was sitting and writing notes for what James was saying in these lessons. And now he became Sam Smith, the coach from these principles and how he took this and took it to the next level."
The Learning Mindset: Clients as Teachers
Perhaps most importantly, Ahmed maintains humility about the learning process: "Actually, I learned from the clients more than what they learned from me, what you get from feedback and how you work on it and how you keep refining everything you're doing every day."
This perspective keeps Ahmed grounded and continuously improving: "OK, I made this mistake before. I'm going to correct it next time when I'm dealing with another person."
Future Vision: Scaling Impact
Looking ahead, Ahmed has ambitious plans for expanding his impact: "One of the things that I'm so excited to do is scaling the business and working on the B2B, working with other businesses, doing things like corporate wellness."
His corporate wellness vision addresses a significant market need: "This target is, it needs help. People are drowning in work where they work like 8 to 12 hours nonstop. They have posture problems, have back problems, they have neck problems."
Rather than waiting for these populations to come to the gym, Ahmed plans to meet them where they are: "Instead of staying in the gym and just letting them to come, we go to them and we educate them in their place and we start doing and implementing things to have them move better and get better in their life and still do their work but do it better."
Professional Coaching Philosophy
When asked what being a professional coach means to him, Ahmed's response captures the essence of his approach: "A professional coach is definitely a full-time coach who's willing to put in the time and effort to keep developing. And a professional coach is someone who do it with passion before anything. If you're passionate about what you're doing, you're going to get professional by time."
He emphasizes key characteristics of professional coaching:
Continuous Learning: "Being updated and knowing what's new and keeping your practice up to date"
Learning from Mistakes: "A professional coach is someone who learn from the mistakes"
Active Listening: "Who listens more than he talks"
Systematic Approach: "Having the framework and being organized, knowing how to manage your time"
Advice for New Coaches
Ahmed's advice to new coaches reflects his own journey and the lessons learned along the way: "Perfection is based on the condition of the person standing in front of you."
He warns against the common trap of trying to apply everything at once: "Usually new coaches go into the trap of, I want to give them the perfect. So I'm going to work on map training, I'm going to work on strength, I'm going to work on nutrition, I'm going to do this and that at the same time, because this is what I learned and I want to apply what I learned."
Instead, he advocates for meeting clients where they are: "You need to understand what's the condition of the client and what the client needs... start small, usually less is more to 90% of the client and consistency is what builds the progress."
The Ripple Effect of Professional Coaching
Ahmed's story demonstrates how one person's commitment to professional excellence can create ripple effects throughout an entire community. From his initial free group training sessions to his current multi-service fitness facility, Ahmed has consistently prioritized community building and genuine service over short-term profits.
His approach to technology integration shows how modern tools can enhance rather than replace human connection. His commitment to continuous education and mentorship demonstrates the importance of always learning and growing. His client retention rates prove that when coaches truly care about client success and take a long-term approach, people respond with loyalty and commitment.
Perhaps most importantly, Ahmed's journey from engineer to fitness entrepreneur proves that it's possible to build a meaningful career around serving others while creating financial sustainability and personal fulfillment.
"Going back, yeah, I would have done the same thing again," Ahmed reflects. "I enjoy what I'm doing. I love what I'm doing. I love seeing new people. I love helping people."
In an industry often criticized for quick fixes and superficial solutions, Ahmed represents the gold standard of professional coaching - comprehensive education, genuine care for client success, systematic approaches to behavior change, and unwavering commitment to continuous improvement.
Connect with Ahmed
Those interested in learning from Ahmed's approach or experiencing his coaching can find him on Instagram. Check out his stunning gym facility and client success stories
Ahmed's story proves that when passion meets professional education and genuine service, the result is not just a successful business, but a transformative force in people's lives and communities.
Want to use the coaching platform trusted by Ahmed and thousands of other professional coaches? Experience the difference professional tools can make in your coaching practice with a 14-day free trial of CoachRx.
Next Steps
Want to use the coaching platform trusted by Devin and thousands of other professional coaches? Experience the difference professional tools can make in your coaching practice with a 14-day free trial of CoachRx.
