“We’re not just about the physical…the physical is just the vehicle. We strongly believe that by going through the physical journey, you can unlock confidence, courage, and the ability to drive forward all areas of your life. You can actually transform your life.”

RNT Fitness is an online transformation company for busy professionals. Akash Vaghela established the business in 2017 to bring a new, engaging fitness system for people who want to transform their lives.

The idea of providing a change in the fitness world came while Akash was working as a personal trainer on the gym floor.

“As a personal trainer you’re bound by your client’s diary,” says Akash. “I was seeing colleagues around me, with families and children, yet they couldn’t spend any time with them due to the unsociable hours of being a personal trainer. I soon realised that this isn’t a sustainable career path.”

Deeply frustrated, Akash believed clients were not getting what they should from fitness companies. “It was all quick fix, cookie-cutter programs with no real sense of transformation. I wanted to offer a new paradigm”.

“We’re not just about the physical…the physical is just the vehicle. We strongly believe that by going through the physical journey, you can unlock confidence, courage, and the ability to drive forward all areas of your life. You can actually transform your life.”

Akash decided to harness the independence of being online to market the transformational philosophy. Being online gave him control, the ability to reach more people, and created a platform for other fitness professionals.

“The fitness industry is a dog-eat-dog world,” he says. “There is a turnover rate of 80-90% for personal trainers, with no career path and everyone is expected to be a businessman. I wanted coaches to come on board at RNT and just do what they enjoy. Otherwise, in the fitness industry, the only choice you have is to be a self-employed trainer.”

Transformation—becoming a new person, or rather, revealing your true authenticity, is the philosophy of RNT. “Our five phase transformation journey, and the methodology that underpins it, is what makes us unique,” says Akash. “Transformation is the evolution of introspection and action. And this process never ends. There’s always an opportunity to improve yourself.”

Akash describes how RNT Fitness assesses potential clients on three transformation keys—coachability, commitment, and consistency. “Anyone can transform as long as they have those three keys. We look at where the client is, what they’d like to change, and where they you want to get to—physically, mentally, and emotionally.” The client is then introduced to a coach who will build their transformation protocols. Being purely virtual, clients are currently in over 20 countries around the world.

“A good client should have the mind-set to want to improve themselves – A growth mind-set. People who know they have to take care of themselves in order to take care of those around them. We know how powerful it is when someone is in shape…they’re in control of who they are and amazing things happen from there.”

Education is a large part of RNT Fitness. Akash has authored Transform Your Body, Transform Your Life, and also hosts the hugely successful RNT Fitness Radio podcast, which has amassed over 200,000 downloads in over 90 countries.

One of the few Asians in the fitness industry, Akash was set to study law when he was bit by the fitness bug. He believes that the Asian community suffers bad health across the generations due to lack of education.

“There’s a misnomer and a misconception that if you’re Asian you have to be out of shape. But that’s a complete falsehood. In Asian communities, there is a saying that you look ‘healthy’ if you have a bit of body fat. It’s seen as a sign that someone’s doing well because he’s well fed. There’s the ego element too, of where they eat, who can eat the most, who can feed the other more. But this destroys their health.

“People do get into shape, take charge of their health, their fitness, and wellbeing. We’re not just doomed to our genetics,” he says.

Akash believes that the problem in the Asian society is that success is tied up in careers. “What we do really well as a community is to encourage our children to study hard and be a success academically. But what we don’t do enough of is to play sport, exercise, and eat well. And when children grow up, they’re just expected to work hard. It’s a false economy. High flyers often sacrifice their health along the way and that really comes back full circle. If your body is full of crap, how can you achieve inner fulfilment and greatness? That’s not going to happen if you’re out of shape.”

Taking charge of health, and implementing good patterns and behaviours impacts all areas of your life, according to Akash. “If you take care of yourself and you’re thinking clearly andconfidently, it impacts the way you live.

“Getting fit improves business, work performance is better, relationships improve, and people are happier. I call it the most underrated career development tool there is.”

rntfitness.co.uk