No products in the cart.

Juma Iraki
How I Work as a Personal Trainer Despite Having Crohn’s Disease

Juma Irakis Stats When We Talked with Him 💪

Country:
Norway
Age:
32 years
Height:
168 cm
(5’6)
Weight:
73 kg
(161 lbs)

Follow Juma on Instagram and YouTube

👋 Hi! Tell us about yourself and your training

Hello! My name Is Juma Iraki all the way from ice cold Norway. I am 32 years old and have two boys (Mikael seven years old and Gabriel one year old).

I played soccer for almost 10 years but sustained an injury when I was 16. That forced me to get in the gym, but it turned out to be a blessing in disguise as I was hooked on lifting weights from day one.

I went on to pursue a certification in personal training and a master’s degree in sports nutrition. Today, I run my own company (Iraki Nutrition AS) specializing in helping people build muscle and burn fat.

I could not have asked for a better job as I am now able to make a living from what I am mostly passionate about.

⏱ Describe a typical day of training

I usually train four to six times a week. Right now, I am doing a push/pull/legs routine twice a week. No cardio as I need the extra body fat to survive the cold winter in Norway. ☺

A typical work out might look like this (50-60 min):

Warm up: 10 min on the treadmill, 5 min activation work

Main Workout (Pull):

  • Barbell Rows 3 x 6-8 reps
  • Lat Pulldown 3 x 6-8 reps
  • Cable Row 3 x 8-12 reps
  • Facepulls 3 x 12-15 reps
  • Bicepscurl 3 x 8-10 reps
  • Hammercurl 3 x 12-15 reps

Most of the time, I train alone at Lillestrom Trening or the gym that I work at Avancia Skedsmokorset.

👊 How do you keep going and push harder?

Going to the gym has never been an issue for me. It is my get away from all the stressors that life can bring, and I get frustrated if I do not go to the gym on a regular basic. That being said, I do take some time off during the holidays to fully recover and give my body a break once a year.

🏆 How are you doing today and what does the future look like?


This year I am planning on getting in my best shape of my life as I have more time to focus on training.

Recently had a setback as I have a autoimmune disorder called, Crohn’s disease, but getting back into things with training and nutrition. This year I am planning on getting in my best shape of my life as I have more time to focus on training.

In terms of business, I recently re-branded my company and have a lot of exciting things coming up for the Norwegian fitness lovers. I have also started writing my first training and nutrition book on muscle hypertrophy, which I hope will be out in the next year or so.

See also  How I Use My Education and Training to Help People to Stay Fit and Strong

🤕 How do you recover, rest and handle injuries?

I try to get sufficient amount of sleep but have to admit that it has been a challenge with a one year old at home. I enjoy watching movies and always schedule some down time watching a movie after my training sessions to improve recovery.

I have great people around me that take good care of me when I get injured. I struggled a bit with lower back pain, due to multiple surgeries I have had for my autoimmune disease.

Huge thanks to my Naprapath Thomas Lund Johanessen at Skedsmo Naprapatklinikk who always takes good care of me.

🍎 How is your diet and what supplements do you use?

Right now, I am trying to consume 200 g of protein, 250-300 g of carbs and 50 g of fat. My diet mostly consists of whole foods, but I have a flexible approach to my diet as long as I get my macros in which usually is four to five meals a day and five to seven servings of fruit and vegetables every day. That being said, I do enjoy the occasional burger here and there.

Current supplements I take are: Multivitamin, Omega 3, Vitamin D, protein powder, creatine and caffeine. I work as a consultant for Proteinfabrikken in Norway so I get all my supplements from them.

👍 What has inspired and motivated you?

I always was inspired by Dorian Yates. His training was intense, and he was extremely disciplined with his diet. In terms of role models, I would have to say both my parents. They have taught me so many great things and given me values that I live by today.

✏️ Advice for other people who want to improve themselves?


Progression and consistency are key when it comes to training and nutrition.

Try to stick to a training program you enjoy and that you can be consistent with. Progression and consistency are key when it comes to training and nutrition.

As far as books, I highly recommend the training and nutrition pyramid books by Dr. Eric Helms. Both of them are easy to read and are based on a foundation of science.

🤝 Are you taking on clients right now?

Yes, I am, mostly Average Joes that want to get in shape and both I also work with a lot of physique athletes. These are both real life clients and online clients as well.

📝 Where can we learn more about you?

Check out my Youtube channel: @coachjumairaki and my website www.jumairaki.com where I have a ton of podcasts with the leading experts in the fitness industry. I am also active on Instagram: @coachjumairaki

Leave a Comment

Related Interviews