Emdad Rahman
Lifelong bodybuilding sensation and East Londoner Taj Ahmed has fulfilled a lifelong ambition to make his mark in the physical world of bodybuilding.
The remarkable fifty year old Tower Hamlets resident stormed to victory in the British Physique Alliance (BPA) Super Show hosted at the Thistle Heathrow.
The BPA provides athletes with a platform that holds fairness, clarity and respect at the very heart of its foundations.
A life time natural bodybuilder who has been training for over thirty years, Taj coached himself and prepped for a mere six weeks to win his first ever body building competition “The Super Show,” organised by the BPA (British Physique Alliance) and sponsors Helen Panther and Dr Vic at the Thistle Heathrow.
Taj’s breathtaking victory was won in the Men’s Physique Masters 50+. He also came a close second in the overall Men’s Physique Masters and fouth in the Open Men’s Physique Short categories.
From a young age Taj fell in love with fitness and developing his physique. Growing up in the 70’s and 80’s as a second generation British Bangladeshi he wanted to be different and recognised. He was heavily influenced by the super hero bodies of Movie Stars like Sylvester Stallone in Rocky and Rambo, Arnold Swazzenegger in Conan The Barbarian and Commando and Bruce Willis in Die Hard. These Hollywood superstars on the silver screen ignited Taj’s enthusiasm in developing his physique.
Along with his cousin who he grew up with, together they would do push ups and sit ups from as young as 10 years old until they couldn’t do anymore.
Taj is a single dad of three children, a passionate Personal Trainer with a level three qualification specialising in Body Transformation and Strength & Conditioning. Taj’s career prior to now has always involved helping people, starting from his work with a local Charity Asian Parents Association For Special Needs to working for the local council supporting vulnerable children, schools and families.
Taj has always been an avid gym goer, training 3 days a week for the past 30 years. He never misses a training session and this consistency and dedication has built a physique gym goers dream of.
This is what led him into Personal Training. In the early days Taj would train up to 6 of his friends alongside him and three more after he finished his own training, spending almost three hours in the gym. Other gym goers would make requests to be trained by him and even offer money, and this is how a hobby turned into a new career in fitness.
Taj has been keen to help young people learn the correct form and techniques to train and educate them on nutrition. He is currently working hard to engage with the local Bangladeshi community to address the epidemic of obesity, diabetes and heart problems suffered by south Asians in a disproportionate rate in the UK, through exercise, nutrition and life style changes.
Speaking after his monumental victory the humble Taj commented, “Health, fitness and bodybuilding has been a major part of my life and as you can tell I’m pretty pleased with this recognition.
“Life is short and the timescales of how much time we live is erratic with no guarantees, so I have always advocated for working to be in the best shape both physically and mentally.
“What I really would love is for magical moments like this to inspire others to make the necessary changes to enhance their lives – That would be a really special legacy for me.”
This month Taj will be entering his second Body Building Competition, hosted by The Federation “Pure Elite” in High Wycombe.