Kareem Rawlins

Name: Kareem Rawlins

Specialty: Private training; boot camp instructor
Certifications: PTS (CanFitPro); TRX Group Trainer (TRX); CPR/First Aid Instructor (Heart & Stroke Foundation Canada)
Home Gym, City and Province: Le Fitness Loft, Montreal, QC
Training style: HIIT; Metabolic Conditioning

Why did you become a personal trainer?

I moved to Montreal from Toronto in 2008, and I was in bad shape—overweight and unmotivated. I had to do something, so I committed to change and lost close to 40 pounds! During the process, I took a personal trainer course through CanFitPro, and my desire to help others do what I did heightened. I reflected on my experience with trainers that I had while in Toronto, and a lot of what they taught me stuck with me for years. Helping people develop a positive mind-set, changing the way they view themselves, investing time into helping them be better is just a sample of what I do and what I love. That love has led me to success—seven years later and I’m still here!

What do you think is the reason your clients gravitated to you? 

I’m an athletic, energetic, and very personable individual. My focus is to build a solid relationship with my clients to help them see that trainers are humans too. We have ups and downs, we go through the struggle sometimes, helping them to see that I can relate to them in some way, shape, or form. Like many of these candidates, I’m a trainer for the people who has experienced the ups and downs of weight management and self-esteem challenges—issues that affect a lot of people in more ways than one—and I’m not afraid to talk about it when I first meet prospective clients. I love working with people and genuinely helping them to improve mentally, physically, and nutritionally, and my clients can sense that.

Greatest client success story.

I have a couple of them, but one that really stands out is my experience working with my client Andrew. He started attending my boot camp classes with his girlfriend a year and a half ago, and he needed a push. As a child, he was diagnosed with leukemia, beat it successfully, and had a challenging time losing weight as he got older. I took interest in him and showed him that through solid effort, solid eating, and solid encouragement, he could get to where he wanted to be. I hosted an eight-week challenge in which he partook and committed to the process. He and his girlfriend both made changes and worked hard, and as a result he lost close to 30 pounds! This is after his doctor told him that “losing weight would be impossible.” Boy, did we prove that doctor wrong. I’m ever grateful for the opportunity to help him.

Why do you think you can rep BSN like a boss? What do you love about the brand?

I love the diversity of products and athletes that represent the brand. It’s my first time being considered as a rep for any major company, but I know I can do it justice! Like the company, I am committed to my craft, building better bodies every day, and generating solid results through effort and energy.

Why should YOU be Canada’s Top trainer?

That’s an excellent question and very difficult to answer considering that I’ve never viewed myself as such. My reputation and my dedication speak for itself. I’m driven, focused, diligent, and committed to my clients, my family, and my future. I have a love for fitness and for the entire training experience that is demonstrated in my relationship with my team, through the words of my blog, and my personality. I’m not flashy or over the top; I’m passionate, humble, and a striver for greatness, especially for my clients … and I can jump over people, which is pretty cool!

What is your favourite BSN product and why?

I’ve tried N.O.-Xplode before through a training partner, and it was great! The pump was what I needed to push through my workout without any post-training crash. I can see how it could help my clients get in the training zone, providing them with a safe “boost” that will keep them moving through the duration of their session with me. I’m looking forward to trying other products too!

Check our Kareem's Trainer of the Year journey by following him on social media! Find him on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and on his business' website!