Gym owner’s successes inspire his members

Omar Butt, 30, has been running the Ironheart gym in Wellington Road, Dewsbury, since he bought the premises in January.

He became interested in fitness when he started training at CJ’s gym, then also in Wellington Road, when he was a troubled 16-year-old.

Mr Butt, of Kirkgate, Hanging Heaton, said: “As a youngster I was a bit of a tearaway.

“My parents grounded me for a long time and I started staying in and concentrating on studying, and that caused weight problems.

“At the age of 16, I went down from 16 stones to 11 stones. It was dramatic and it was not the right way to do it.

“Then one day as I was going to Leeds, I saw a man across the road from me and he looked amazing, with thick, dense muscle.

“It inspired me, so I joined a gym and started training.”

However, various jobs in the police force and banking took Mr Butt to Manchester and Leeds where he focused on his career, but he later started training again at a gym in Leeds.

He said: “In September 2009, a trainer in Leeds said I was in good shape and asked if I wanted to start competing. I thought, ‘Why not?’ It seemed like a good idea.

Just over a year later, Mr Butt scooped fourth place in last year’s Mr UK body-building contest, and has already secured a place in next year’s competition.

Mr Butt said his experiences in bodybuilding gave him a wealth of knowledge that he could pass on to his customers.

He said: “My body-building gives people a sense of trust.

“I have to look the part as well as talking to customers about fitness and sculpting their bodies.

“It puts pressure on me because I have to maintain my physique, but I get a sense of satisfaction from seeing people achieve their goals.”