Murat’s love of sports started at a very early age, he was born in Turkey in 1976, and at the age of 6 he was introduced to swimming. He believes that this type of exercise is by far one of the best kinds for a child to start with. After successfully learning how to float, he was given the opportunity to represent Turkey at the Junior Olympics. Being a part of a team and working with great coaches gave him the chance to learn how to train hard and be disciplined in both the world of sports and in life. After swimming he found his second passion, which was basketball. One of his fondest memories is of the first time he held a basketball in his hands, a gift from his father. He made the decision to pursue basketball rather then swimming and went on to play throughout high school, college, and several upper level divisions before injuries forced him to take a break to recuperate.
During this time, Murat was signed by a modeling agency in Istanbul, but before his career could start, he had to lose 11kg in a 2 months period in order to fit the size standards for his first runway show. He understands how difficult losing weight can be. He fully believes that if you really want something and have a goal you want to achieve, you will have the right drive to make things happen.
This first runway show launched Murat’s career. In 2000, he entered the “Best Model of Turkey” contest, winning the 1stst runner up award and earning the honor to represent Turkey in “Mr. Manhunt International’s” world final in Shanghai. Here he was named “Mr. Physic” and earned the title of “Mr. Manhunt International 2002, 2nd Runner Up.” He was given the opportunity to work in several different countries with international fashion brands such as Ermenegildo Zegna, Armani, Jean Paul Gaultier, Adidas and Nike to name a few. The demands of the modeling industry served to enforce Murat’s belief in the importance of smart nutrition and good fitness in order to stay at the top of his game. Despite his busy schedule, he found the time to earn his Personal Training Certification as well as to study Advanced Training Methods (University of Munich) and Sports Psychology (University of Ege).
Modeling brought Murat to Shanghai in 2002, where he fell in love with this amazing, fast paced city. The combination of his experience in performing in competitive sports and the equally competitive nature of modeling have made him a creative personal trainer, His workout programs are always enjoyable and are designed to meet the individual client’s or group’s needs.
His international travels and exposure to different ethnicities enable him to understand the cultural and environmental influences on achieving wellness in Asia. In the last 10 years he has become a known expert in helping people with different backgrounds and fitness goals achieve the best possible results for their bodies and developing healthy lifestyle habits that last. For Murat the key to success comes with right decisions at the right time. He believes in learning while you train because you can always take your knowledge anywhere you go.
In the words of Murat himself “STOP THINKING ABOUT GETTING INTO SHAPE AND JUST DOOOOO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!”
EDUCATION
- ISSA certified personal trainer
- Advance Training Methods, University Of Munich
- Sports Psychology, University Of Ege
- Sports Nutrition, Private Course
AWARDS
- Best Model of Turkey, 1st Runner Up, 2000
- Mr. Manhunt International, 2002 – 2nd Runner Up
- Mr. Manhunt Internationa, 2002 – Mr. Physic
SPECIALITIES:
- Fat loss
- Muscle gain
- Pre-natal pregnancy training
- Circuit training
- Bootcamp programming (indoor / outdoor)
- Spinning classes with weights
- Basketball training
- Swimming