The Show Up Fitness Podcast

INDIA - From Engineer to Teacher of Personal Trainers

• Chris Hitchko, CEO Show Up Fitness • Season 3 • Episode 244

Share episode

Send us a text if you want to be on the Podcast & explain why!

Show Up Fitness is launching our NEW podcast with IG D_fit_man director of India operations & education, Devang. Anytime you see INDIA, these podcasts will be specific to the 28 States in India.

Still a great podcast for EVERYONE, but focused on the 1.4 billion friends in India. 

What does it take to leave a conventional path and build something meaningful in the fitness industry? In this revealing debut episode of the Show of Fitness India podcast, host Devang Borda strips away the filters to share his remarkable journey from engineering graduate to fitness educator.

Devang breaks down the pivotal moments that shaped his career – from those first humbling months with no clients to the gutsy decision to walk away from a coveted position at a prestigious fitness studio. His story challenges the standard metrics of success in today's fitness world, making a compelling case that true impact comes not from follower counts or transformation photos, but from developing unshakeable competence and confidence.

"Followers will fade, hype will fade, but skills will stay," Devang explains, cutting through industry noise with refreshing clarity. He details how his work with Show of Fitness deepened his understanding of assessment systems, corrective strategies, and coaching frameworks – replacing guesswork with structured expertise. For trainers feeling undervalued or professionals trapped in unfulfilling careers, his message resonates: "You're not stuck, you're just early."

This podcast promises no fluff, no generic motivation – just practical insights for navigating India's evolving fitness landscape. Whether you're a new trainer or five years into your career, Devang invites you to join the real fitness revolution happening in India – one based on respect, science, and genuine client care. Ready to transform your approach to fitness coaching? Subscribe now and discover how to build both the confidence and competence that will define your f

Want to ask us a question? Email email info@showupfitness.com with the subject line PODCAST QUESTION to get your question answered live on the show!

Our Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/showupfitnessinternship/?hl=en
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@showupfitnessinternship
Website: https://www.showupfitness.com/
Become a Personal Trainer Book (Amazon): https://www.amazon.com/How-Become-Personal-Trainer-Successful/dp/B08WS992F8
Show Up Fitness Internship & CPT: https://online.showupfitness.com/pages/online-show-up?utm_term=show%20up%20fitness
NASM study guide: ...

Speaker 1:

Howdy all. Welcome back to the Show of Fitness podcast. If you are wondering who is this Indian guy on the mic and what happened to Chris, did he move to India? Not yet. He's still in the US, so don't worry about that.

Speaker 1:

My name is Tevang Borda. I am Director of Education and Operations for Show of Fitness in India. I'm here to help you build the two most valuable traits that will define your future confidence and competence. Today, I'm going to share my story not the filtered version, but the real one From being a skinny guy with an engineering degree to training clients, quitting a top job at a well-known fitness studio and choosing to start from scratch with show fitness, all in the name of purpose and progress.

Speaker 1:

I'm going to be making more of these podcasts directed towards my brothers and sisters who are listening to this from india, so that we can help them build successful personal training umpire, just like we are helping you guys in the us. So if you are from india and listening to this, make sure to share this to your stories. Tag us and leave us a five US. So if you are from India and listening to this, make sure to share this to your stories, tag us and leave us a five-star review and if you want to become a qualified personal trainer, you can reach out to me on devang at the red showoffitnesscom. We will get on a call and we'll see how we can help you build that empire Now. With that being said, let's start this podcast.

Speaker 2:

Welcome to the show up fitness podcast, where great personal trainers are made. We are changing the fitness industry one qualified trainer at a time, with our in-person and online personal training certification. If you want to become an elite personal trainer, head on over to showupfitnesscom. Also, make sure to check out my book how to become a successful personal trainer. Don't forget to subscribe, rate and review. Have a great day and keep showing up.

Speaker 1:

A few years back, I did what most people expected. I studied hard, cleared entrance exams and got into engineering. But here is the part most people miss I never worked a single day as an engineer because somewhere during college I found something that lit me up more than any textbook or lab ever could, which was fitness. It all started small A dumbbell, a YouTube workout, watching Virat Kohli redefines athletes in fitness in India. Soon, I wasn't just training for myself, I was coaching others, understanding human movements, reading anatomy for fun and spending more time at the gym than at the library. So when I graduated, I made a decision that surprised everyone. I skipped the job placements and stepped straight into personal training. My first few months as a trainer were humbling no clients, no credibility, just curiosity and consistency. I still remember for the first six months I never had a personal training client. I session, gym floor, cleaning, movement correction. I was all in, and over time I began to realize something powerful I wasn't just helping people lose weight, I was helping them stand taller, move pain-free, feel capable and rebuild belief. That's when I stopped calling myself just a trainer. I was becoming a coach.

Speaker 1:

Now here comes one of the biggest turning point in my story. After years of grinding, I finally landed a job at one of the top fitness studios in my city and a place many would kill to be at. I had a full calendar, great clients, a good income, a name in the industry, but deep inside I felt a friction. Something wasn't sitting right Because, even though I was successful, I started asking deeper questions Are we really teaching clients or just entertaining them? Are we developing skilled professionals or just personalities? Is this career helping the fitness industry grow or just serving the top 1%? And that's when I discovered Show Up Fitness. This wasn't just another brand, it was a movement. They were focused on education, real anatomy assessments, pain science the stuff that actually builds great coaches. I had a choice Stay comfortable in my highly paid job or step into the unknown and help bring this mission to India to upskill trainers, raise the standards and create lasting impact. So I did something bold. I quit the best job I have ever had and started over with shop fitness. No promises, no guarantees, just purpose and the belief that we could make the industry more respected, more skilled and more powerful in our country, india. Let me tell you something that I have learned the hard way Followers will fade, hype will fade, but skills will fade, will stay. Clients don't care how many legs you got. They care if you can fix their shoulder. Help their dad get out of a back pain. Coach their teenage daughter to feel strong and safe in the gym. That's competence and that's the most underrated flex in the industry.

Speaker 1:

With show of fitness, I delve deeper into assessment systems, corrective strategies, strength programming, self-psychology, coaching frameworks and education systems that actually work. And guess what? My confidence exploded because now I wasn't guessing anymore. I had structure, language and a system behind what I did. That's what I want for you too, and that's why this podcast exists. Let's talk about what you can expect here.

Speaker 1:

This podcast is not about fluff or generic motivation. It's about real world coaching, movement and rehab insights, how to transition from rep counter to respected coach, growing a career in India's evolving fitness space. Mind shifts that move you forward, selling integrity, and become a true fitness professional, someone who can collaborate with physios, doctors and athletes alike. We will be talking to guests, breaking down client cases, explore failures and dig into the business of fitness training, not just into the sets or reps.

Speaker 1:

Let me speak to the version of you who is in a tough spot.

Speaker 1:

Maybe you are a trainer, tired of low pay and long hours. Maybe you are in college and unsure what to do next. Maybe you are in a job that looks good on paper but feels empty inside. Here is what I want you to do. You are not stuck, you are just early. You don't have to have it all, you don't have to have it all figured out today, but you do have to make a move. Start learning, start teaching, start showing up, imperfectly but consistently. Confidence comes from showing up when it's uncomfortable. Competence comes from doing the work no one else wants to do, and that's what this podcast and show of fitness is all about. I truly believe this. We are on the edge of a fitness revolution in India, not one based on abs and transformation pictures, but on respect, real science, career growth and client care. I want to help you lead that revolution not alone, but with you, because the more we elevate as trainers, the more lives we can transform. So, whether you are a brand new or a five years in this industry, if you want to level up, this podcast is your platform.

Speaker 1:

Thanks for listening to this episode, one of the show, fitness India version. This is just the start. Every week, I'll be going to do a podcast a raw, valuable and 100% real. If this episode sparked something in you, share it with a friend, tag me on Instagram or DM me. Your biggest takeaway, and remember you don't need permission, you don't need a perfect plan, you just need the courage to start and the willingness to keep showing up. Also, we are going to launch our book how to Become a Successful Personal Trainer, volume 2, india Edition, within next three to six months, so stay tuned for the updates. Until next time, stay curious, stay competent and, above all, keep showing up.