Beijing Says Farewell to Ankit Nayal, Swollest BActive Bodybuilder of Them All

Ankit Nayal is not an easy man to miss. Yes, he's buffer than a bison, but that's not his only striking trait. His charisma, winning smile, and willingness to push himself – not only at BActive, the gym where he has risen through the ranks over the years – has seen him find a following far outside of the fitness community where he largely operates.

If you've been unlucky enough to be WeChat friends with him over the past few years (like me), you'll have also been taunted by a steady stream of Moments of him and members of BActive out exercising at ungodly hours of the morning, breaking a sweat before the workday.

It's this go-getting spirit that has seen him gradually go from a fitness fan to competing bodybuilder to even winner of our Hot Chili Pepper Eating Competition in 2017. More recently, he's turned his efforts and utilized his reach to bring light to charitable causes, helping to raise money for Shunyi's Our Learning House, which provides education to physically disabled orphans and disadvantaged children in Beijing.

Now he's preparing to set out on a completely new adventure and is leaving the capital, at least temporarily, to enroll in an MBA at Barcelona's IESE Business School with the intention to eventually bring corporate wellness understanding to businesses in Asia.

Before he gets all geeky on us, we spoke to Nayal about his time in Beijing and what he'll miss once he's gone.

For those who might not know, can you tell us how you came to be in Beijing and start on your path to getting swole?
I originally came to Beijing in 2013 to pursue my master's. Oh, those good old days of late-night Gongti streetside chuan'r and last-minute crammings! I started working at BActive gym in 2016 as a personal trainer and rose up the ranks to become director and partner of the Sanlitun branch. Being swole was part of the journey to completely immersing myself in the fitness industry, as I started competing in bodybuilding competitions and fell in love with the process.

What was it exactly that drew you to health and fitness in the first place?
My main driver behind health and fitness was to spread the positive change that being healthier can create – both physically and mentally – in the lives of everyone. I have people who were regulars in the gym who have seen the discipline and commitment spread to their personal and work lives, improving them. This kind of impact makes me believe in the potential of the industry to create a wider change for the better.

How would you rate the bodybuilding scene in China compared to the rest of the world? What about the fitness scene in general?
China has made incredible progress in terms of bodybuilding and fitness in the last couple of years. I have seen competitors go from being average when I started competing to becoming world-class athletes now. The same goes for fitness facilities. It went from a time when a fully equipped gym was hard to find in China, to now when the country has some of the best equipment and facilities I have seen in the entire world. The awareness regarding fitness has also risen, with more and more people focused towards a healthier lifestyle.

What are your top tips for anyone who wants to get in shape, but is perhaps lacking in motivation?
Find your WHY. This is the topmost advice I could give anyone for getting fit. Why do you want to get fit? Is it to feel healthier? Is it to find friends in the gym? Is it to attract the opposite sex? Is it because you are not comfortable with your current shape and want to change? No matter what your reason, finding it is going to help you remain on track.

You famously won the Beijinger’s Hot Chili Pepper Eating Competition. Whereas that was undoubtedly the apex of your time in Beijing, if not your entire life, what were some of your other favorite memories from your time in the capital?
Talking of the competition, I remember how ecstatic I was on the day of winning the Hot Chili Pepper Eating Competition, and then how much I regretted it the few days following. Those washroom visits were a trip into the fires of hell.

Apart from that, a few other moments that stick out are:

• When I stepped on a bodybuilding stage for the first time in 2016 and was really excited at having managed it that far.
• The couple of trips I had with friends hiking around the village of Cuandixia and the number of times we almost got lost in the woods.
• Nali Patio and the brunches and nights out, watching the sunrise over Migas.
• Visiting Yashow, when it used to be the spot to get your latest Nikes back in the day.
• Tribe at Hong Jie, where I use to pop by every day for lunch.
• How the people of Beijing were warm and welcoming when I first set foot in the capital, and how they accepted me with open hearts.

Recently you’ve been more and more involved in raising money for various Chinese-based charities. How did you select which charities to give to and what inspired you to do so?
The main charity I support is Our Learning House (OLH), a school for handicapped orphan kids in Shunyi. I have been working with them since March 2019 and have visited their center many times, in addition to arranging different fundraisers for them. They are reliable and good people, who ensure that the proceeds are directed towards giving the children a better life. 

Regarding OLH and my support for them, society sometimes views disabled children as not being able to perform the same actions as normal kids, or achieve the same goals. However, I wanted to do something from my side to give the kids a chance; I wanted the kids to get an equal playing ground, the access to the same education other kids have, and to make sure they had the tools they needed to succeed. And this was why I began supporting OLH.

You’ve decided to enroll in a business course in Spain’s illustrious IESE Business School. What do you hope to achieve during your time there? What would you love to be doing in 10 years' time?
I believe in continuous growth, as I demonstrated in the past. When I joined BActive in 2016, it was as a personal trainer. I got promoted to Branch Manager in 2017 and moved up to Area Manager in 2018. After I reached the position of Director in 2019, I realized I had to expand my knowledge and build my connections, not just in China, but worldwide. That is how the MBA came to be, and that is what I want to achieve during my time there.

I would like to establish a corporation catering to corporate wellness as my medium-term goal. We have a lot of fitness facilities popping up all over Asia for the individual, but the employee benefits market still has ample room for development. I would want to be leading a company standardizing corporate wellness across Asia – big goals! If you have a similar vision, find me!

What will happen to BActive without you here? Will the gyms continue as usual?
BActive is where my fitness journey started, and it will always be dear to my heart. The gyms will still continue as normal, and as of now, my plan is to retain my holdings in the Sanlitun branch. So you might run into me there in the future!

Any last words for Beijing?
Laugh and lift, eat hotpot, and stay swole! I will be there for my Beijinger friends, and my door will always remain open!

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Images courtesy of Ankit Nayal, Uni You