Fitness can be way too serious,’ says Oyinda Okunowo, the 28-year-old PT and fitness content creator, best known from your social feeds as Oyinda Fitness.
‘When you scroll online you’re constantly bombarded with content telling you all the things you should and shouldn’t do – drink more water, lift heavier, don’t eat after 8pm. It’s exhausting. But if people come across my videos and it makes them laugh, it can make things feel that bit less intense. It helps people feel seen, rather than judged.’
It’s exactly this attitude that has sent Oyinda’s popularity skyrocketing since she began posting videos of herself training during lockdown. After investing in a £15 tripod from Amazon, she decided to document her fitness journey in the hope that it might inspire someone else’s.
But it was only once the world reopened and one of her followers approached her at the gym where she worked that she realised she was ready to make content creation her full-time role. ‘I just had to bet on myself a little bit,’ she says.
That bet paid off. Five years on, more than a million tune in to her Instagram and TikTok content for her unique brand of relatable fitness content. ‘I wanted people to see me as one of their mates, rather than an online personality,’ she shares. ‘But also to build a community where people feel part of something. I’m not here to sell you loads of stuff on Instagram.’
This approachability is key, she says, pointing to the value in finding creators to follow with a story and aesthetic that matches your own. ‘I’ve got a body type where I’ve never been skinny, and never will be – that’s just the way I am. My advice is to follow people who are a similar body shape and size, otherwise you’re chasing results that are never going to be possible for you genetically.’
Of course, finding relatable inspiration within the world of fitness isn’t always easy. ‘One of the reasons I started posting a lot in lockdown was that I couldn’t see any Black, British influencers or athletes popping up on my feed,’ says Oyinda. ‘If I did, they were always American. I just thought, “How cool would it be if I could be one of those girls?” If people could see me and think, “Oyinda does fitness, she’s Black, or she’s African-Nigerian like me,” and that motivates them. I want to be representing them.’
Today, Oyinda isn’t just representing women like her; she’s also educating them on the role genetics can play when it comes to achieving your fitness goals. ‘Yes, a deadlift is a deadlift no matter who performs it, but when it comes to genetics, culture and background, there are things people don’t take into consideration,’ she explains. Among the messages that land in her inbox are pleas for advice on everything from how to care for hair during exercise to the workout gear colours that will best suit black skin.
Beyond advice, many of her followers arrive at her digital front door with a specific goal in mind; the same goal Oyinda started her own fitness journey to achieve. Body recomposition is the term used for building muscle and dropping body fat at the same time. And having transformed her own body, Oyinda’s now known for being something of a recomposition master.
‘You can’t change a habit that you’ve had for years in a matter of weeks’
With that in mind, we asked Oyinda to create a four-week plan for Women’s Health COLLECTIVE members. Comprised of four workouts to be cycled across each week, with weekly progressions, it’s designed to help anyone looking to kick-start their own body recomposition journey. But that doesn’t mean you can expect instant results. ‘You can’t change a habit that you’ve had for years in a matter of weeks,’ she shares, of why body recomposition takes time.
How long exactly depends on everything from your nutrition to your underlying health, which is why your habits outside the gym are every bit as important. ‘Good nutrition is essential to body recomposition,’ says Oyinda, who’s brutally honest about needing to plan her own meals with military precision. ‘You need to know exactly what you’re eating if you want to be in a calorie deficit [burning more calories than you consume].’
And fitness and nutrition are only part of the puzzle. ‘It’s not just about food – hydration is also important, as is getting the right amount of sleep and managing stress,’ she notes, adding that the goal isn’t to overwhelm you, but to create a routine that makes your workouts feel sustainable. Unsurprising advice from someone whose signature catchphrase is ‘Never miss a Monday.’
Ready to make that happen? Try Oyinda’s plan today:
In this 4-week plan – created exclusively for Women’s Health COLLECTIVE members – you’ll get the workouts and nutrition guidance needed to help you on your way to better body composition. Tap the link below to unlock 14 days of free access to Oyinda’s plan and start training today.
Georgie Lane-Godfrey (she/her) is Features Director at Women’s Health UK, where she focuses on bringing you longer reads that explore the intersection between wellness and women’s lifestyle. With 15 years of experience, Georgie has been published in titles such as Stylist, Glamour, Evening Standard and Marie Claire. Passionate about women’s health and wellness, she’s also a Level 3 qualified PT.
Find her on Instagram @Georgie Lane-Godfrey