‘Gym rat in Gaza’: Meet the resilient bodybuilder training through the rubble of war

In a makeshift tent, stitched together using nylon sheets and pitched by the sea, Mohamed Hatem kneels on the sand to begin his daily push-ups. He has no gym, no home, no electricity and little to eat, but his discipline endures.

Amid war, displacement, destruction and famine in Gaza, Hatem is still training – not for aesthetics, but for strength, survival and maintaining his sanity.

The 19-year-old began his fitness journey in April 2024, just days after learning his family home had been destroyed in the Israeli bombardment of the enclave. He began filming and posting clips of his daily routine on Instagram as a way to "deliver our suffering and our struggles with the world, in a way you wouldn't expect to see", he told The National.

Hatem, who goes by the name "Gym Rat in Gaza" on social media, has amassed 355,000 followers who react to his fitness content with “love and support”, he said.

Among the wreckage and the rubble of Gaza, the Palestinian bodybuilder has posted videos of himself doing pull-ups on metal rods protruding from destroyed buildings, as well as push-ups using discarded water containers. He has documented his attempts at achieving a bench press personal record and learning new calisthenics skills such as the back lever. "With discipline, everything is possible," he said with a smile.

Apart from aiming to inspire people to work out, his fitness content has also helped to change the public perception of Palestinians in Gaza, he said. "When they see how dedicated I am to this, they know for a fact that Gazans are ambitious people who are not giving up what they love or want to pursue in life, despite the circumstances," he explained.

Hatem hopes his efforts have a lasting impact on people's lives beyond social media. He runs an online coaching business and creates personalised fitness plans for his clients, who are based in Switzerland, France, Germany, Spain and even Australia.

With no reliable internet service at the displacement camp where he lives, he also documents his daily treks to charge and connect his phone so he can send messages to clients and upload new videos.

"Whenever I get internet, I text everyone I'm coaching to check on them. Then I go back to my tent, review their answers and set their plans," he explained. "It's very challenging, but I still give it my best to help my clients make progress."

Hatem's own progress has been affected significantly by the dire situation in Gaza. Israel's blockade on the enclave has led to severe food shortages and starvation, with more than 190 people dying of hunger since the war began in October 2023.

Most food items are either too expensive or simply unavailable. "I haven't had chicken or meat in months," he told The National.

The little aid that enters the embattled enclave is either "stolen or stopped in the danger zone and people have to go and risk their lives to get it", he said. "Everyone I know has significantly lost weight, including myself."

More than 1,700 Palestinians have been killed while waiting to receive aid in Gaza – at least 850 of them near distribution sites run by the US and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, the enclave's Health Ministry said.

Without proper nutrition, Hatem said he had to reduce the volume, intensity and frequency of his training.

"I went from five days per week to three to none for a few weeks," he said. "I didn't have enough energy with the amount of food I ate, but I went back to exercising for my mental health. It's been a challenge, but I'm trying to not give up no matter how hard it gets".

His resilience has earned him praise from fitness enthusiasts all over the world, including one of his idols, Jeff Nippard. The prominent Canadian fitness influencer has reached out to Hatem to show his support.

"Talking to him and asking him questions was a dream come true. Truly unbelievable," Hatem said. "I followed him over two years ago, he always had the answers I needed for my fitness journey."

Beyond fitness, he dreams of an end to the war in Gaza and "for all this to be over". He hopes for a future where he will be able to follow his fitness dreams, build the physique he always wanted, grow his online coaching business and inspire millions to pursue a healthier lifestyle. Until then, he will keep pushing against the odds.

"I'm here to make people aware that, despite all of this going on, we're still ambitious and hard-working people," he said. "I'm still out here working out, making videos, coaching people and sharing the journey."