More somali guys need to hit the gym

[Espaa_]

Rn im on my second lunch guys yolo tbh being fit = depression

 

[Kisame]

If we train and nurture more sprinters, then yes . I believe Somalis can absolutely compete, and even dominate, in explosive sports. We already have a living example: a Somali sprinter raised in the UK who consistently outperformed Jamaicans and other African athletes at multiple competitions.
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Somali runner Mustafa Mahamuud 🇸🇴🇳🇱 is the 2022 Dutch National Champ

Those East African genes of being tall and having long legs and a light frame really did help him You know how Kenyans and Ethiopians are known for long distance runners, Somalia could also win big at tournaments like this had we have the right equipment and facilities to train our people...

www.somalispot.com

He was on track for the World Championships before an injury set him back in 2022–2023. That alone proves there's raw potential. With the right environment, coaching, and support system, there's no reason Somalis can’t compete at the highest levels. We shouldn't box ourselves in based on assumptions or averages. Talent needs opportunity , that's the real bottleneck.

This is the mindset I will continue to push in Somali men and women that they must reject self-limiting beliefs and realize the full extent of their potential, in whatever it may be.

@Idilinaa everything your saying makes sense but some niggas don't care because they truly believe somalis can't compete with Madows.


That Somali sprinter Mustafa Mohammed is the only professional example we currently got of a Somali man that has tried to compete in sprints. He's one of the only few somalis raised in the west that actually got the opportunity to train in an explosive way.

i knew another irl. My cousin. He played American football for like 2-3 seasons in high school as a defensive back. I literally witnessed this dude become explosive and fast during this time period. American football training entirely consists of strength training, football,and speed drills. Bro became strong AF and fast AF. I literally witnessed this nigga dunking at 5'9. Bro made me want to play football and I literally begged my parents to let me compete for years but they always said no.

I never believed Somali genetics withheld us from accomplishing certain things. Mainly because I know many Somali man that never had the chance to compete in anything. Our parents held us back because they gave no fucks.

I literally know o multiple 6'4+ Somali man that never got the chance to compete in any major sports. We could have had Farahs playing in the NFL or NBA by now but sadly most of them got screwed over by their parents.

 

[Barkhadle1520]

You often see Somalis with certain physical traits frailty, thinness, obesity or low muscle mass because many are not in optimal health. Nutrient deficiencies are surprisingly common, especially in iron, vitamin A, and vitamin D. These deficiencies largely stem from diet and lifestyle rather than genetics.

For example, overconsumption of milk (which inhibits iron absorption) without enough red meat can lead to iron deficiency. Low vitamin D is often due to limited sun exposure and indoor urban living, while vitamin A is typically lacking in diets with few vegetables or animal fats.


Looking through historical accounts, Somali fishermen were consistently described as robust, muscular, and energetic followed by agro-pastoralists. At the bottom were urban dwellers, often viewed as frail or undernourished or overweight at times. These town populations consumed high amounts of oil, rice, and milk, with little meat and minimal physical activity, sound familiar?

This traditional reer magaalo (urban dweller) lifestyle has more or less continued today. Coffee has been replaced with khat, and physical activity has dropped even more. What’s important here is that many of the physical traits Somalis associate with "ethnic appearance" like being slim, frailty or obesity may actually be symptoms of chronic undernutrition or overconsumption of empty calories linked to lifestyle rather than anything inherent or genetic.

What really drives this point home is how dramatically people’s appearance changes when they shift to a higher-protein diet and engage in physical activity. Look at the transformation of that Somali guy who trained to become a sprinter or past examples like the African long jump champion of Somali background. These athletes prove Somalis can excel in explosive, strength-based sports not just endurance if the right conditions are in place.

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And contrary to popular belief, there’s no strong genetic evidence that East Africans are “naturally built” for endurance. Consider this peer-reviewed study:

Genotypes and distance running : clues from Africa - PubMed

A look at the medal podium in almost any international sporting competition reveals that some athletes and certain countries enjoy regular success in particular events. While environmental influences such as training and diet are important, it is likely that there is also some genetic component...

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

And a 2024 meta-analysis summed it up even more clearly:

Why the dominance of East Africans in distance running? A narrative review

Introduction Runners from East Africa including Kenya, Ethiopia and Uganda have dominated middle- and long-distance running events, for almost six decades. This narrative review examines and updates current understanding of the factors explaining the dominance of East Africans in distance...

www.degruyterbrill.com

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The real "advantage" is high-altitude training (2,000–3,000 m) that boosts oxygen efficiency, plus early aerobic training, strong community support, and a culture of athletic excellence.

Also worth noting: Somali runners Ayanleh Souleiman and Abdi Bile were middle-distance champions, not long-distance runners. Mo Farah, a long-distance legend, attributes much of his success to training in high-altitude Kenya, learning from the best Kenyan athletes in Iten home to many world-class runners.



Bottom line is this, instead of leaning on vague ideas of genetics, Somalis should focus on improving their nutrition, lifestyle, and access to athletic development. The potential is there, it just needs to be unlocked.

Somali nomadic diet is actually very bad on the long term, lacks fibers, vitamin c/e/k and carbohydrates, the nomadic diet fucked my guts up i hated it, i really dont understand how nomads get used to this diet

 

[Espaa_]

Somali nomadic diet is actually very bad on the long term, lacks fibers, vitamin c/e/k and carbohydrates, the nomadic diet fucked my guts up i hated it, i really dont understand how nomads get used to this diet

Makes a person look mad as well . Its unhealthy and lacks essential vitamins. Best thing is a balanced diet with everything inside but not too much

 

[Neptune]

Somali nomadic diet is actually very bad on the long term, lacks fibers, vitamin c/e/k and carbohydrates, the nomadic diet fucked my guts up i hated it, i really dont understand how nomads get used to this diet

Maybe your body isn't used to it or you weren't eating right. You realize nomads also had access to grains, legumes, and some fruits. Yes they had a lot of meat and milk, but that wasn't just it.

 

[Barkhadle1520]

Maybe your body isn't used to it or you weren't eating right. You realize nomads also had access to grains, legumes, and some fruits. Yes they had a lot of meat and milk, but that wasn't just it.

No they didnt, good luck farming while being a nomad, and dont pull out some minor cases claiming it was the norm for every nomad

 

[Idilinaa]

Somali nomadic diet is actually very bad on the long term, lacks fibers, vitamin c/e/k and carbohydrates, the nomadic diet fucked my guts up i hated it, i really dont understand how nomads get used to this diet

Somali pastoralists/herders didn’t just live on milk and meat. They also ate rice, sorghum, and other grains they’d trade butter, milk, hides, spices , gums or livestock with coastal or farming communities for those things. They also had fruits like dates and berries, especially during the rainy seasons.

That said, fiber isn’t all it’s hyped up to be. In some cases, too much fiber actually makes digestion worse and can cause constipation, not help it. It really depends on your gut.

It’s more likely your gut issues came from cow milk, which has a lot of lactose. A lot of people are lactose intolerant to some degree, especially with cow milk , that could’ve been what messed with your stomach, not necessarily the lack of fiber.

You’re missing my point for some reason. Mo Farah actually proves my point because he is not an explosive/strength based athlete. A malnourished Mo Farah was the long distance youth champion in his local area. I have already told you untrained Somali youths in the UK use to dominate cross country races in the UK. If Mo Farah did not have a natural and genetic disposition to endurance running then how is it possible he was the fastest longest distance runner in his school, county, etc? How were so many other Somali youths also wining long distance races in their school but they mostly happen to perform average in the sprint races? Mo Farah was not picked out randomly; he was naturally the fastest endurance runner out of thousands of youths. It is not a coincidence that he is a from a particular part of the world.

also, I doubt that Dutch guy was not naturally fast as a kid. It is literally impossible to not be an extremely fast kid and become a sprinter. There is only so much speed a person can gain with training to reach that level. Secondly, if it is about nutrition then why do white kids from the top English sporting schools always lose to black kids in the sprint races? These are some the richest people on earth with access to all kinds of nutrition yet a black kid from the inner ghetto trounces them with little training.

back to the nutrition part, you don’t need to have super nutrition to be able to run quickly at a young age. I have average-to above average pace. When I was a kid, I use to fall short of catching the fastest Jamaican kids in sprinting. However, when it came to long distance, I would get away from them within the first 500 metres and my stamina and endurance would make sure they never caught me. I had no training. The nutrition was poor at the same time I was one of the best endurance runners in my school/county. Most of my relatives back home would good be at good at long distance running if they came to the west at a young age. Most of them have decent speed, meaning they’re not slow, but they stand no chance against fast Jamaicans in a sprint.

I’ll keep it short since I don’t have much time to go back and forth on this.

Mo Farah actually isn’t that fast his real strength is in pacing and endurance, and he worked hard on that. I remember watching his documentary a while ago and he credits his high school coach for spotting his potential and really guiding him into distance running. If I’m remembering right, the coach even said he took an interest partly because Mo was East African.

As for the Dutch-Somali sprinter, he was being steered toward long distance like Mo but decided to try sprinting just to see how he’d do. He started young and ended up doing really well early on. As an under-17 he ran 11.36 in the 100m and 22.47 in the 200m , so the raw talent was there from early.

Both had something at a young age, but what really took them to the top was focused training, not just natural ability.

 

[Globglogabgalab]

Working out is difficult I have a hard time feeling like I can target the muscle due to form. Not sure how to rectify this