Today, Hemant Kumar has built his brand as a fitness coach and amassed 105k followers on Instagram (@hemant_hkthenics). However, he got the inspiration to start only in the first year of college, back in 2007. Fitness was a personal quest for Hemant who struggled with bronchitis and, as a result, was physically weak and fell sick often as a child. He started with the goal of getting bulky and regularly went to the gym. After three years of bodybuilding, Hemant knew that he wanted to grow strong and therefore pursued calisthenics.
After researching about calisthenics and learning the basics for two years, Hemant learned that it was important for the body to have mobility, agility and flexibility rather than just muscles. After mastering the basics, he moved on to learning other forms of bodyweight training such as gymnastics, animal flow, etc. Once he knew he had the basics mastered, he started his Instagram page in 2016 to spread his knowledge and share his progress.
Hemant believes that having a coach is not necessary. However, it is important to remain dedicated and have a plan. His Instagram page is dedicated to helping people get into the lifestyle which will eventually take them towards fitness. Discipline, dedication and passion are the three things Hemant believes will take anyone through the tough process of changing lifestyles and getting fit.Hemant grew up in Delhi and was a very shy and meek child. He liked sports as many of his family members indulged in sports but due to his health could not play regularly. His bronchitis was triggered by seasonal changes and he had to use a nebulizer and take rest to get better. Today, his condition has improved greatly due to his health improving and his fitness levels rising.Talking about his family, Hemant says that they were not very supportive of his decision to pursue fitness seriously. However, once they witnessed his progress, they offered their support and continued to do so. He still works as a banker, with flexible timings. This has allowed him to continue his passion unrestrained but he is planning to quit soon and switch careers. He believes in putting his heart and soul into whatever work he is doing. As he is losing focus from his banking job, he feels it will be best if he focuses purely on his passion, which is fitness.
Hemant’s page focuses on telling people that they should always do what they love and take time out to follow their passion. However, he does not believe that people should restrict their fitness practices to any one workout. He has recently started gymnastics and feels that his prior knowledge and mastery of calisthenics eased his journey into gymnastics. Hemant has gained a following and traction on Instagram because people love his content. He has been choosy with collaborations and only collaborates with a single brand at a time. He tries and uses the products before recommending them to his followers. For this reason, he is one of the most trusted fitness gurus on Instagram.
His advice to any budding influencer is to gain an area of specialization. Every influencer needs a USP for success. Hemant believes that having complete hold over their knowledge and area of expertise is essential for becoming an influencer.
