Joseph Oyatta is well known to most in the bodybuilding community in the region – but now, he has his sights set even further, after a massive win at the Arnold Sports Festival held recently in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Known to most as Pippen Jay, Oyatta emerged victorious in his category – Men’s Physique – and managed to not only score the highly coveted “Pro Card”, but also hit the stage once again for his first pro – show just 24 hours later in which he placed 4th!
Not bad for an athlete who had only really made his final decision on whether to compete, just over a week before!
Bodybuilding is an expensive, and time-consuming endeavor that requires the utmost discipline. So despite that last minute rush, he was definitely prepared. “There are really no days off in bodybuilding,” he says. “Even though you have your offseason when you bulk up, and gain a bit of fat as you build muscle, you are still training every day and watching your nutrition”.
And training can get intense. For the majority of athletes, they are spending time in the gym, as well as time working their regular jobs – whether it is personal training with clients, or a desk job. They have to make time for it!
Oyatta launched his own fitness brand “Beyond Physique” over the pandemic period – when the appetite for physical fitness had soared: “The majority of people were stuck at home, unable to go to gyms, unable to move around a lot because of the restrictions. I saw that as an opportunity to really tap into the area and provide a more holistic and personal service that I knew people were looking for”.
He finalized on his certifications, and increased the pool and type of clients that he worked with; ranging from young men looking to build on size, to women – both younger and older – who continue to gain even more interest in lifting and building strength!
Bodybuilding however remains his first love, and one that he approaches with passion, dedication and drive. His last competition was the Mr 001 championship in Mombasa, in which he placed 2nd – although his supporters would insist that he should have been placed higher.
Nonetheless, Oyatta prefers to look forward and pay no attention to the politics of the sport. His work should speak for itself. Bodybuilding is a sport that constantly calls for improvement and finetuning, and he is in it for the long haul.
Follow him on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pippenjay
