Friday 4 October 2013
When amateur boxer Zack ‘King’ Khan was forced to give up because of an injury, he decided to concentrate on his hobby of weightlifting.
The talented 33-year-old from Sheffield was soon asked to enter competitions, and at 29 he won the International Federation of Body Builders title, making him Britain's first Muslim professional bodybuilder.
Now Khan, who observes the laws of his Islam faith and who says he has never missed Friday prayers, makes a living travelling the world competing and performing.
He says the hardest challenge of combining his faith and his career comes during Ramadan, when he has to consume the 5,000 calories he needs each during the hours of darkness.
Khan, who weighs 310lbs when he's at fighting weigh, said: 'Adapting my profession for my religion is something which has just become second nature to me now.
'Every day I need to have 5,000 calories so I have at least eight meals a day, but this is difficult during Ramadan.
'In order to get round it I have a protein shake as soon as the window for food consumption opens to warm up my stomach.'
He then waits half an hour before eating through the night, taking intervals between each of the five meals he must consume to keep his strength up.
WAIST NEARLY AS BIG AS HIS THIGH: ZACK 'KING' KHAN'S VITAL STATISTICS
Zack 'King' Khan says: 'Bodybuilding is a normal job for me; I am my own product, and that is why it is so important for me to train hard.'Here are his vital statistics:
Off-season weight: 280lbs
Competition weight: 310lbs
Waist: 34"
Thigh: 32" (each)
Chest: 61"
Height: 6ft
Training regime: Hours in the gym every day
Diet: Five 1,000-calorie meals every day
