A chance encounter at a Miami gym led to celebrity fitness trainer and influencer george banfo jr. He is on a path beyond his wildest dreams. During the pandemic, his Instagram following has grown from just over 20,000 to nearly 1.9 million just by sharing unconventional videos of his intense routines and high-impact workouts.
But Banfo's fitness journey began in seventh grade, when he started doing sit-ups and push-ups for sports. He grew up in high school and college, and after graduating from the University of Houston, he got a job in an American company.
But fitness has always been “a constant in my life,” Banfo says. “That was my exit strategy.”
Atlanta Black Star interviewed Banfo about his journey to fitness and how a chance encounter with rapper Ludacris boosted his career and social media influence.
During a trip to Miami in 2019, I happened to run into rapper Ludacris at a hotel gym on a Saturday.
“So I went in there, and normally I'm doing my thing, and as soon as I walked in, I saw Ludacris on the treadmill. But in a time when masks weren't widespread, , he was wearing a disguise. I thought maybe he didn't want to be bothered. So I left him alone.”
Banfo returned to working out and creating content, while Ludacris eventually quit the gym and returned shortly thereafter.
“When he came back 10 minutes later, I [in] Full content mode. I'm sweating. It's intense. So he finally came over and said, “What's going on here? ” What do you mean? '' said Banfo.
He then shared with Luda his goal of becoming a fitness influencer and building his own personal brand.
“The first words out of his mouth were, 'I respect young people who are trying to make something of themselves.'Obviously, he gave me a push,” Banfo said. Told. “It’s like Luda affirmed me…I’m on a cloud.”
The chance encounter ended with him asking Luda to take a photo. Two weeks later, he will follow up on his IG. He DMed me. ”
Luda, 32, said she needed a training plan to get her abs in shape ahead of a pre-planned beach vacation with Kevin Hart and his two artist wives. They corresponded on IG for almost six months until the “Chicken and Beer” rapper flew Banfo to Atlanta for in-person training.
After returning to Houston, the accomplished trainer said he was asked to permanently relocate to Atlanta to become Luda's full-time fitness trainer.
“A simple meeting at a gym in Miami turned into me becoming his personal trainer, something I could never have set up and never dreamed of being in that situation. I couldn’t even look.”
Cooperation with Luda has provided Bamfo with many new opportunities and experiences. He traveled on private jets to different countries and even attended the set of the movie “Fast and Furious”. The pair was also featured in Men's Health magazine in 2021.
The actor loves cardio and working out his chest and upper body, he said, and he hates leg workouts. Banfo said that among his other celebrity clients, the most extreme training he does is with Luda, who he has been training with for four years now.
Through Luda, he was able to meet and train with his Fast & Furious co-star and singer Tyrese. Bunfo says Tyreese just wanted to ride the Stairmaster. He also had the opportunity to train with B. Simone, Larenz Tate, and Usher, a longtime collaborator and friend of Ruda.
“They're different. Luda is more sociable,” he said. “Usher was a little more reserved.”
“But the funny thing is, the whole time he kept dancing and hitting the notes,” Banfo said with a laugh about the session with “YEAH!” singer. “That was interesting, but I mean, this is what I thought Usher was like.”
He went on to boast about Usher's boxing skills and shared that Tyrese's training sessions were interesting because they weren't as intense.
Banfo's typical diet consists of “a lot of protein,” vegetables, carbohydrates, smoothies, and a morning fast. His day consists of daily gym sessions with clients, creating meal plans, and sharing content with his audience on social media. “This is not an easy task, so I applaud content creators around the world for doing this,” he said.
Following his success, Banfo signed him to branding deals with companies such as C4 Energy Drink. He hopes to continue building his following and brand to help others achieve their fitness goals by opening his own training facility where he hosts classes and bootcamps.
“We need a centralized location where they can come and obviously get good training,” he said. “And also, just being in your position, you can impact people differently.”