Entrepreneur and Fitness Influencer, Ruba Ali, has over 1.8 million Instagram followers, abs of steel and a unique training philosophy. We sat down to ask her some questions about how it all started and where it’s going 
Read our interview and find out more about the Women’s Best athlete!
Name: Ruba Ali
Location: Miami, USA
Height: 167 cm
Instagram: @realrubaali
Can you share more about yourself and what you are doing?
My name is Ruba Ali, I’m a Middle Eastern Health Coach, Public Figure, Entrepreneur and Athlete. I’m passionate about helping others improve the quality of their life, whether that’s through mindset talks, workout programs, events or simply sharing knowledge and words of encouragement. The power of influence through inspiring, uplifting and motivating others to make a change is the true win for me. Just reading a message from someone expressing their gratitude for how I’ve inspired them to look after their physical and mental health needs, drives me to become better.
With that said, my goal is to change the way most women view health and fitness. It’s not just about the pounds off the scale or the dress that fits, the root and most importantly the reason WHY fitness should be a tool in every woman’s life is to improve her mental, emotional and physical wellbeing. Working on herself from within to create real long-lasting changes that will then carry on to generations to come. I’m continuously educating myself in the health and wellness industry through traveling, researching and using personal experiences from real women to create a solution that actually works.
When did your journey start? Was there a certain event or situation after which you found your passion for fitness and decided this was your career path?
I started my journey in my early teenage years. I remember wanting to play sports my freshman year in high school, but two factors came in the way. Firstly, having a job and secondly not qualifying for the team. These limitations pushed me to find an alternative, and that’s when I made the decision to start going to the gym. I needed something at that time to build my confidence, strength and work ethic. I remember, I always looked forward to my workouts, it was the only “Me” time I had to cope with my emotions. It truly became an outlet for me, a place where I can manage my feelings while improving my strength, confidence and mindset.
Fitness was the first tool that allowed me to develop the characteristics such as discipline, persistence and patience, that helped me in other aspects in my personal life and career. From that moment, I knew fitness would always be a part of my life. I then wanted to learn more about health and fitness so I enrolled in my first CPT course and became a NASM Certified Personal Trainer my senior year of high school. Something about seeing the women gain confidence, a new mindset and stronger body filled my heart in unimaginable ways. I knew being a health coach, a friend and an educator is what I wanted to devote my life to.
What inspires you? What drives you?
What inspires me is achieving fulfilment through serving others. When I hear women sharing their stories with me on how they have become happier, healthier and stronger through my words of encouragement, training programs and positive-energy community – it fuels my ambition to continuously put in the work to learn more, so I am capable of doing more to help as many women as I possibly can.
Tell us more about your training philosophy and area of specialization?
My training philosophy is simple, keep it functional, fun and challenging. The human body was designed to adapt to stress, so making sure that we are progressively increasing the intensity while following proper training protocols helps keep our progress moving. I believe that training is not “a one method fits all”, in fact there is no such thing as the “right” training method – we all have different goals and genetic makeup. This is where trial and error comes into play, only the individual who goes through the process will eventually discover what works best for their own body.
The area of my specialization is a combination of training methods such as, stabilization endurance, functional strength training, hypertrophy training and power training. The goal with any training program is to make sure it is well-balanced, versatile and looks after every component to keep the body strong from the inside out.
Also, you have online training programs, tell us about this?
I offer online workout programs on my website RubaAli.com. There are programs such as my Home-Base Guide that is designed for beginners who need to improve their balance, coordination and strength so they are ready to progress to strength and power training.
As a personal trainer and coach, what are you aiming to achieve with your community?
My goal is to teach our community that focusing on the inner work is just as important as focusing on the outer work – this means focusing on improving our mindset, identifying small habits we can change on a day-to-day basis and devoting more time for self-awareness. My goal is to provide tools and practices that can actually help women sharpen their mindset so they have a greater sense of self-consciousness to make better decisions in all aspects of their life. Health and fitness aren’t limited to the gym, the goal is to better ourselves overall, and that starts with identifying what thoughts and habits we can improve to create new change.
Your online presence is 1.8 million followers strong on Instagram, 160 k Facebook followers, and 28.7 k subscribers on YouTube. With that kind of reach you influence so many different kinds of people. What is one message or one goal that you wish everyone can take away?
What message I’d like to share is, to trust your path, even when it gets shaky. And what I mean by that is being grateful for what you have while working towards what you want. Being grateful when things go well and especially when things don’t go so well. Not comparing yourself to others and trusting that with your effort and patience, your time will come. To learn to enjoy the process, rather than rushing to the destination. And lastly, making sure that you seek to go after something you truly love and are passionate about – because anything is possible, but it will require your time, effort, devotion and commitment.
Has there ever been a time where you doubted yourself or felt like you couldn’t keep up with the pressure of social media and the ideal image?
Of course there were times in my life I’ve doubted myself, however, when it comes to social media, I choose to be selective with what information I take in. When something is trending, I reflect and identify what my core values are as a person. I don’t place myself under the social media pressure/ ideal image, because it does not exist for me. Everyone is their own person, we are all different in our own ways – it’s what makes each person unique. My focus was on improving myself mentally, physically and emotionally– and so how another person looks or chooses to live their life isn’t any of my concern.
What kind of advice can you offer to those who are maybe struggling with motivation?
A piece of advice for those struggling with motivation is firstly to understand that it comes and goes. During moments when you’re lacking motivation it’s important to understand WHY your goal is important to you. I’m a firm believer that your core values and beliefs can drive you to take action in pursuit of your goal – but in order for that to happen, you must understand WHY your goal is important to you in the first place. Only then can you tie an emotional connection to your goal and use that feeling to drive you in moments when you’re lacking motivation.
Do you follow a specific diet?
No, I don’t believe in diets – fueling the body to repair, recover and grow requires all macronutrients, fats, proteins and carbohydrates. By consuming every macronutrient without restrictions, we prevent undereating or even worse, binge eating. The 80/20 rule is a place to start where you shape 80% of your meals with whole natural unprocessed foods, while the other 20% is left for treats. This method helps you make wiser decisions and with time you’ll naturally opt for healthier options so that your body can actually benefit from the food you are consuming on a daily basis.
Fun question: what’s your favorite super-set combo?
Narrow Barbell Squats with Deficit Reverse Lunges !!!
What supplements do you use? And what is your favorite Women’s Best product?
The supplements I use are Vegan Protein, BCAA Aminos, Creatine, Omega Fish Oils and L-Glutamine. My favorite Women’s Best Product is the Chocolate Vegan Protein 
Lastly, you decided to collab with Women’s Best. Why did you choose to be part of the community?
I chose to work with Women’s Best because their brand mission is aligned with my business core values and beliefs. Helping women improve their health and fitness, whether that’s through the help of supplements, online inspirations, workout program or a supportive community.
