Illias (The Fit Sapiens): Doctor, Fitness Coach, and Content Creator with 100,000 Followers
Illias is 28. He's Moroccan-Spanish, holds a general medicine degree from Romania, he's registered with the German Medical Association... and for the past year and a half, he's been an online fitness coach based in Germany. His Instagram account "Fit Sapiens" hit 100,000 followers in three years by posting one infographic a day about weight loss, nutrition, and exercise. He started with 800 followers, 30 likes per post, and zero coaching certifications. He completed the Bayesian certification during medical school, while learning German on the side, during lockdown. The guy doesn't do things halfway.
What makes Illias's story so compelling is the discipline behind it all. One post a day, no exceptions, since November 2021. A database of saved content so he never runs dry on ideas. A recycling system where 25% of his posts are reformatted versions of stuff he's already published. And a clear belief: it's not follower count that brings clients, it's content that speaks directly to people who are ready to buy.
Illias is also a rare case of a coach who shelved a potentially lucrative medical career to go all in on fitness coaching. Because that's where he can teach people what no doctor really explains: that most chronic diseases can be prevented with proper nutrition and regular physical activity.
What You'll Learn in This Episode
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Post once a day, no exceptions, and stop judging yourself
Illias has been putting out one infographic a day since November 2021. Not twice a week, not "when inspiration strikes"... every single day. The early posts were terrible. He says it himself: "When I look at my old posts, I can't even watch them. But to get to quality, you've got to go through quantity first." The growth curve's invisible at the start, then it goes exponential. His 100,000 followers came largely from 6 or 7 posts. There's no way to know which ones will hit in advance... so he just keeps posting every day until something breaks through.
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Recycling 25% of your content is a strategy, not laziness
Illias recommends that 25% of your posts be recycled from older content. And his logic's bulletproof: when you publish, maybe 60% of your audience sees it at best. And among those who do see it, plenty forget. If you had 70,000 followers when you first posted something and you've got 100,000 now, that's 30,000 people who've never seen it. So recycling's really just making sure your best content reaches the most people possible.
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A dedicated Instagram account for industry research, separate from personal
Illias runs two Instagram accounts. A personal one he barely touches anymore. And a professional one that only follows fitness, nutrition, and food accounts for constant industry monitoring. He watches what's working, breaks down why, and draws inspiration without copying. "The message is always the same... the messenger is different." So if you're just starting out and hunting for ideas: stop staring at a blank page, start watching what others are doing, and layer your own perspective on top.
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The Bayesian certification as the foundation for serious coaching
It was in his 5th year of medical school that Illias enrolled in cohort 6 of the Bayesian Bodybuilding certification. German in the morning, certification in the afternoon, then he'd publish an infographic about what he'd just learned that same evening. The program's available in multiple languages. He thought about doing it in German to accelerate his language skills... he ended up going with French. Nine months later, he was certified. And that's when he started officially taking on clients.
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ChatGPT for descriptions and hashtags, but with a critical eye
Illias had discovered ChatGPT just two weeks before recording this episode and was already "disillusioned," as he puts it. He uses it to draft Instagram descriptions, generate relevant hashtag lists, and rewrite old descriptions. His rule: AI does 60% of the work, you handle the other 40%. It gives you a starting point, then you verify the data (which is cut off at 2021), adjust the tone, and add your own take. "It's a great content creation assistant. But don't just copy and paste."
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Diversify formats to reach different audiences
Illias started with infographics only, his core format, quick to make, message understood in 3 seconds. But he realized he needed to branch out: Reels for visibility, lives to test his ability to think on his feet, podcasts for long-form depth. He challenged himself to 30 Reels in 30 days to learn the format. Then 23 lives in 23 days to get comfortable going live. His verdict: live isn't for him. He's gravitating toward podcasts instead, because that's what he actually consumes himself.
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A ManyChat-based acquisition system to filter prospects
Illias built a precise system. He puts out a post with a call to action in the comments ("write COACHING in the comments"), ManyChat automatically sends an application form to everyone who comments, then he reviews the responses and only reaches out to profiles who filled out the form seriously. "That already filters out a ton of people." Once a profile checks out, it's a 20-30 minute call to dig into their situation, and if it's a good match, a payment link. He charges 750 euros for 3 months of coaching (250 euros a month), with a money-back guarantee if results aren't there at 12 weeks.
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Medicine as a credibility lever, not a coaching replacement
Illias isn't currently practicing medicine, and that's a deliberate choice. He wrapped up all his administrative paperwork in Germany to keep the door open, then went all in on fitness coaching. But his medical background is a genuine edge: he understands the conditions that exercise and nutrition can prevent, he talks about physiological mechanisms with precision, and his clients know they're working with someone who measures every word. That's what lets him offer a credible weight loss service that goes way beyond typical gym talk.
Resources Mentioned
- Bayesian Bodybuilding Certification, 9-month coaching certification completed by Illias, cohort 6, available in multiple languages including French
- Nassim Saidi, trainer mentioned among resources followed before the Bayesian certification
- Antoine Fondbonne, trainer referenced in the French fitness scene
- ChatGPT for Instagram descriptions, hashtags, and content recycling
- Photoshop as his primary infographic tool (self-taught via YouTube tutorials)
- Notion for his content ideas database, especially for Reels
- Meta Creator Studio for scheduling Instagram posts
- Scribens as a spell checker used before every publication
- ManyChat for automating comment replies, filtering prospects, and starting the onboarding flow
- Instagram, 100,000+ followers on @fitsapiens
"To get to quality, you've got to go through quantity. Your first post will be terrible. Your 500th will be great. But to reach the 500th, you've got to get through the first. So start and stop judging yourself."
"The message is always the same, it's the messenger that's different. Even if you think you built something from scratch, someone's already done the same thing. Get inspired, add your perspective, and make it your own."
"I've got friends with 50,000, 150,000 Instagram followers who don't sell a thing. They do lifestyle content, influencer stuff, and that's cool. But me, before I even had 1,000 followers, I was selling coaching. If you do it right, you can make a living from online coaching with very few followers."
