Sara Saffari used weightlifting to overcome mental health and body image challenges.
Iranian-American fitness influencer Sara Saffari has made a name for herself in the fitness world through unwavering dedication and a relentless drive for self-improvement. Once an underweight child who struggled with body image and self-confidence, Saffari has transformed into a global inspiration, collaborating with renowned figures like Bradley Martyn. Her journey, however, wasn’t without hardship. During her childhood, she battled depression and body image issues, often hiding her frame behind oversized clothing to mask her insecurities.
So, how did Sara Saffari rise from those struggles to become a trailblazer in health and fitness? The answer lies in two defining traits: relatability and authenticity. Explore Sara Saffari’s incredible journey, discover her workout routines, and learn about her diet below.
Sara Saffari’s Height, Age, & Bio
| Full Name: Sara Saffari | ||
| Weight | Height | Date of Birth |
| 132 lbs (60 kg) | 5’5” (165 cm) | 2/27/2001 |
| Profession | Era | Nationality |
| Fitness Influencer/Fitness Trainer | 2020-Till Date | Iranian-American |
Sara Saffari hails from eastern Kentucky but is of Iranian heritage. Although her parents are native Iranians, she was born in the USA. Saffari had it rough as a little kid because her father died at a young age, and her mother raised her alongside her brother. She, however, often acknowledges the critical contributions her mother and brother played towards making her who she is.
As a young girl, Saffari was athletic and had a love for various sports like basketball, track and field, a passion she carried to her high school. However, during her teenage years, Saffari suffered from depression, anxiety, and a severe eating disorder. Her eating disorder was so critical that she almost hit an all-time low of 100 pounds. It made her look and feel sickly; she would even wear baggy clothes just because she didn’t feel confident about her body.
“I was really skinny. I weighed like 100 pounds and I wasn’t eating, so I wanted to put on weight and I wanted it to not just be fat.”
— Sara Saffari
Before Fame
Before her popularity, Saffari worked in restaurants and retail stores. She also studied and earned her MBA from California Lutheran University. During this period, she also decided to leverage social media opportunities and focus on growing her brand.
In the second quarter of 2021, Saffari focused on the gym and saw it as a solution to her personal challenges. It seemed like the best decision for her, as her regular gym visits and workouts were reflected in her physical transformation.
She documented her changes in her physique and was passionate about sharing her results with the rest of the world. Saffari eventually decided to tailor her content to fitness and various health practices, including nutrition. This brought her more views and feedback, appreciating her for her engaging workout videos.
Fitness Influencer
As of today, Saffari has a record number of followers on her various platforms, which include over 3 million followers on Instagram, 2.4 million subscribers on YouTube, and over 2 million followers on TikTok. She has also worked with different brands like Gymshark, GymWeed, and RAW.
Saffari has occasionally collaborated with others like Faith Ordway and co-hosts the podcast Mommy and Daddy Talk with fellow fitness influencer Bradley Martyn. In it, they discuss real-life and entrepreneurship issues in the industry. The goal for Saffari is always to promote fitness and health.
Sara Saffari’s Workout Routine
Sara Saffari’s workout routines are well-structured and focus on hitting all her muscle groups in the week. Sara Saffari’s workouts are a combination of different accessory and core exercises, used to optimize both muscle and strength growth.
Push Day
Push day for Sara Saffari is all about working the upper body muscles. She focuses on improving her shoulder strength and working the triceps and chest muscles through horizontal pressing routines. This study shows that horizontal pressing is one of the best methods of building your upper body muscles (1).
Saffari considers warm-ups very important and does some resistance band shoulder mobility routines before her major exercises. This is because they help get the blood flowing and warm up the muscles (2).
| Exercises | Sets | Reps |
| Machine Chest Flyes | 3 | 10 |
| Incline Dumbbell Presses | 3 | 6 |
| Dumbbell Arnold Presses | 3 | 8-10 |
| Cable Triceps Pushdowns | 3 | 12-15 |
| Push-Ups | 3 | 15 |
Pull Day
Saffari’s pull day is all about working on the biceps, shoulders (posterior delts), and back.
| Exercises | Sets | Reps |
| Wide Grip Pullups | 3 | 8-10 |
| Barbell Bent Over Rows | 3 | 8-10 |
| Dumbbell Rear Delt Flyes | 3 | 8-10 |
| Seated Machine High Rows | 3 | 10 |
| Mag Grip Lat Pulldowns | 3 | 8-10 |
| Incline Dumbbell Curls | 3 | 8-10 |
| Hammer Curls | 3 | 10 |
| Machine Preacher Curls | 3 | 10-12 |
Leg Day
During leg day, Saffari focuses on her lower body muscles, which include the hamstrings, quads, glutes, and calves.
| Exercises | Sets | Reps |
| Leg Extensions | 3 | 10-12 |
| Lying Hamstring Curls | 3 | 10-12 |
| Romanian Deadlifts | 3 | 8 |
| Hack Squats | 3 | 15-20 |
| Superset — Back Squats & Barbell Walking Lunges | 2 | 8-10 |
| 10-12 | ||
| Seated Calf Raises | 2 | 15-20 |
After she concludes her workouts, she takes a post-workout protein shake, which is made with either plant-based or whey protein. This is then mixed with almond milk or water. Here is a study that shows taking post-workout drinks can help with optimizing muscle recovery after intense workouts (3).
Diet
Sara Saffari believes in maintaining a balanced intake of all her macronutrients. It is a healthy combination of protein, carbs, and healthy fats. Her diet, together with adequate training, is what she attributes to her perfectly well-toned and muscular physique. Here is what Saffari’s diet looks like on a typical day.
Breakfast
The first meal of the day for Saffari is a protein shake with the perfect blend of whey protein, almond butter, banana, almond milk, and spinach. Another alternative for her is Greek yogurt with sprinkles of granola and mixed berries. Later in the day, she can have some walnuts, almonds, or pumpkin seeds. These also serve as healthy sources of fiber, protein, carbs, and fats.
Lunch
For lunch, Saffari has a grilled chicken salad. This contains a mix of grilled chicken breasts, tomatoes, avocado, cucumber, and a vinaigrette dressing. Her alternative is usually quinoa salad containing black beans, cilantro, lime, corn, and pepper. Then, for a snack later, she takes hummus, carrots, and cucumber sticks. Her alternative snack is usually apples or pears and a handful of nuts.
Dinner
Finally, Saffari’s dinner is baked salmon fillet with potatoes and roasted Brussels sprouts. Her alternative is stir-fry tofu with snap peas, bell pepper, broccoli, and brown rice.
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References
- Chaves, S. F. N., Rocha-JÚnior, V. A., EncarnaÇÃo, I. G. A., Martins-Costa, H. C., Freitas, E. D. S., Coelho, D. B., Franco, F. S. C., Loenneke, J. P., Bottaro, M., & Ferreira-JÚnior, J. B. (2020). Effects of Horizontal and Incline Bench Press on Neuromuscular Adaptations in Untrained Young Men. International journal of exercise science, 13(6), 859–872. https://doi.org/10.70252/FDNB1158
- Fradkin, A. J., Zazryn, T. R., & Smoliga, J. M. (2010). Effects of warming-up on physical performance: a systematic review with meta-analysis. Journal of strength and conditioning research, 24(1), 140–148. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0b013e3181c643a0
- Pritchett, K., & Pritchett, R. (2012). Chocolate milk: a post-exercise recovery beverage for endurance sports. Medicine and sport science, 59, 127–134. https://doi.org/10.1159/000341954
