Dar es Salaam. Tanzanian bodybuilder Abraham Mwalukomo, popularly known as Cobra, is setting his sights on international competitions after winning the overall title at the Body Fuel Fitness Championship in Nairobi, Kenya.
The victory, which brought together more than 400 competitors from across the region, has strengthened his ambition to compete in Africa and Europe and raise Tanzania’s profile in bodybuilding.
Cobra, who has spent a decade in the sport, credits his time in Dubai with transforming his approach to training and helping him build the physique that has made him a regional champion.
In 2025, he spent a year in the United Arab Emirates city working as a personal trainer. Although the cost of living was high, the experience exposed him to training techniques and experienced professionals who helped him improve his workouts.
‘You can spend all your earnings on food because it is costly,’ he said, adding that he charged between 500 and 1,000 UAE dirhams (about Sh360,000 to Sh720,000) per trainee.
Working for up to 10 hours a day left him with little time for socialising. However, the experience proved valuable in his sporting career.
He said advice from experienced bodybuilders helped him identify weaknesses in his training and adopt more effective techniques.
‘It built me because there were many techniques I learnt that were different from the way I had been working out in Tanzania,’ he said.
His weight increased from 93 kilogrammes to 100 kilogrammes, a change he believes contributed to his improved performance.
Cobra had planned to compete at the Dubai Muscle Show in 2026 but returned to Tanzania after Champion Gym, where he works in Dar es Salaam, asked him to help oversee the opening of a new branch at Sky City Mall.
His return did not interrupt his competitive ambitions. In Nairobi, he emerged as the overall winner of the Body Fuel Fitness Championship, competing against athletes from across East Africa.
Preparing for such competitions requires months of disciplined training and careful attention to nutrition. Cobra said bodybuilders generally spend about three months preparing during the competition season, following a separate off-season training programme.
The financial demands remain a major challenge. He said he spent more than Sh5 million preparing for the Nairobi contest, covering the costs associated with getting his physique ready.
‘Most of the money I win goes back into bodybuilding,’ he said, noting that sponsorship opportunities for Tanzanian bodybuilders remain limited.
Unlike his experience in Dubai, where athletes can attract commercial partnerships, he said Tanzanian companies had yet to make sufficient use of bodybuilders as brand ambassadors.
Cobra, who also won the Mr East Africa title in 2024, wants more young Tanzanians to enter the sport. However, he acknowledges that the cost of food, supplements and training can discourage aspiring competitors.
‘There are many young people in Tanzania who want to do bodybuilding, but they do not know where to start. Preparing for competitions is expensive,’ he said.
Beyond competition, Cobra believes exercise can help people improve their health and reduce the risk of lifestyle-related conditions, including type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease. He also encourages people to pay attention to their diets, particularly in urban areas where convenient, energy-dense foods are common.
His next target is the Harare Classic in Zimbabwe, which he hopes will open the door to more international competitions.
During the Nairobi championship, former Mr Olympia Samir Bannout encouraged him to pursue competitions in Europe, telling him he needed to test himself beyond the regional circuit.
Cobra said the advice reinforced his ambition to compete on a larger stage and explore opportunities to earn a sustainable income from the sport.
He believes greater investment and sponsorship could help Tanzania develop more competitive bodybuilders and raise the country’s standing internationally.
For Cobra, the Nairobi victory is not the end of the journey but a stepping stone towards his ambition of competing against the world’s leading bodybuilders while representing Tanzania.