How the mediocre student Ben Sattinger became an officer, Youtuber and big businessman
He calls himself a “digital nomad”, but the 32-year-old has not forgotten his roots. Born on July 3, 1989 in Vienna, Benjamin Sattinger spent most of his childhood and youth in and around Erding. After primary school in Wörth, Sattinger attended grammar school for two years. Then it goes to the Herzog-Tassilo-Realschule. "Latin was just not my subject," says Sattinger with a grin and adds: "I was admittedly very exhausting as a teenager and didn't feel like going to school at all, that's why I got into the wrong circle of friends early on, and we messed up a lot", he freely admits. At that time, he and his friends went to partying twice every weekend and lived very unhealthily. "It was a very turbulent, wild time."
He successfully completed an apprenticeship as a production mechanic at BMW in Munich. Then he was drawn to the Bundeswehr: an Air Force officer. “Normally you would need a degree to do this, but since I was the best at officer qualification, I was still admitted,” explains the 32-year-old. He wants to become a fighter jet pilot, but drops out of the aptitude test in phase 3. Nevertheless, he continues the career of an officer, but in the infantry of the Air Force. After a year of officers' school in Fürstenfeldbruck, he was transferred to Berlin. “That was the end of my time in Erdinger, from then on Berlin was my home,” sums up Sattinger.
But Sattinger was already changing his lifestyle during his military service.
"In Erding I did some training, but more to build muscles and impress girls," he says with a grin.
Then he came to his fitness lifestyle.
“It was a special case for me: At 21, I was by far the youngest officer.
The others had families and children with whom they would spend their time after they had finished their duties.
I was then always alone in the barracks, because as an officer, of course, you weren't allowed to hang out with the soldiers. "
During this time, he begins to watch fitness videos on YouTube and gain knowledge.
“Then I went to the gym every night after work to work out.
That's how I developed my love for fitness. "
In 2013, Sattinger decided to create his own channel on YouTube.
In his early videos, he gives tips on fitness exercise, muscle building and fat loss.
"At that time, YouTube wasn't that big, I actually quickly became one of the most famous fitness youtubers in Germany and earned more as an influencer than as an officer," says Sattinger.
Through YouTube and his work as a personal trainer, he has built up a second pillar.
So he decides to leave the Bundeswehr.
Then he dares to take the next step: participation in an international fitness model competition.
For the Sattinger who lived in Berlin at the time, only one thing counts, victory. And in fact, he pays off for his weeks of hard work. In April 2014 he not only became German champion in the Mr. Adonis category, but also overall winner of the German championship. Five months later he won the World Fitness Federation (WFF) world title in the Adonis class.
He has reached the peak of his sporting career. But there is more. Sattinger founds his first company, "BensFitnessCastle", which includes his individual online coaching (nutrition and training plans, Skype advice) and his Adonis program. After his first experiences in online business, he finally founds his most successful company to date, OTL - Online Trainer GmbH. The company offers state-certified training to become a fitness trainer, nutritionist and personal trainer. The specialty of OTL is that the learning process takes place almost exclusively online on a digital learning platform, says Sattinger. The idea came about when he was training to be a fitness trainer in 2014. Although the content was convincing, it was also inflexible,location- and time-bound and costly. Together with a friend he works out the concept of the OTL.
Sattinger sees himself as a “digital nomad”. His office is wherever he is. All he needs is his MacBook and internet access. He travels all over the world and takes his currently 42,000 Instagram followers with him to all kinds of places. The more than 50 permanent employees are also free to make decisions about their jobs.
Sattinger, who has been on a permanent world tour for years, is restricted by the corona pandemic, but still remains mobile. "Of course, everything was more complicated with the entry restrictions, but it was still possible," said Sattinger. “In the meantime I have almost a steady rhythm,” he says and talks about the travel and life routines mentioned at the beginning: Mediterranean, Thailand, Cyprus - “my fiancée Angelina is always by my side,” says the man who grew up in St. Koloman has spent.
Sattinger does not rule out a return to Germany, but he considers it unlikely.
“I will continue to visit parents and friends, but I cannot imagine moving permanently to Germany again.
In general, I will no longer limit myself to just one home, but instead rely on several home bases, as I do at the moment.
That's how I feel good. "
Sattinger also reveals his personal training routine to us: “Before, when I was still really into bodybuilding, after three days of gym I took a break of around one and a half hours a day.
I now go to the gym every third day and train for an hour. "
And then we learn from the ascetic Sattinger, who has been vegetarian for years, but another - very human - weakness: "I would say that chocolate is my favorite dish, I always get weak."
BY ANDREAS SCHUDER