Celebrity fitness trainers reveal their Career Secrets

Celebrity fitness trainers reveal their secrets behind having a long career in the industry, and how they manage to remain devoted to their profession.

We often gape at our Bollywood stars who sport perfect 6 packs or show off their mean muscles onscreen. They attain a god like status when we see them run faster than a train or sprint like an athlete. There is obviously a lot that goes into attaining that look –training and diet but it also requires a good trainer who is constantly helping them train and eat right.

Celebrity fitness trainers ensure their clients sweat it out in the gym, keep a close eye on what they eat, and more importantly, they get results. And for doing that they’re paid handsomely!

Career Secrets of Celebrity Trainers

Be Prepared for a Hectic Schedule

When Ranbir Kapoor asked Hyderabad-based fitness trainer Kunal Gir to become his fitness trainer, his trips to Mumbai increased significantly, and his days became hectic.

On one of the days, Kunal trained his clients in Hyderabad from 4.30 am to 1.30 pm, then took a 3.30 pm flight to Mumbai, started training Ranbir at 6.30 pm and then continued training him again at 12.30 pm the next day. Post that, he took a flight back to Hyderabad at 3.15 pm.

By the way, it was Rana Daggubati who recommended Kunal to Ranbir.

While his schedule became very hectic, Kunal realized that it was important for his career since not many fitness trainers get such opportunities.

But being a fitness trainer, shouldn’t he be taking adequate rest?

“I guess, it’s difficult to do that especially when you have some golden opportunities knocking at your doorstep. As of now, the only time I sleep is during my flight journeys,” said Kunal.

Focus on the Client’s Need

The workout regime of actors depends on what role/character they are playing. In some movies, they may have a lean look lean but in others, they might need a hard physique.

So trainers have to be very clear about what their client requires and work towards achieving that goal.

The trainer also needs to keep an eye on their diet, as some actors do have a liking for certain foods that may not help them achieve their goal. Actors who love their food usually put the onus on their trainer to keep a continuous check on their weight and to make them work harder whenever they overeat.

Many young actors do not drink or smoke in order to stay fit; however, because they also need to attend a lot of parties in showbiz, it can be a challenge to stay away from drinks as it can also offend people.

The fitness trainer should be able to provide tips to their clients on how to circumvent these professional challenges. For example, there are some actors who have just a single glass of wine (they consume it very slowly ) so that they do not offend people.

They have to look great themselves.

Its great being a trainer and having clients who are ready to pay you for your knowledge about fitness. However, only preaching is not going to help, you will also need to look the part so that your clients really start believing you.

Fitness trainers not only have to encourage their clients to stay in shape but they have to themselves walk the talk. That is why they train every day, make sure they at the same healthy (and times boring) food, to get that body tone or to maintain those chiseled looks. So what keeps them motivated for so long?

Its not about training all the time

One has to really examine the state of the mind and soul.  If you’re in a hard place emotionally, it will show in your body language, and in terms of training, it definitely shows in how you tackle routines.

For those who plan to venture on their own, worry and fear coupled with a lack of motivation for longer time periods can be detrimental.

Most of these celebrity trainers are prepared to sit with clients and get into prolonged talks with them as they believe that easing the pressures off someone can do wonders for the mind, making for a better wellness journey. So, it is not about training all the time.

Prashant Sawant

Prashant Sawant is among the top fitness trainers in India and has an esteemed list of clients, many from Bollywood (including SRK). Besides Shahrukh, Prashant Sawant has trained Bollywood stars like Abhishek Bachchan​, Varun Dhawan​ and many more.

Prashant grew up in a chawl in Dahisar, things like career planning or guidance were concepts alien to Prashant and his two brothers. But today he runs his own personal fitness studio, and is one of the most popular and successful fitness trainer in the country.

As a kid, Prashant used to be a fat, and wished someday he would look good. That is one of the reasons that motivated Prashant to get into fitness. Prashant worked hard on his body for a year and really transformed himself.

20-year-old Prashant worked at The Health Spa, a Bandra-based gymnasium, for Rs.3000 per month. Like most parents, even Prashant’s dad was not happy as he believed trainers had a short career. Prashant, however, took the plunge as he thought he would change his line later if it did not pay off.

The Bandra job put Prashant in touch with actors like Anupama Verma & Dino Morea who liked his style of training. The exposure convinced Prashant about the prospects in the field of fitness and went on to do a three-month course in fitness from the LM Fitness Academy in Bandra.

Prashant’s most high-profile star client is Shah Rukh Khan. “He took me along to Madhya Pradesh when he shot for Ashoka and also to Malaysia for another film,” he said about the most important breakthrough of his career. “Since then, Shah Rukh has been like a godfather to me.”

Getting the first Bollywood Celebrity client…

I was working as a trainer, things were pretty much the same until one day when I got a call from SRK’s office that he was coming down at the gym and that he wanted me to train him. I was startled but trained him anyways. He liked my way of training and my perception of what fitness is. He had a knee surgery back then so I planned the workouts keeping that in mind while making it a point to ensure that he achieved his goal and demands. Shahrukh was very impressed by that and from that point onwards started training with me.

Prashant Sawant shares his fitness tips and how he trains some of the big names in Bollywood.

• If you want to inspire people, you need to look the part. Prashant says, “I feel I need to look good while training someone.”
• You have to mix up exercises. When you stick to one training method for too long, the muscles don’t show improvement as they become accustomed to the workout.
• Remember Shah Rukh Khan’s six-pack from Om Shanti Om? Prashant Sawant was the man behind it, and SRK only had to workout for 45 minutes every day (five days a week for 3 months) to get those fab abs (but the intensity was very high, SRK wouldn’t even rest in between the supersets).
  Watch: SRK Ab workout
  
• Know your body type and see what exercises work for you. A personal trainer is like a doctor and needs to understand the client’s body completely.Shah Rukh never needed cardio because his metabolic rate is incredibly high and cardio is a waste of time with him, so we’d immediately start with intense exercises.
• To succeed as a fitness trainer you need “Patience, talent and hard work”.
  Watch: Prashant Sawant: The Man behind SRK’s Six pack abs
  

Samir Jaura

Samir Jaura is a popular fitness trainer and a known name in Bollywood. He is the man behind the drop dad looks and fitness levels of many of the celebrities. Be it Farhan Akhtar’s look in bhaag milkha bhaag, hrithik roshan’s brawny look in bang bang, or Priyanka chopra’s energy filled punches in Mary Kom, Samir Jaura has done it all.

So, when Samir Jaura shares some diet and fitness tips, you do nothing but blindly follow the guy.

Many people are under the misconception that training means eating less food and working out harder. However, Samir Jaura clarifies that in fact, a strenuous work out needs at least 6-8 meals every day. Attaining a perfect body includes a good balanced diet of the right amount of proteins, carbohydrates and fat which many are clueless about. So, if you are working out, make sure you get your diet right too.

Actors are quite knowledgeable about fitness and understands his body well. He knows that in the entertainment industry, there’s no fixed time to sleep, wake up or eat, and so he easily puts on weight; this is something that he works out with his trainer. Also, he’s avoids working out on days when he has heavy duty dance performances, be it for films or award shows, as he doesn’t feel the need to push his body beyond its limits.

Samir Jaura talks about how it is a fad to go to the gym but many don’t even know what training they are supposed to do and end up copying others blindly. According to Samir, “everyone is caught up in a body building zone”. He suggests that rather than concentrating on building biceps, people should focus on the workout that suits their body type. Here are some of the common gym mistakes according to Samir:

• Rushing through bench press: According to Samir, many people try to finish off the bench press quickly with the same velocity of decline and rise of the bar which is wrong. According to him, the right way would be to bring the bar close to the chest slowly which will help muscle stimulation.
• Not stretching enough: Samir suggests that everyone should prepare their body by stretching enough rather than directly jumping to machine workout.
• Incessant chatting: Many people spend 3 hours in the gym according to Samir but they end up chatting most of the time rather than working out. He suggests less of talking and more of working out. Even a 45 minute of work out without chatting is better than wasting 3 hours of chatting in the gym.

Lastly, he signed off by recommending the Kinesis Fitness Station which he says is a three dimension and a zero injury machine, ideal for both strength and functional training.

Vinod Channa

Vinod Channa is one of the top celebrity trainers in India today (based in Mumbai) with admirable names in his client list like Hrithik Roshan, John Abraham, Shilpa Shetty, Genelia D’souza, Ritesh Deshmukh and John Abraham among many others.

Vinod used to be a professional bodybuilder and has done specialised coaching from American Sports and Fitness Association.

However, Vinod discourages fitness enthusiasts to blindly follow the training of celebrities because the same exercises works differently for different body types, so one may not get the desired results by following the workout routine of a celebrity.

Here are some more fitness tips by Vinod Channa.

• Walk the talk. If you want to work out, don’t just think about it, do it by hitting the gym.
• Choose the right trainer, someone who has more than 5 years’ experience and certification. A good trainer will understand what you want to achieve and work around your goals by understanding your lifestyle and fitness levels. Another important point about a good trainer is that he should have tried all the techniques himself before suggesting it to you.
• Set a target and then work towards its. Working out without a target is useless effort.
• Try to achieve a little bit more every day. 10 pushups today, try for 15 the next day.
• You are your own competition. Follow this mantra rather than following a celebrity’s fitness regime.
• Healthy mind and healthy body is the key to healthy life. Stay positive and happy to get fit.

John Abraham has one the bulkiest bodies in Bollywood which is achieved through intense workout routines. There are so many trainers who promise you the world like they can get you the john Abraham body in a month or something in similar lines. Most of us, fall for it. Only to realize our folly, much later when we have put in a lot of money to get a “John Abraham body”.

That is why you need to listen to John Abraham’s personal trainer ‘Vinod Channa’, who seems to have some sensible things to say on this fitness aspect.

Fitness Tips from Vinod channa to get a body like John Abraham.

• Avoid following any celebrity, its the wrong way to start fitness training. For often than not, its discouraging and tiring to try to be someone else. The exercise that John Abraham (or any other celebrity) does may have different effects on different people, so imitating a celebrity’s work out regime may not help as expected.
• Walk the talk, choose the right trainer, and eat right. Ideally, your meals should have 25% protein, 40% carbs (good) and 35% fat. Switch to a low carb diet if you feel like you are gaining weight and increase your work out.

Vinod Channa helped Shilpa Shetty lost 21 kgs post-pregnancy in 3 months

Shilpa Shetty’s body type is ectomorph (a person with a lean and delicate build of the body) and that is why she has been thin since before her pregnancy. But because of wrong eating habits and lack of movement and exercise, she gained weight and lost her strength and fitness.

There is no difference in fitness regime of woman who undergoes c-section and one who delivers normally.

Post-pregnancy, women face problems like joints pain, back pain and neck problems. One should concentrate on weaker muscles as well as on the joints area. Gradually, increasing the intensity of the workout will help you get back in shape. After working on these problems, one can push herself to work on increasing the strength by doing a lot of cardio. This will improve the agility movement, helping you to lose weight faster.

Women should get the D3 test done to determine their vitamin D levels. One should have foods that consist of vitamin E, followed by a balanced diet with exercise which will certainly help in reducing the stretch marks.

I gradually added different techniques like functional, animal flow workout, conditioning workout. She followed a strict diet with limited carbohydrates – balancing the protein along with vegetables and fruits. I helped her lose 21 kgs in 3 and a half month naturally. So, anything is possible with right guidance, dedication and sacrifices.

Satyajit Chaurasia

Satyajit Chaurasia is the man who trained Aamir Khan for Ghajini, and is the man behind the heavenly bodies of Bollywood stars like Hrithik Roshan. He is one of the most sought-after trainers in Bollywood.

“Getting fit isn’t difficult, especially if you are not training to compete in a body building contest. Most people falter with diet and consistency. A little discipline is all it takes and your body will do all the work for you,” says Satyajit.

Here are fitness & exercise tips from Satyajit that will keep you healthy:

• Don’t ever skip you breakfast. You should eat every 2 to 3 hours. You should not eat carbs after 8:30 pm
• Do regular physical activities, at least for 25 minutes thrice a week. If not at least do 10 Suryanamaskar daily. This will keep your fit throughout your life.
• Skipping is a great workout for fat burning, it worksout your entire body
• Eat less of oil, rice, sweets and potatoes to stay fit
• You can have 2-3 mugs of green tea daily for good health and beautiful skin, it also helps to increase your metabolism rate

Satyajit says simple exercise routines should also give you great results in 3 months, even if you devote only 15 minutes of your daily time. All these exercises can be done anywhere and do not require special gym equipment. Brisk walking, cardio, jogging are some great cardio exercises. On floor there are several exercises – you can do Surya namaskars (do it really slow and hold in each and every posture for at least 5 seconds).

Satyajit says its very important to do the exercises in the right manner. It’s a waste doing wrong workouts for hours, instead you can do it right in minutes .

Watch: Basic Gym concepts by Satyajit Chaurasia

Yasmin Karachiwala

Fitness Guru and India’s leading fitness trainer Yasmin Karachiwala has over 2 decades of fitness training experience, and considered to be a pioneer of the Pilates physical fitness system in India. The BASI (Body Arts and Science International, US)-certified Pilates instructor is the go-to instructor of Pilates for Bollywood celebs. Yasmin has trained the likes of Kareena Kapoor Khan, Bipasha Basu, Deepika Padukone, Katrina Kaif and Sonakshi Sinha.

Yasmin is responsible for sculpting the heavenly bodies of Bollywood’s leading ladies – be it Katrina Kaif’s athletic look in Dhoom 3, or Deepika Padukone’s curvy shape in Cocktail, or Kareena Kapoor’s sexy looks in the song Mera Naam Mary in Brothers, or Alia Bhatt’s bikini-body in Shaandaar.

Yasmin is among the leading fitness trainers in India and has also been credited for introducing Pilates in India.

Kareena Kapoor was my first celebrity client. At that time, I wasn’t doing Pilates, so we did a lot of cardiovascular and other gym exercises.

Here are some common questions about the fitness of the leading Bollywood actresses, answered by Yasmin.

One of the biggest challenges is their tight work schedules, which make it difficult for celebrities to make time for exercise regularly.

At times they work 12 to 14 hours a day, and on other occasions they travel for several days.

However, thy still take out time for exercising as to achieve a certain look for a film, they have to work hard for it.

It’s difficult, but they are dedicated and ensure they exercise at some time of the day, and that’s where I am available (at their convenience) to help them out.

All the leading actresses (Katrina, Deepika, Alia, Kareena, Sonakshi) have different body types. How do you train them differently?
I have been in the industry for more than two decades, and I know how to train different people. Once I start working with them and see how their bodies react to different workouts, I know to differentiate between their bodies and decide which workout works well with each.

Deepika is naturally thin and lanky, whereas the other heroines have struggled to manage their weight in the past.

So many will say that weight training will work best for Deepika, but Pilates has worked wonders for her. It gives her cuts on her arms and her legs and it just suits her. For Katrina, functional training works the best (gave her the athletic look in Dhoom). So each body type is very different and the workout is designed for them.

For the song ‘Lovely’ from Happy New Year, Deepika had to wear really small cholis and low ghagras and so we did Pilates to complete tone her abs & core muscles.

Alia Bhatt came to me as she needed to wear a bikini for her movie “Shandaar”. She had lost a lot of weight but she looked very tiny so I worked a lot with her to make her look more curvier. We started with Pilates and then moved onto weight training to add the final touches.

They all workout at different times, and also depends on their shooting schedule. Padukone is a morning person and exercises around 6am or 7am. Katrina Kaif, on the other hand, prefers to work out at night (at times we have even exercised at midnight.)

Bollywood fitness guru Yasmin Karachiwala shares her experiences of working out with the leading Bollywood celebrities she has worked with.

• You can achieve a strong core through Pilates.
• You can get athletic legs by doing squats, lunges and plyometrics.
• You can get shapely legs by doing cardio exercises, Pilates and yoga.
• If you’ve an arched posture, you’re prone to getting back pain if you skips work out.
• Exercise regularly and eat the right kind of food, preferably every two hours. If you’re a foodie, you can eat things in moderation.