Dinesh Raheja
With gyms becoming a weighty topic and some swearing by it, is gyming the only way to build muscles and abs and stay fit? gets a myriad of voices
bs and six packs were not part of the conversation in the ’80s and ’90s when Talwalkars was probably the only gym chain with marketing muscle. But, now there is a gym at every nook and corner of the city and hot-button topics like protein supplements, no carbs after 8pm, cardio versus weights are common fodder for small talk.
The upper crust has swanky gyms at home and even hospitals have gyms for recovering patients. Housing complexes offer a well-equipped gym as a bait for prospective buyers. And there are legions of gym-trim enthusiasts who, like staunch devotees, are unwavering in their attendance.
‘I want to gym even when I am 70’
Chef Avinash Bamania, 33, first joined a gym when he was 26 years old, and since then unfailing clocks in 45 minutes to an hour at the gym six days a week.
The bulky youth didn’t have any goal in mind when he hit Leena Mogre’s gym, but once he began, his dedication shot up. One scoop of protein daily is his apple-a-day formula to keep the doctor away.
He is unequivocal about belonging to the pro-gym camp. He learnt the ropes on his own without a trainer’s help. He says, “I prefer to gym alone, it helps me to concentrate better.”
On Ganesh Chaturthi, he couldn’t make it to the gym and felt “guilty”. He plans to gym all his life “even after 70 if I haven’t dropped dead by then”.
‘You can go shirtless on screen without going to gym’
Actor Abhay Verma (Family Man 2), 23, admits he is not a gym person. “I stay far from a gym,” he says unapologetically. Ask him if he will go shirtless for a scene and he says, “Gym se shirt ka kya lena dena? (What does going shirtless have to do with a gym?)” I prefer other ways to stay fit. I know most actors are lifting dumbbells and developing abs so that when they remove their shirt, they can show their muscular body. If I am playing a character who is a bodybuilder and has to remove his shirt, then, of course, I’ll work out at a gym.”
Verma says abs don’t matter. “Ranbir Kapoor too takes off his shirt. Have you seen him flaunting abs? An actor should worry about whether he is into the character or not...all else is secondary.”
When I express curiosity, she says, “Breath is life, isn’t it? So why not learn the different techniques of breathing? There are more than 5-6 ways of breathing.” Gupta follows the calorie-deficit diet and can walk for 8 kilometres. She advocates seeking out solutions tailored to each individual’s requirements and questions the ‘what is good for the goose is good for the gander’ approach.
“So many gym enthusiasts from 16 to 60 years, irrespective of gender and their lifestyle, follow the same workout routine as others,” she says.
“You don’t have to heed to all the health tips. If you keep listening to others, you will go crazy. I prefer paneer to tofu, so I won’t make the switch,” she adds.