Helping the stars stay fit
Minash Gabriel turned a setback into a stepping stone to success
A professional cricketer, Minash Gabriel was injured when he was just 23 years old and had to stop playing the game he loved. But that didn’t stop him from getting on with his life. The only thing he really knew well other than cricket was working out. So he decided to take that up as a career. And today, Minash helps Tollywood’s top stars like Mahesh Babu stay fit.
Talking of the traumatic experience of being injured, Minash says, “Since no one at the time was able to fix my knee, I decided to study Physiotherapy to help keep other athletes stay clear of injury.” He took up the profession in 2014.
“As I got better at what
I did, I was approached by Tollywood actors and I trained them. They came with their own sets of injuries and setbacks,” he says. His background as a rehab trainer and physiotherapist gave him a better understanding of how to help fix their injuries.
“I’ve been training Mahesh Babu for the past two years. I was referred to him by a senior physiotherapist from Mumbai. He had a knee injury that needed immediate attention and I was asked to look into it,” says Minash.
The trainer, who is currently working with the superstar on his Telugu project Sarkaru Vaari Paata, is all praise for the actor’s commitment in the gym. “In all honesty I’m super motivated when it comes to training Mahesh Babu, not the other way around,” he says. “MB normally works round the clock, but regardless of his hectic schedule, he never misses a session. That kind of passion and drive rubs off on me, making me want to give them my best,” he adds. Elaborating on the actor’s fitness routine, he says, “Mahesh’s regimen changes depending on whether he is shooting or not. If he is shooting, we have a much smaller window for workouts. The programmes normally include Strength training, Zone 2 training for recovery and HIIT. Some of his favourite moves are Landmine Presses, Squats and Lunges and cardio moves include Sprints and Floor-based Animal Movements.”
“I’m super motivated when it comes to training Mahesh Babu, not the other way around. MB works round the clock, regardless of his hectic schedule, he never misses a session. That kind of passion rubs off on me, making me want to give them my best every time”