Hot Bod Express: Are you aboard?

As one walks into the bustling Lokhandwala market in suburban Mumbai, the home to numerous stars and starlets, the summer breeze lashes at your face. Looking for Satya’s acclaimed Barbarian Gym is not an easy job. The ace but low profile physical trainer who Bollywood swears by, runs an upmarket personal studio from a residential complex in the cubbyholes of Lokhandwala. I passed it twice and didn’t even notice. The walnut brown door looked like a regular home but on careful inspection, you read his name on the name plate. Satyajit Chaurasia, Satya to the world and “Chintu” to Aamir Khan, keeps his studio as no-nonsense as he is: no fancy frills, nothing that’s not needed; no blingy interiors; no sign that some of tinsel town’s biggest names get their fab bodies sculpted here. 

As Satya walks in, you barely believe this is the man who helps our stars look fabulous on screen, until you look at his sharp cuts and bulging biceps. Talking to Satya was as easy as talking to an old friend. Having absolutely no airs about himself, he talks sans any inhibitions, but let not this fool you, because he definitely knows what he is worth. He knows his job well and he knows how to extract the very best out of all his pupils.

Hailing from Nagpur, Satya always knew he wanted to be in the physical training field. He has absolutely no formal training. In his own words, “I learned everything that I know about body building, by reading Arnold Schwarzenegger’s ‘Encyclopedia of Modern Body Building’. He began with trying the exercise regimen himself, finding immense support in his brother, whom he fondly calls Babloo.

When the results started showing, Satya began gaining confidence. In 1991, he began with a small setup in his hometown, Nagpur.

Seeing it succeed over the years, Satya started dreaming big. He knew how important physical trainers already were in Hollywood and it was only a matter of time before India caught up. He had his plan sorted: he would go to Mumbai and break into Bollywood’s inner circle. He got his inspiration from some books on karma and charting out one’s success path. In the late 1990s, Satya came to Mumbai.

His first break came when he got to train Aamir Khan for Ghulam (1998), for which Aamir needed a chiseled body of a boxer. That’s it.

Aamir soon trusted Satya like he hadn’t trusted a trainer before, and was seen recommending him to his friends. That’s how Rani Mukerji approached Satya. Soon enough, Zayed knocked on Satya’s door and on being blown away, recommended him to friends Esha Deol and Saif Ali Khan. Before he knew it, Satya had arrived. 

WORKOUT REGIMENS

“Most of my film clientele have home gyms. So I work out with them either at their homes or in my personal studio. I have set up home gyms for most of them, keeping in mind their bodies and their fitness objectives. Apart from film personalities, I also train with Mr. Anil Ambani and Mr.

Lakshmi Mittal’s family when they are in the city. Not many people know it, but I also help train a lot of upcoming actors who do not currently have the money to afford my fees. I train them on credit and ask them to pay up whenever they are able to, whenever they are comfortable. It gives me immense pride to be in a position to help new talent find their way to their dreams.

For every client, I have a customised routine which keeps changing with their requirements.”

ON RESULTS

Satya says that he has to often play philosopher and motivator to his clients. After all, it is their motivation and drive that determines the success of his efforts. Satya says, “Physical training is not a one time job. It’s a routine, a discipline, and a lifestyle change. If you want fitness, you’ve got to work on it. And if you are in show business, a great physique is what can be the difference between a star and a superstar.” He firmly believes that Indian actors do not have the luxury of taking fitness lightly. It is not like the time before the 1990s, when you could get away with mere talent and charisma. Today, if you’re not fit and don’t look good on screen, you are on your way to committing career harakiri.

ON FUTURE PLANS

Satya proudly says that in the past two decades, he has made “at least 20,000” people fitter and healthier. However, he is still far from where he wants to be and has a vision for his Barbarian Gym. He wants to take fitness to the grassroots. “Fitness today comes for a price. And that often becomes an excuse for some people to not pursue it. For that, I am going to make fitness affordable. In the small cities, I might make it available to people for as little as Rs. 500 per month. In the cities, of course, the story would be very different. I know how to differentiate my pricing.” 

Currently, Barbarian Gym has seven outlets. His first target is to achieve 1,000 outlets, across metros and Tier 1, 2 and 3 cities. Once that is achieved, he would set his next target. Satya has immense faith in the franchising model, as it has worked well for him yet. His largest property so far is in Indore, spread over 22,000 square feet. 

Satya is currently designing his Satya Cage. It will be a 12 feet by 8 feet cage, within which one can do every conceivable exercise in the world.

As our world gets smaller and space continually ratchets up a premium, Satya knows that this will be the urgent need of the future. “Once you have a Satya Cage, you will be able to do all exercises within 45 minutes. Remaining fit will get so much easier, right within the confines of our home and neighbourhood gym.”

He also plans on launching two websites soon, SatyaHealth and SatyaFit, through which he aims to reach out to many more people. He would like to use technology to get into the living rooms of millions of fitness enthusiasts who don’t have access to his swanky personal studio. 

No matter what Satya does, he has but one aim on his mind: to see the world take health more seriously and get fit enough to battle all of life’s challenges. We sure hope he achieves it because God knows we all need to get off that chair and get going! 

Hrithik Roshan :

Dhoom too!

Satya speaks abour Hrithik as if he is his favorite student. Says Satya, “Hrithik is easily one of the most fit, disciplined and focussed actors around. He takes his workout very seriously. In fact, he often tells me that he cannot sleep on days when he doesn’t workout. No matter how late he wraps up his shoot, he calls me and we workout together at his personal gym”. Satya has given him the workout of a professional body builder since he is almost like one; his threshold for weights, endurance and pushing the limit is unbelievably high, according to Satya. 

Hrithik tries to workout seven days a week. But there are days when he skips, either a Sunday or any other day when his work commitments get too strenuous.

Training schedule:

Day 1: Arms; includes biceps and triceps for two hours.
Day 2: Chest
Day 3: Back
Day 4: Lower body (legs, thighs)
Day 5: Repeat the whole cycle in which stomach exercises are included. During shoots, a three-hour workout is done, wherein an hour is dedicated to cardio, yoga and stretches. 

Diet Plan

Four egg whites with two brown breads along with a protein shake in the morning. For lunch, it’s chicken or salad with extra vegetables. The third meal would consist of two egg whites with brown bread. Before commencing exercise, he would take a protein shake and amino acids. After exercise, he’d have four fried eggs with chicken steak or a fish. This diet was continued for six months. 

Hrithik has been working out with me regularly for the last ten years. He pushes himself very hard. In spite of all the injuries he has today, exercising is his first priority. 

Aamir Khan :

Fitness Ghulam!

I trained him for Ghulam for a day and then for Mangal Pandey. We had around 14 months to work on Aamir’s body before Ghajini; his body had low muscle percentage and high fat percentage. After he started his training, he would monitor his body every month to see changes. He was so focused that he got what he wanted in less than a year!

Training schedule

He was fastidious about his eight hours’ of sleep; after he gets up, he’d call and then we’d go for a four hour workout.

Monday: Chest and back (Bench Press; Dumbell Press; Incline Bench Press) and Back (T-Bar Rows; Seated Cable Row; Chinups)
Tuesday: Biceps and triceps (Barbell Curls; Dumbell Curls (21s); Preacher Curls; Concentration Curls; Narrow Grip Triceps Press; Lying Extension; Rope Pulldown. 
Wednesday: Shoulders (Military Press; Front Shoulder Press; Seated Dumbell Press; Shoulder Press ; Bent Over Lateral Raise; Upright Row) and Legs (Leg Press; Squats)
Thursday: Rest. 
Friday: Repeat cycle. 

Weights were increased every third day and changes became apparent in a matter of months. 

Diet Plan

Before starting with his exercises he would have keema. Else, protein shake after exercise. Every two hours, he would have two egg whites with brown bread, so he’d have 16 egg whites in a day. And two chicken breasts or chicken with two rotis and dal for lunch. For dinner, he’d take fish or chicken with salads.

Aamir Khan the actor likes to look different in every movie. Ghajini required him in a massive physique, but he had to destroy his body for “3 Idiots”. Even if you destroy the body of your dreams, muscle memory helps you regain the physique. 

Rani Mukerji :

Kuch Kuch Hua!

I trained her personally after Bunty Aur Babli and before the shooting of Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna. She is a member of my gym and gets trained regularly. In Dil Bole Hadippa, her transformation was complete. It took me six months to get her in shape. In Bunty aur Babli, she looked plump and had many issues with her body. Overall it was an Indian body; zero flexibility and more percentage of fat on stomach, thighs and arms.

Training Schedule 

I used to make her run on the treadmill for 45 minutes at irregular speeds which would vary from 5 minutes slow to 5 minutes fast and 45 minutes of training which would include stretches in the beginning and stretches towards the end. She would do two sets of exercises for stomach, abdomen, legs, chest, arms, shoulders and back. Targeting all the body parts, four days a week and performing three-four sets of 15-25 repetitions. She would also do the Suryanamaskars and kapalbhati, which helps with flexibility and burning calories.   

Diet Plan

I restricted her diet to 1000-1100 calories per day. In the morning she would have either two rotis with dal and salad or tofu. Or start the day with porridge and milk or corn flakes, milk and juice. For lunch, she would have vegetables with rotis; in the evening, two slices of brown bread and fish or fruit salad for dinner. It is important to have five cups of green tea a day. 

I am training her for the last seven years. I let her cheat on her diet on weekends as I’d be very strict on the rest of the five days!

The Four Minute Workout

“If you exercise for only four minutes everyday, 50% of the body will transform for sure. Whatever you eat has to be burned. This would increase your metabolism and help make you more active. If you want to stay healthy and want to avoid hospitals and doctors, you must go to the gym today or   you could work out at home right away.” Satya told us about the four minute secret, which can help anyone and everyone transform his/her body within months.

The first minute

Start with the Hindu squat. Do  10-15 repetitions, take a five second break and then repeat 10-15 times again. Take a break. Continue for a minute. The Hindu squat emphasises the lower portion of your body and is also a good cardiovascular workout. It helps strengthen your immune system and boosts growth hormone levels.      

 
How to do the Hindu Squat:

Hands pulled to the chest, feet shoulder-width apart and toes point forward. While keeping the back straight, squat down with your legs, bringing your arms down and behind you for  balance. Come up on your toes at the bottom. Keep your body upright and your arms down. Then swing the arms forward while  rising up on your toes. The  arms should move up until they reach chest level during this phase. Once upright, pull your hands back into your chest  and start over.

The second minute

Go for push-ups. Repeat 5-7 times, relax for a few seconds. Repeat the procedure for a minute. A short distance between the hands would help in toning the triceps, and hands wide apart would help in sculpting the chest muscles. It helps in overall toning of the body

The third minute

Begin with the bridge exercise. This works on the abs and on your core strength, as well as on the back and buttocks. Repeat 5-7 times. Continue the same practice for a minute. It helps  carve out a flat stomach and a healthy back.

How to do the Bridge exercise:

Lie on your back, feet on the floor, knees bent and arms down by the side. Contract your abdominal muscles so that your back is flat against the floor and squeeze your glutes as you lift your hips up off the mat, until your body forms a diagonal from knees to chest.

Drop your hips to the ground while keeping your stomach contracted. Pause and then raise your hips back to the starting position.

The fourth minute

Perform forward stretches from a seated position. Stretching is vital in our daily routines. It helps in the co-ordination of the muscles, reduces muscle tensions and makes the individual more active.