Poorva Chavan
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Written By: Poorva Chavan | Updated : April 12, 2016 5:33 PM IST
Just after winning the Mumbai Shree title in February 2016, Junaid Kaliwala, the first Indian to represent India at Arnold Classic in 2014, has just returned home after bagging a gold medal at the prestigious NPC Metropolitan Men's Physique competition in New York. While his achievement looks and sounds great, the determination and the struggles that Junaid had to go through are something everyone should draw inspiration from.
Here're his journey and fitness secrets from being a floor trainer and a sales executive to a men's physique athlete who's bagged so many awards in a short period.
Starting his fitness journey
Junaid was never a fitness freak, but he was blessed with an mesomorphic body. He only knew he wanted to walk the ramp one day, and that dream kept him going. And to walk the ramp, he was required to build muscles for which worked very hard.
Body building or being a physique athlete is not taken seriously as a sport in India. Junaid started working as a floor trainer and as a sales executive to feed his passion. Lack of knowledge about the sport, no financial support were few hurdles that he faced. When he started out, not many people in India knew much or were interested in the sport. He had to learn by observing international athletes, but he says that all these efforts and hard work were worth it in the end.
His journey to bagging medals began with becoming the first Indian to win Physique of the Week, an online competition in the UK in August 2013. After that, he won the Sheru Classic Men's Physique competition in October 2013. In 2014, he became the first athlete to represent India at Arnold Classic. In 2015, he bagged a bronze medal in the Mr Maharashtra and the Mr India championships. These awards kept him pushing, and the trophies kept on boosting his morale.
The workout routine
He wakes up at 7.30 am and begins his day with 30-40 minutes of cardio. He hits the gym late at night around 9.30 pm and works out for 60-90 minutes.
Here's his gym routine
Monday -- Legs.
Tuesday-- Chest and biceps.
Wednesday--Cardio And Core.
Thursday--Back.
Friday--Cardio and core.
Saturday--Shoulder and triceps.
Diet
An athlete's diet usually changes depending on whether he/she is preparing for competition. Off season, Junaid focuses on gaining muscle and working out on a weak body part. When he's preparing for championships, he doesn't believe in going on a zero-carbohydrate diet from the day of preparation. He sees how his body is responding and then modifies his diet if required. However, while working out before a championship, he avoids heavy exercises to prevent any injuries.
His diet is a right combination of high protein + moderate carbohydrates + a bit of good fat. He begins his day with a protein shake and oats, and he eats around seven to eight meals throughout the day as his active hours are more.
Here's a little snippet of his meal plan in a day--
Meal1-- Iron Whey+ oats and some dry fruits
Meal 2--Eggs
Meal 3--Chicken, curd, and veggies
Meal 4--Chicken and rice (Pre-workout)
Meal 5--Isopure with banana and vitamins (Post-workout)
Meal 6--Chicken and veggies
Meal 7--Casein (a type of protein) and BCAA (Branch Chain Amino Acids)
His message to aspiring bodybuilders and physique athletes
He says that like any other sport, this too requires hard work and dedication and the key to success is perseverance. With continuous efforts and a never-say-die attitude, one can build a good physique.
Here's his one-minute fitness mantra--
Image source--Junaid Kaliwala
