I am not an actor, a fitness model, or a fitness guru. I have a day job I love, and fitness has always been one of the most important things in my life. This is the honest version — no shortcuts, no magic, just what worked for me and why.
My Story
🏃
The Foundation — Childhood
Long-distance runner since I was young. Swimming, cricket, tennis, badminton. My dad would drop us near school and we had to run back home to catch the bus — no exceptions. That daily discipline became the base for everything that followed.
💡
Finding the Gym — College
Started lifting for an unusual reason: emotional discomfort. The gym became my outlet. Two training partners — Abhijeet and Akthar — pushed me hard in those early months and made it stick.
💪
The Bulk — +6 Months
Real muscle came fast: arms, chest, legs, shoulders. Got my confidence back. But I only ever wanted one thing — a ripped physique — and bulk wasn't enough.
⚠️
The Setback — Freelancing Era
Consistency was always my weakness. Freelancing, travel, late nights — fat accumulated and the physique slowly faded. The knowledge was there; the structure wasn't.
✓
Getting Ripped — 3 Months
Corporate life brought structure. Three months of focused work — consistent training, dialled-in diet — and I finally got there. This post is about exactly what that looked like.
Before the plan, you need to understand the three things that actually determine results. Everything else is noise.
1. Consistency is non-negotiable
I’ve had friends say “I go to the gym and see no results.” The first question is always: how often? If the answer is 2–3 times on-and-off, no trainer, no program, and no supplement will fix that. You are simply not giving your body a consistent stimulus to adapt to.
The fix is boring but true: show up 4–5 times a week, every week, for months. Track your sessions in a log — it creates accountability and shows you whether you’re actually being consistent or just feeling like you are.
2. Training type depends on your goal
Not all training is equal. Here’s what I learned from trying all three:
Weightlifting — The most measurable. You either lifted more than last week or you didn’t. Easy to track progress, easy to stay away from plateaus. The downside: done alone, it trades endurance and flexibility for muscle mass.
Running / HIIT — Excellent for fat loss and cardiovascular fitness. I found 20 minutes of HIIT more effective than 45 minutes of steady-state cardio. The problem: without enough protein and strength work alongside it, you also lose muscle. Start slow if you’re carrying extra weight — joints need time to adapt.
Calisthenics — Underrated. Core strength, body control, and real functional fitness. No gym required. This is where I was heading after the bulky phase — and where the hybrid athlete approach eventually took me.
3. Progressive overload — not just “no pain no gain”
The old gym saying is directionally right but vague. The actual principle is progressive overload: your body only changes when it’s forced to handle more than it handled before. That means adding weight, adding reps, or reducing rest — systematically, not randomly. If you’re doing the same workout with the same weight for 3 months and wondering why nothing is changing, this is why.
Mix up your routine every 6–8 weeks and keep a log of your numbers. A plateau is a signal that your body has adapted — change the stimulus.
Training Plan
Session length: 45–60 minutes. I don’t chat in the gym — earphones in, focused, done on time. Longer sessions don’t mean better sessions; they usually mean more rest between sets.
Bulk vs. cut simultaneously? Yes — with the right approach. Keep a slight calorie deficit (200–300 calories below maintenance), keep protein high, and lift heavy. You won’t gain muscle as fast as a dedicated bulk, but you won’t accumulate fat either. This lean recomposition approach worked well for me coming from an intermediate base.
MondayChest · Tri
Push
Bench Press — 4×8
Incline DB Press — 3×10
Dips — 3×12
Tricep Pushdown — 3×12
+ 10 min abs
TuesdayBack · Bi
Pull
Pull-ups — 4×8
Barbell Rows — 3×10
Lat Pulldown — 3×12
Barbell Curls — 3×10
WednesdayLegs
Legs
Squats — 4×8
Leg Press — 3×12
Romanian DL — 3×10
Calf Raises — 4×15
+ 10 min abs
ThursdayShoulders
Shoulders
OHP — 4×8
Lateral Raises — 3×15
Front Raises — 3×12
Rear Delt Flyes — 3×15
FridayArms
Arms
Barbell Curls — 3×10
Hammer Curls — 3×12
Skull Crushers — 3×10
Forearm Curls — 3×15
+ 10 min abs
SaturdayActive
Legs or Outdoors
Trail run or hike
Calisthenics circuit
Extra leg session
Rest 60–90 seconds between sets for hypertrophy. If you can comfortably complete the top end of the rep range for all sets, add weight next session. That is progressive overload in practice.
Nutrition
Do you actually need supplements? Only if you can't hit your protein target from whole food — roughly 1.6–2g per kg of bodyweight per day. I tried months on food alone (eggs, chicken, fish) and it worked, but it got repetitive. Shakes are convenient, not magical. And eating protein without training does absolutely nothing.
Lower carbs and fat. Better suited for cutting phases when every calorie counts.
Both from MyProtein — use the referral link for a discount on your first order.
Carbs
40%
fuel for training
Protein
35%
1.6–2g / kg BW
Fats
25%
essential only
5–6 smaller meals a day keeps energy stable and prevents overeating in a single sitting. The total calories matter more than the meal count — but spreading intake works well for training days.
Cutting Phase — Sample Day
🌅 Meal 0 — Wake Up
Green Tea + Lemon + Honey or Green Juice (Spinach, Wheatgrass, Mint)
Biggest carb meal, timed before afternoon energy dip
⚡ Meal 4 — Pre-Workout
Oats + Milk + 1 scoop Protein + ½ Banana
Fast carbs for energy, protein to protect muscle
💪 Meal 5 — Post-Workout
1 scoop Protein Shake + Banana (optional)
Rapid protein delivery within 30–45 min of training
🥗 Meal 6 — Dinner
Salad + Mixed Beans + 3 Egg Whites + 1 Yolk
Light carbs, high protein, easy to digest before sleep
Gaining Phase
Same structure — increase portion size at Meals 3 and 5. Add an extra serving of rice or oats at lunch, and a banana or second scoop post-workout. Aim for 300–500 calories above maintenance. Track weekly weight: if you're gaining more than 0.5kg/week, dial the surplus back.
3 Things to Cut
🍬
Sugar and liquid caloriesSodas, fruit juices, and even "healthy" smoothies pack calories fast without filling you up. Sugar spikes insulin, drives fat storage, and leaves you hungry again quickly. Cut these first — it's the highest-impact dietary change most people can make.
🍚
Excess refined carbsIf you sit at a desk for 8 hours, you don't need three roti or two cups of rice at every meal. Unused carbs convert to fat. Reduce portions gradually — your body adapts within 2–3 weeks and the hunger subsides.
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Fried and ultra-processed foodEssential fats from nuts, eggs, avocado, and olive oil are necessary. Deep-fried food and processed snacks are not — they're calorie-dense, nutrient-poor, and make hitting a deficit almost impossible.
The one rule that overrides everything: if you consistently burn more calories than you consume, you will lose fat. Macros and meal timing matter for performance and muscle retention — but total energy balance is what determines body composition.
What’s Next
I enrolled at Fitness Fight Club to train Muay Thai, Boxing, and MMA — something I’d always wanted to do. The goal: conditioning, flexibility, and reflexes. I’ll review the gym after at least a month of training.
Marathon and Triathlon are still on the bucket list.
Questions? Drop them in the comments or reach out directly. I’m not perfect — always learning and adjusting. That’s how it works.
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