From A Skinny 14-Year-Old To Becoming Mr. Asia 2019, Rohit Shetty Tells Us His Story
We often talk about how it is extremely difficult for people who are on the heavier side to shed fat and lose weight. To get on that weight machine every morning only to find out that the scale hasn't moved to the left even a bit isn't a pleasant experience.
But it is equally disappointing for some of us, who wish to see some mass, some definition in our biceps when we wear a t-shirt, rather than empty space around the sleeves.
Steadfast Nutrition athlete Rohit Shetty comes from that second category of men. Here the only difference is that he studied hard, worked on his body, ate the right kind of food and went on to become Mr. Asia 2019
Growing up, Shetty was a big fan of action figures. G.I. Joe characters and He-Man were his favourite and he always wished to look like them. Broad shoulders, brick-solid abs and arms that could bend steel. So at the early age of 14, Shetty started lifting weights.
But the problem with the athlete was the struggle to put on even a kilo of weight. Desperate to put on some mass, Shetty inclined towards a lot of junk food. High calorie intake equals weight gain, the math was simple. All the burgers and pizzas he resorted to eating did help to get heavier but not the right way
Instead of looking like He-Man, Shetty became fat. “I only cared about the kilos I was putting on,” Shetty tells MensXP. “I didn't realise that most of it was pure fat and very little muscle.”
“It was only after years and years of studying that I understood what my body required and I am still in that learning phase," he says
“I believe what truly worked out for me was to start weighing everything that I was consuming. To understand and calculate the macros (macronutrients) that I needed on a daily basis to reach my goal is how I got around to getting fitter by the day,” he explains. “Once I sorted out my diet, my workouts became more effective, more fruitful on their own.”
While Shetty began to lift weights in 2001, it wasn't until 2010 that he participated in his first bodybuilding competition.It took one whole year for Shetty to prepare for Mr. Asia 2019. The time he spent sculpting every corner of his body, the hours he spent at the gym, the cravings he had to deal with to achieve greatness during that stint turned out to be in his favour when he stood atop the podium with the gold having around his neck.
A month later, the work that he'd put in for so long also helped him bag the silver at Mr. Universe.
“Bodybuilding isn't a sprint, it is a marathon. You have to give it time if you want to win in the end. I have spent more than 20 years lifting weights and I am still learning,” Shetty says. “You can never learn everything when it comes to understanding your body and the art that bodybuilding