Leaping, punching and lifting at 45 like most can’t in their 20s, south actor Jyotika’s fitness routine is not for the faint-hearted. Actor and her trainer reveal how she got into ship shape within two years
Mahesh Ghanekar and Jyotika
An attention-grabbing tactic in the field of social media marketing is a phenomenon called ‘stop the scroll’, which refers to a post that’s so addictive from the get-go that a user is compelled to watch it. Amid a flurry of fitness videos created by celebrities in the film industry, Jyotika’s content precisely fits this bill. A far cry from the regular weight-lifting videos that fill social media feeds, the south actor’s multi-planar regimen sees her leaping over plyometric boxes, whipping weighted ropes, and executing a bevy of inversions with flair.
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While the comfort with which she executes the moves may deceive one into believing she comes from years of experience, she reveals that she only began to work with her trainer, Mahesh Ghanekar, two years ago. “When I approached him, the idea was to lose weight. But he made me understand that developing strength and building muscle mass is more important, and weight loss would be the consequence of it. He would say that my aim should be to be able to climb mountains at the age of 70, and keep the mind and core strong. Fitness became fun,” says the actor.
Given that Jyotika—who was seen alongside Ajay Devgn and R Madhavan in Shaitaan—had “significant knee ailments”, she had to unlearn previous movement patterns to develop those that were technically sound. “We had to first work towards tending to her hunching [back], then address her lower back [aches], and subsequently fix her knee concerns. There is a difference between weight lifting and strength training, and the latter is essential to build a better life. In weight training, the heart rate recovers faster, but that doesn’t happen with strength training. I try to keep her heart rate between 150 and 190 bpm using functional training methods because it is then that fat loss occurs.”
Her consistency, he admits, is integral to retaining the fitness levels she has developed. “She doesn’t only train [for film roles], but does so to live a better life. She recently did the Mount Everest base camp trek, and because I knew that she would need to walk for nine hours a day with an eight-kilo backpack, I’d make her train while wearing a 15-kilo jacket.” The technique worked, admits the actor, adding, “I came back without any aches, and did not even need a [recovery] massage. That was not the case before. I remember, when I had previously returned from a Kashmir trek, my knees would pain.”
Ghanekar credits Jyotika for encouraging women to build muscle mass, which can “truly change your life”. “When you develop functional strength and make your core muscles stronger, you can prevent many ailments,” he says, as she adds, “I used to be a runner and an ‘anti-gym person’. But, I hurt myself in the process. After 20 years of [running] without seeing weight-loss, I realised that hitting the gym is how I can lose weight, develop bone density and build strength. People need to understand that the gym is so much more than a place that’s all about lifting weights. Barring four machines, we have never executed the same exercise on two separate days. It’s always a new routine. Working out has to be as basic a habit as eating food.”
The actor also asserts that adhering to ayurveda-backed eating habits, like eating between sunrise and sunset, has served her well. “It aids in digestion,” she signs off.
The Cheats: Yami Gautam Dhar
What’s your cheat meal:
Rice and rajma, or pizza.
How often do you indulge:
Once a week or in 10 days.
Cheat meal vs cheat day:
One single meal.
Do you compensate for it:
I used to do so but don’t anymore. We cannot look like we do [on screen] 365 days of the year. So it’s fine to eat [what one desires]. You have to be your fittest self, but you can’t go crazy. I can’t look good with an unhealthy mind. I’m not harsh on myself.
Ananya Panday’s Gym Playlist
Bekhayali
The jawani song
Lamberghini
Aankh mare
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