Sooraj Pancholi talks about his soon-to-be-launched fitness app

Sooraj Pancholi is undoubtedly one of the fittest actors today. His sculpted and lean physique is the result of his undying devotion to the gym, eating right and always giving a new twist to his fitness regimen. The Hero actor is soon launching his fitness app, which will give his fans a unique insight into his healthy lifestyle. Over to the actor, who doesn’t believe that one needs to inculcate expensive diet food and depend on a personal trainer to achieve desired results.

Tell us about the fitness app. What makes it a cut above the rest?

As a child, I was very good at sports. I have been training since I was 14. I fell in love with the idea of transforming my body. People perceive it as a freak show, but they don’t understand the science behind it and the hard work that goes in it. The primary objective of the app is to educate the new generation. There’s more to fitness — it’s not merely about being ripped or muscular. It’s about being healthy for life, having less injuries and growing old yet being strong. The app will focus on weight training, core strengthening and flexibility. The app is based on how I personally train, it’s about how I eat. I am of the belief that you don’t have to eat broccoli or avocado to have a good body. Fitness isn’t about eating expensive food. Also, I want to bust the myth about depending too much on protein shakes.

How do you plan to update the app content, week after week?

It’ll have my workout videos and will also document my body transformation from film-to-film. For instance, right now, I am trying to lose my muscles. Every week, it’ll have pictures of me and how I morph my body to essay different characters. If I am doing an action film, I’ll have a more muscular bod. There will be one workout video post each week. Besides fitness, nutrition will also be a part of it and that’s where my trainer Rajiv Singh will play a crucial role.

Who do you want to reach out to? Is it for a male audience or there’s something for females, too?

None of the actors have fitness apps. Shilpa Shetty Kundra and Bipasha Basu have yoga DVDs, but no one has come up with a fitness app. My app is targetted more at boys, because I believe that male and female genetics are different. It’s primarily for my male followers. If I’m able to inspire evenone kid, I’d be satisfied.

When is it being launched? What’s the plan to promote it and to reach out to the online audience?

We are still working on it. It’s still being developed.

Will it have advice on nutrition and supplements? Do you take protein supplements?

It’ll focus on the basic Indian diet which we all follow, which is affordable and simple. It’ll also dole out advice to vegetarians. I feel the protein supplements are only needed if you want to look a certain way. It depends on your target as not everyone wants to be muscular. Personally, I’d like to be leaner for sure any day. Everyone is going lean — from the new crop of actors to young boys. It took me 12 years to understand my body, and honestly, I don’t need a lot of protein. I had a weak back and very strong chest so I worked on my back twice a week. I tend to focus on weak body parts two times a week. It’s how an artist moulds the clay to create his sculpture, you do the same with the human body.

I do cardio everyday, which involves a 25-minute run or jog besides 45-minute-long weight training. I don’t lift heavy weights. As far as my diet is concerned, I have seven small meals a day. I do my cardio in the morning followed by weight training in the afternoon. Sometimes I even go to the beach in the evenings and run with my gym buddies. I don’t have a gym at home. On Sundays I don’t workout and like to rest. I also train in the Martial arts for an-hour-and-a-half thrice a week.

Who are your fitness icons and why?

Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger. Be it their films or personal lives — I have always been inspired by them. I actually started working out when I saw Hrithik Roshan in Kaho Na Pyaar Hai.

Any observation you made while working out at the gym. Any mistakes men make while working out.

Some men lift too heavy which I feel is not really required.

How important is the role of a personal trainer in one’s workout?

You can do it on your own. Personal trainers are not important and are getting expensive. I agree that gymming gets boring after a point and that’s why I keep switching gyms. For instance, I do my cardio in one gym and legs in another one. I’m of the belief that abs are made in the kitchen. Eat right and sleep better.