Anoop Singh Thakur- The Fit And The Fabulous

You are a Pilot by your qualification and an actor by profession, then what inspired you to be a bodybuilder and when?

Well, I believe that to grow in life, you constantly need stronger doses of inspirations. And when I recall being inspired I go back to the time when I was 15 years old. Then I used to observe my cousins doing bodybuilding and sculpting their bodies into something so magnificent. I used to get amazed by the fact how we have got the power to shape it the way we want it to be. And the second time I got inspired when my show Mahabharata went off the air. By that time, I had put on a lot of weight that I wanted to get rid of. I wanted a lean body so bad that I decided to work hard and earn it right away.

So, it was after Mahabharata that you won Mr. Asia and Mr. World titles. How did you change your lifestyle to reach where you are at? How do you start your day?

Different people different mindsets. Everybody these days have their own idea of fitness which they incorporate according to their ease and comfort. What is your idea of fitness?

My idea of fitness is a very simple thing, Discipline. I lead a very disciplined lifestyle. I sleep as early as 10’O clock in the night and get up by 6 in the morning. I get a good sleep from 10 to 6 that is the most important thing. The first thing I do is the cardio in the gym like I said and come back after 45 minutes and get ready immediately. Then I start off with my shoots, my 12-hour work schedule. During my shoots, I stay hydrated and consume only the fresh and healthy staples. In the evening when I come back from shoots, I finish off with another gym session without fail to do a weight training session. This fitness routine helps me to stay in shape and thus, leading a disciplined life is my idea of fitness. 

Even champions need a great dose of motivation to grow. How do you stay motivated when you don’t see results?

I watch inspirational videos of winners and achievers from around the globe. Not just bodybuilders, there are various other sources that can be one’s source of inspiration. Having access to these videos is really a boon which I suppose everybody should use to transform their lives into something better. Moreover, the kind of stuff that I have already done like winning the titles and featuring in the movies are the facts that remind me I did all of this keeps me motivated every day. My benchmarks are always set, and I just work hard to raise them higher.

What should they do when people find it hard to stick to their regimes?

As I already said that I watch motivational videos for a dose of motivation, I suggest to people who find it difficult to keep going shall do it too. I mean watching inspirational videos work for me and I believe it can help anybody to a good extent.

The most important thing is to have a goal else seriousness to achieve anything great will not come. For instance, if I have a goal for going to a competition and nailing it, or I have a goal for my upcoming movie, similarly they can make up their own goal in life and why do they want to have that physique.

Also, there is a difference in how you see it. One thing is going to the gym to keep yourself fit, and other is about sculpting your body. Sculpting your body is a different chapter altogether as it is an advanced level of fitness. For that one requires more dedication, stronger willpower, and the right people around in your life.

The right kind of atmosphere provides balance in life which puts a great impact on how you pursue your goals. I also suggest people discover new ways of staying motivated by discovering the new and inspiring stuff that keeps them motivated, and the new ways of bringing change in their body.

You have been an inspiration to the youth. Any sound advice?

I think I am very happy with the fact that today’s youth is getting really motivated to go to the gym and get on the right track by eating right, quitting smoking, drinking, and stuff. They do but they make sure that it’s minimum, so I am proud of the fact that I have been connected to the people who follow me to keep fit and they follow a fitter lifestyle to stay fit and show me the results. I feel very blessed and thank god that I could change some lives through the work that I have done.

The only sound advice I would like to give to the youth is not to get distracted. Try and show them through your hard work and not through your words. I always believe that actions would always speak louder than words. Your work should speak, for example, if I am working on my own body, my hard work will show eventually, and I will get what I want to get.

So just keep chasing dreams and maintain a balance and always have the love for the family first.

They say, “You Are What You Eat”. Bodybuilding requires a strict and healthy diet to be followed. So, what are your diet hacks?

Yes exactly. Our body becomes what its fed with. You eat good and your body becomes good, you eat bad and it will start reflecting the bad. About me, I have a strict diet. My food is very limited as whatever I eat shows next day on my face and my face needs to look leaner all the time.

For Bodybuilding and staying lean and healthy, I stick on the same diet for up to 12 months. It helps my body to adapt to healthy and nutritious food and maintain the discipline in my routines.

Do you prefer having any Cheat Meals as people often say that cheat meal is a very important part of breaking the monotony?

People often ask me about cheat meals, I tell them that I don’t prefer cheat meals as they make me crave for more. Yes, just occasionally when my mom cooks chicken biryani as it the only thing I have a big craze for. Other than that, I am always on a strict diet of low carbs and high protein only.

Read Also: The Role Of Protein In a Muscle Building Diet

About people having a cheat meal is not a sin either. This is how it should be. But I don’t do it. For me, for the first week of switching on to some diet I crave for it but then my body gets used to it. We as humans are blessed with an amazing capability called as adapting to the environment. If we keep on doing one thing, our body and mind adapt to it within a week. Automatically our bodies get used to it. The same goes for your sleep pattern and diet as well.

For me it is very important to stick to a strict diet in which the sugar is less, the salt is less. But yes, occasionally I have a cheesecake or something like that. Recently I had a pizza which was after 3 years almost.

How do you manage so much within those same 24 hours?

Again, it is all possible because I lead a disciplined life. I keep track of when to do what so that I don’t miss out on important things in life. While I am busy at shoots, I have my assistants with me who prepare my meals and provide them on time. My producers make sure that whatever my diet contains is always available on the sets. However, people can prepare their meals in a fixed slot of the day as there is nothing as being too busy to focus on yourself.

Your followers are keen to know about your meal plans and diet so that they can follow your footsteps to attain a great physique as you do. What are meal diet plans and diet hacks?

I eat simple yet healthy food full of nutrition and for rest, there is MuscleBlaze which provides me fuel to get into the shape.

My Meal Plan Includes all low carb and high protein foods. I have divided my daily intake into 4 major parts.

MuscleBlaze® recently had a campaign #TumNahiSamjhoge in which we spotted you inspiring fitness enthusiasts around the nation. So, what was it all about and what made you be a part of this campaign?

#TumNahiSamjhoge was one of the best things from MuscleBlaze® that I loved to be a part of. It was all about those moments when a fitness enthusiast is misunderstood for giving more importance to their fitness rather than paying attention to other things. It was followed and accepted by people from all over India and to see so many people being serious about living a fit life was amazing.

Well, my #TumNahiSamjhoge moment was when I decided to get into bodybuilding which was post my show Mahabharata went off the air. Everybody started to throw sarcastic questions at me that if I am doing so well in the field of acting then why do I need to take so much of pain to be a bodybuilder with a sculpted physique. My goal at that time was to win the Mr. India Competition and at times it used to become too difficult to explain why I was doing all that. I guess that was my #TumNahiSamjhoge moment.

According to the stats, MuscleBlaze® is rising to be a great sports nutrition supplement provider in India. You have been associated with MuscleBlaze® and we are eager to know what inspired you to associate with the Brand?

As you said that MuscleBlaze® is a rising star in India, it is the only brand that is providing such a great quality of sports nutrition products. It is quite amazing and yes different from other established brands in terms of stringent quality and meeting what people want. For example, it the first time that MuscleBlaze® has initiated the authentication code services which helps you to be sure that the one you have is the genuine product and you are good to go with it.

Another great fact that drew my attention to be associated with MuscleBlaze® is that the company imports all its raw material from trusted sources based in the USA and Europe. When you start something with so good, then it is going to provide good results at the end. Same is with the MuscleBlaze® as their raw material meets the international quality standards thus we get a tried and tested product every time we consume a MuscleBlaze® product.

What would you suggest to the people complaining about Time management?

This is just an excuse. I would suggest if you have time to surf on internet and check out someone on social media for a full 45 minutes, instead you can invest that time in your own body, therefore, letting other people checking you out within 3 months.

For me, it’s a simple thing that doesn’t waste your time doing the craziest and stupidest things in life. If you save some time you should rather spend that time on yourself. There were times when I used to sleep only four hours a day and rest of the time I used to be in the gym preparing for the title Mr. India and that is how I won Mr. India.

The day you’ll start giving an excuse is the day your body is giving an excuse. So, break out of the excuses and monotony to achieve what you desire.