The Celebrity Segment-Karan Bawa Ceo,Md Bawa Group Of Hotels Unveils His Fitness Secrets

OUR OFFICIAL SPONSOR Parul Khanna- Desert Planners-Your Pleasure Our Business

Desert Planners Tourism is an inbound solutions provider for United Arab Emirates which provides services like hotel accommodation, tours, excursions, airport transfers and events. HURRY WITH YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY FOR EXCITING PACKAGES www.desertplanners.net

A Graduate from RA Podar college as the Bachelor Of Commerce,gets into managing the daily affairs of HIS hotel business which included managing rooms division, restaurants, banquets and a discotheque.He continued learning hotel management and was soon upgraded as the CEO of the hotel business.In the year 2007 along with his younger brother he started a web-portal for hotel deals across the country and bagged their first franchise hotel in Calcutta. He took over the business in 2007 with a prestigious residential apartment project at posh locality of Juhu beach involved in number of projects related to Slum Rehabilitation, redevelopment of societies, colonies, etc in Mumbai,Panvel,Lonavala and Punjab. 

His company also forays into the health and fitness industry partnering with health and beauty diva, popular actress Shilpa shetty with a brand called Iosis. The company which is now established with 10 operating centers in the country and 10 more to open this year and He has recently been appointed as the vice chairman of G.N.Khalsa college

It is always a delight talking to him and this time he talks exclusively for my blog about his fitness regime(He is  Fitness Literate) style and what motivates him.Karan Bawa CEO of Bawa group of hotels Punjabi by nature,Lean and fit as a fiddle (inspite of surrounded by food all the time-and quiet a cook himself)well known for his hospitality and warm nature impeccable taste in food and dancing happens naturally to him.He is one of the most busy people yet most dedicated and fit people i have met.The man who is busy yet makes no excuses and makes time for his passion for fitness.This man never tires and inspires me to the core.Read on!

1-When did u start with fitness journey 

Can't remember but I guess it has been more than 10 yrs 

2.What is the secret to your amazing body..tell us a bit about your workout regime and Diet that u follow 

Well it's no secret it's plain and simple hard work and consistency. I am lucky that I have built tremendous control with respect to my eating habits. I have 6 meals segregated through out the day into a proper mix of high protein decent amount of carbs and fibre. I have been able to get excellent results only by aligning a proper diet. It's very important that we learn to respect our body and the only way to do that is by giving it food at the right intervals and proper rest. In urban life its difficult to maintain both but one has to find out a mid way that keeps a balance between your personal life and social life. I have always socialized  and binged as though there is no tomorrow but when I am home or at my work place, I don't indulge.  I stick to a fixed meal which is designed by a professional dietitian. Now a days there are some awesome low fat products available in the market that are a good replacement. Plus one always needs to keep one thing in mind that if it's TASTY then it's definitely NOT HEALTHY. So stop giving excuses and plan your meal cause when it concerns your life - don't forget even the CREATOR (God) has a plan. 

3.Tell us what you love eating - sweet sweets sweets !!! Lol we all love that don't we but I am a true punjabi so I obviously can't be away from the meat and the parathas. I indulge with pleasure but only when am on a vacation or on a Sunday. 

4-Which is your fav workout/exercise/activity -I have been mixing my activities with forms like yoga, strength, running, Swimming or functional training. I believe it's best to get into maximum variation. Cause just one activity can be boring plus you are hitting only a limited number of muscles. If we keep mixing our work out with good recreational activities like sports etc, then we target all the muscles of the body and keep the body agile. Moreover work out forms and techniques can also be based on your target. 

5-Tell us about your Style and clothes you sport while working out- I like wearing bright colours but clothes would normally mean something that is comfortable cause while working out its best that we keep it nice and easy. Branded companies like Nike, Adidas, reebok are providing some excellent sports wear that is sweat free and smart 

6-What motivates you?A healthy mind motivates me. Cause only a healthy mind will have a healthy body. So it's most important to learn the art of managing your stress. Take out time to laugh if you have forgotten how to do that, cause any kind of stress can lead to injury or muscle loss 

7.Who is your role model -Our role models keep changing with age. I think it's very important to have a target for everything that we do, but I also believe that we can't be aping an individual. So my way of role modelling is that I believe that it's best to target certain amount of lean body mass in your body, the fat percentage or the inches that your body measures. Thats what lets you know how good is your shape and how healthy you are from with in. More over its important that we also indulge in sporting activity of any kind or any sort of functional training to keep the muscles active and a check on our heart condition, cause some times our mind tends to get adapted to a certain set of work out so it's best to vary your work out, this technique will lead not only to a good body but also to over all conditioning of the muscle and the heart.

8-Tell us your fav dessert-hmmmm can't name one. But if I have to, top on the chart is JALEBEE

9-Tell us how you relax/unwind after a hectic day at work -The best is too sleep. Nothing unwinds better than sleep.

10-On a partying note give our readers tip or advice to help them be fit n healthy -Just keep yourself active guys and always keep a check on your binging cause that's what spoils us. Any kind of junk food is a absolute no no, if you want a healthy body Eat what's cooked at home. Make a chicken burger at home instead - the recipe is on google. Just be focused, consistent and patient and those 6 packs will show up for sure 

Female strength training myths-BUSTED

MYTH#1 Lifting weights will make me bulky-Gosh this one i have been hearing year after year and it surprises me this one wont die.Ok so once n for all-LIFTING WEIGHTS WONT MAKE YOU BULKY LADIES.Due to the fact that women do not, and cannot, naturally produce as much testosterone (one of the main hormones responsible for increasing muscle size) as males do, it is impossible for a woman to gain huge amounts of muscle mass by merely touching some weights.I know the image you get in your head when you think of a woman lifting weights that of a professional body builder but you have to understand that they are on strict diets supplements and anabolic steroids to achieve that bulk in their bodies.Ladies go lift weights it will burn your fat and give you that toned look 


MYTH#2 If you stop exercising your muscles will turn into fat
Its funny how this one refuses to die.this is like saying that gold can turn into brass. Muscle and fat are two totally different types of tissue. What happens many times is that when people decide to go off their weight training programs they start losing muscle due to inactivity and also usually drop the diet as well. Therefore bad eating habits combined with the fact that their metabolism is lower due to inactivity, and lower degrees of muscle mass, give the impression that muscle is being turned into fat while in reality what is happening is that muscle is being lost and fat is being accumulated. 

MYTH#3 WOMEN ONLY NEED CARDIO AND IF YOU LIFT DO IT LIGHT
WRONG WRONG WRONG Women must train hard  One needs to do weights in order to get the muscle building machine going and thus prevent any loss of muscle tissue. Women that only concentrate on cardio will have a very hard time achieving the look that they want. As far as the lifting of very light weights, this is just more nonsense. Muscle responds to resistance and if the resistance is too light, then there will be no reason for the body to change. 

MYTH 4#WEIGHT TRAINING TURNS FAT INTO MUSCLE
Ahem Ahem..can metal be turned into gold?he way a body transformation occurs is by gaining muscle through weight training and losing fat through cardio and diet simultaneously. Again, muscle and fat are very different types of tissue. We cannot turn one into the other.

MYTH 5-sLASHING CALORIES IS BEST WAY TO LOSE WEIGHT
Damn this is one of the biggest misakes you can make.If you go very low on the calories your body goes into a starvation mode.This mechanism, which is thought to have evolved as a defence against starvation, means the body becomes super efficient at making the most of the calories it does get from food and drink. It derives its calories from lean muscle tissues to protect its fat stores...shucks so less muscle mass which in turn lowers metabolic rate so that the body needs fewer calories to keep ticking over and weight loss slows down. Of course, this is the perfect solution if you're in a famine situation. But if you're trying to lose weight, it's going to do little to help you shift those unwanted pounds
So ladies dont cut back drastically on the calories..Lift right and get the desired body you want 

In Conversation With The Fit Celeb Choreographer Absolutely Charismatic TERENCE LEWIS

Hes choreographed hit Films Like Jhankaar Beats Lagaan Ramleela and Judging the very popular  Dance india Dance ,Nach Baliye 5 Nach Baliye Shrimaan Shrimati.Hes won several several awards and undoubtedly the most stylish person on tv
He runs his 'Terence Lewis Contemporary Dance Company' in Mumbai, holds dance workshops  both in India and abroad. apart from musicals, stage shows, ads, music videos and national and international dance competitions
Phewwwwwwww Hes charasmatic,Absolutely talented and  currently making people go drooling on tv!!!Terrance lewis One of the Most fittest  n dedicated Talks excusilvely for my blog about his journey from Flab to Eye candy FIT

1.When did u start with fitness journey 

My Transformation took 6 months. I had been to the Gym earlier and spent countless hours of time and money with very poor results. I knew that I had to get serious and that there were no shortcuts. The desire to get lean and ripped was a conscious effort to reach a sport or athletic level of fitness as opposed to the body building type without side effects. I wanted a beach body, the surfers body… it was not about just size increase but functionality. My job requires me to teach, be active and dancing really keeps my energies up, So I just didn’t want to look big like a bouncer or Body builder, I wanted the functional strength of a Wrestler If I wanted extreme results and a perfect lean body, I knew that I wd have to kick off old habits to make room for the new lifestyle. I also like to add here that everyone doesn’t need to get obsessed with fitness like we do in our profession cause it demands it. People with other careers should just eat sensibly, jog, do free hand exercises like pull up s crunches and few stretches and live happily. Our field esp dance and performing arts, good tone and definition adds a lot to appreciating the art form.So Well like everything else in life two things work: Understanding the Science behind muscle/fat- loss/gain and then following a regimen, which means Discipline.The body building, (I prefer calling it Body Sculpting techniques) are available on the internet but the Discipline to achieve your goal is within you. Most importantly you have to want it badly. The question is How hungry are you…How willing are you? Who doesn’t want a good body. Simply wishing wont work. You need to have the right knowledge and understand how the body functions. You should be willing to change your eating habits cause 70 percent of your weight gain or loss comes from what you eat and only 30% is training! But before you get to that, its important to know how your body is functioning internally. Hence the first step is to get a detailed Blood report to know what’s happening inside you!You can get these check ups done and the results delivered to you in a day: Anyways a yearly health check up is mandatory for everyone,so U might as well do one now!

2.What is the secret to your amazing body tell us a bit about your workout regime and Diet that u follow

3 days Cardio and 3 days Weight Training:Yes don’t overdo Weight Training cause you will get poor results!

 I work out 3 days a week in the Gymn for 50 mins.If you train longer there is danger of injury as post 45 mins of intense muscle contractions sends the body in a catabolic state and that’s not a good time to pick weights. So Stayfocussed on time. Gym is not a time to socialize and waste time.

(Max Load Factor: Ex for Biceps: Pick up on the rack the maximum weight which you can lift and complete successfully only one rep with correct form.Now take 80% of this weight and that’s the weight you gotta train with. )

Correct Form is key as sometimes you may be using the wrong muscles to compensate your weakness and this can lead to injury. Getting your muscles to focus with the right breathing technique after an appropriate warm up will ensure you do not have soreness and injuries.

 I will confess, I had three bad injuries, neck, upper back and knees.

Bad technique or bad form were the cause of the neck and back.After I consulted my Physiotherapist and learnt the mechanics of movement, I was back in the gymn wiser. Also I had foolishly picked up weights that were heavier than my capacity and hence compensating strength with other muscles and not the primary muscles that I wanted to develop. I not only didn’t increase in size, but got injured and felt drained.The male ego in a  testosterone driven gym space can  drive Alfa males like me be more ambitious than the body can take. Thanks to the Pilates Reformer I was able to bounce back faster!

Bad Knees: Well Running on treadmill continuously which is a hard surface, placed too much impact on my knees so I prefer jogging as opposed to running on the beach.Skipping and climbing stairs are equally high impact and dangerous for knees if you do it repeatedly.

 Warm up: I cannot stress more on the importance of warm up in Body building.I warm up for 15 mins that includes 7 minutes of cardio and 7 to 8 mins of free hand exercizes. I like to do 10 Suryanamaskar slowly cause it stretches the back and warms up the key muscle areas and then do the superman hold stretch, going to quick plank position hold to awaken the core. 2 sets of Pull Ups and finish with Shoulder rotation and torso- twists!

Any muscle part requires only 3 variations and three set of 12, 10, and 8, reps with increase in weight.

Tip: Before you start your 3 sets, firstset pick 50% less and do 24 reps on it to warm up and send the blood flow to those muscles to avoid cramping and lactic build up. You shouldd finish your 4 sets in 7 to 10 mins  tops

Day 1:  Back and Biceps

Day 2: Chest and Triceps

Day 3:  Legs and Shoulders

 Since weight training seriously reduces flexibility I had to do an extra one hour of ballistic and propioceptive neuromuscular partner stretching to release the tension in da muscles!

I hang upside down On the monkey bars.I do reverse crunches and abdominal twist! This really engages the core! I still love and continue to teach and since at the academy we exclusively only teach the professional diploma students,the routines are demanding and exhausting and the yoga based warm -ups really open up the entire body as else u can become very stiff!

The other three days is Cardio.

Cool down stretches are the best part and this prevents lactic acid muscle soreness or stiffness. 

Your diet -A Regular Day:

6.00 am :I prefer jogging on Juhu  beach or Carters early morning(before the sun hits u up Directly).I consume 1 banana and nariyalpani with 3 amino gel capsules, before the run for energy,

After I finish the cardio for 40 mins, I stretch for 15 mins and cool down

7.30 am : 1 bowl of slim dahi with uncooked oats half an apple or banana or pomegranate  with a dash of honey

42 gms of Protein shake in water

10.30 am 4 egg whites and 2 full boiled or scrambled with baked beans for taste 1 brown toast lightly coated with a slim cheese spread

1.30 : Lunch : 6 Egg whites,I katori dal,2 sweet potatoes, I katori Spinach

4pm: 42 gms protein shake , 2 bananas

7.00pm : Dinner: Tofu 100 gms or 6 egg whites (bhurgi style or grilled with some fat free dressing, one portion of fresh salad; lots of greens

8.00: gymn workout on Alternate days  ( Ifim tired by the end of the day I have a pre-workout like Assault to wake me up and kick  in mental alertness before my workout)

9.30 pm: 42 gms Protein shake  with a dash of Glutamine and just before sleeping 2 multivitamin pills, 4 Fish oil Gels (omega 3 fatty acids)!

10 pm: Sometimes I bowl of Pink Berry Yogurt:

 Following a diet that is nutritious is essential.I have more complex carbs and increased the protein intake for muscle development! Since I'm vegetarian I used to eat 16 to 18  boiled egg whites a day spread over 5 meals! My Cook has been seriously bored and underworked cause its either boiled or grilled food.If you are non Vegetarian you can eat Grilled Chicken Turkey and fish. Avoid Oily Gravy rich food and if you have to eat riceorchappati, keep it minimum. Its better you eat more eggs or chicken and fill up with it than carbs like rice and rotis.Keep them to a minimum.

Avoid  alcohol for the first three months and the next 3 months u can drink moderately without adding juices or aerated drinks. If you have an active social life just make sure your belly is packed in with dinner by 8 pm and avoid snacks at these parties. Saying NO to overzealous friends who wanna feed you, is powerful…try itThe body need 6 to 8 hrs of undisturbed sleep to help muscles and the entire body systems to function optimallyWater consumption should be atleast 3 litres and make sure you drink I litre before your workout as water in the body helps for nutrients to reach easily into the cells for better performance.

To combat stress in a craze competitive space like Mumbai, I have certain spiritual practices that help me handle stress at work and life. I have been initiated in theShambhaviMahamudra Meditation Technique by Sadhguruwhich is only 21 minsand I find it really works as its technique especially the breathing  technique completely balances my Prana (life energies connected to breath)

3.Who is your role model
No one specific. But in the gym  several people who are  lean ripped and proportionate and i dont know their names...they are ordinary people with extra ordinary bodies. Amongst celebs a recent pic of Arjun Ramphal, left me speechless. The best definition i have seen so far

4.Tell us what you love eating

I love eating good food... im not into quantity but tasty nutitious food with the right spices flavours textures and presentation...i dont like heavy food cause it slows me down and makes me sleepy. I do like Pani poori a lot. Wish we could get baked pooris, vada pav with gun powder. 

5-Which is your fav workout/exercise/activity

I love to stretch after my workout, it really takes away all the pain and stress. Love doing monkey bar tricks on the pull up road

6-Tell us about your Style and clothes you sport while working out
Im not comfortable in short shorts, track pants, loose airy singlets and cotton lycra tees

7-Tell us about your Amazing new look which has gone VIRAL worldwide
its just that im a creative person and i love experimenting. ive always tried new styles in clothes and hairstyles.You see i was spending a lot of time in goa and abroad so naturally i didnt have to shave and look good and then i got a lot of attention for my facial hair from women especially and so i decided to give it a certain style and maintain it besides ive had that good boy image abnd look a tad too long on indian tv. I like to reinvent myself so this comes naturally to me. People say that i have an instant instinct for style and details.

8-Tell us your fav dessert

pink berry yogurt ice cream with fresh fruit toppings.

9-What motivates you?
Result oriented [rocess,great bodies, great minds too and most importantly good music.

10-Tell us how you relax/unwind after a hectic day 
i do my Shambhavi maha mudra that i got initiated thru Sadhguru.Its a meditative technique and it takes care of yuor body and mind and most important Balances your Prana Shakti.I use music therapy too and love to read and watch movies every day especially foreign films

11-Would you like to say a word or 2 about me in terms of fitness 
Yes its great to see you in the gym.BhumiCka you have a great body, its curvyy, feminine and decently strong. I like your stretches cause u make them look sexy and then us boys loose our concentration...back handed compliment...But most of all i like your positive aura...your smile is warm and infectious  

12-You are a Role model for so many people give our readers tip or advice to help them be fit n healthy
Not every body needs to have a six pack body...If your profession doesnt demand it its better you focus on excelling in your work. Being fit and having enough stamina and increasing ur immunity to illness is achieved by simple exercize programs and healthy eating habbits. Learn to say No to things that are not good for you. be convincing and firm else your family and friends will ask again.