#FitAndFab Shaheb Bhattacharjee: I don’t believe in fancy fitness regimes, it’s a way of life for me – Times of India

Staying in shape is a must in the showbiz world as competition is fierce here. We often see stars setting a mark with their amazing body transformation through intense workout regime. Their gym jams motivate the fans to care for their fitness and we absolutely love our favourite stars putting extra efforts on their fitness. Now, ETimes brings a new series #FitAndFab with our very own Tollywood stars as they share the secrets behind their amazing physic, inspiring fitness routine, daily diet and more. This week we caught up with versatile actor Shaheb Bhattacharjee who is a self-proclaimed fitness freak and effortlessly juggles film, television and OTT projects.
Training schedule…
Fitness, for some, is a lifestyle. For me, it’s a way of life. It’s like a positive addiction. I have mostly maintained a lean look for myself, occasionally bulking up before films. I wake up by 7.30 am and hit the gym, where I train for two hours. This includes mobility exercises, weight training and stretching. I do heavy weight training four times a week and high intensity workouts (with weights) twice a week. But I take a day off to rest my body. I keep changing my training pattern, so that the body does not get accustomed to it. I also do cross-fit training and a lot of core exercises. I don’t believe in fancy fitness regimes.

Maintain fitness… I feel the body achieves what the mind believes. I still remember while doing Jhalak Dikhla Jaa Bangla, I had torn a ligament. Doctors asked me to go for surgery, but I refused. I worked my legs back to fitness with the help of different exercises and after some time I could even squat with almost double my body weight. I do a lot of lower body training like squats and overhead lunges. This helps me keep my core muscles tight and achieve a flat belly. Films often require a lot of running, jumping and using cables. My cross-fit training helps me stay fit.

Usual diet…
I strongly believe bodies are made in the kitchen, not in the gym. I was 12 kg underweight when I started training. With the help of a proper diet, I achieved the right body weight and can now boast of having 18% body fat. Ideally, I try to have six-seven meals a day. I start off with a protein shake and almonds right after I wake up. Then I have breakfast, a post-training meal, lunch, early-evening meal, dinner and a late-night protein shake with milk. I mostly stay on a low carb high-protein diet, which includes 15 eggs and 500 gm of chicken every day.

Cheat days…
Yes, once every week. But I feel one day of bad food breaks your habit in the long run. Earlier, I used to have biryani thrice a week. Now I don’t remember when I last had it! I have chocolates once in a while though.

Fitness idol…

With a sporting idol right at home, I did not have to look for inspiration anywhere else. My dad used to go for his training at 5.30 am, even if it’s raining. As kids, my sister and I used to run with him on the race course. After that, we used to swim in the Ganga at Babughat. He has always been my inspiration in terms of fitness and otherwise. I hope someday, I too will inspire others.