Journalism of Courage
Running from pillar to post to find sponsors,says Yogesh Shinde
As Yogesh Shinde lifts the metal bar piled with weights,a collective silence descends on the Deccan Gymkhana gym.
As dumbbells fall to the ground with resounding thuds,jaws of the people who were all earlier grunting in effort drop in amazement. Shinde,who seemed oblivious to all this attention,calmly holds up the bar,which bends under the strain of the 110 kg of metal attached to it.
With a hiss of breath,Shinde begins his bench-press routine and completes 20 repetitions. The silence does not lift till Shinde is at the end of his set and by that time the 27-year-old has added 30 kg more to the bar.
This is just the start of my work-out,I need my body to be absolutely perfect if I am to stand a chance in Holland, says the burly Shinde. He is training in preparation for the Mr Universe – the pinnacle of bodybuilding achievement in the world. He has earned the right to represent India at the annual competition in Delft,Holland from the first to the third of December by virtue of being crowned Mr India in the 85kg event at a national meet in Gwalior last year.
It has been a long journey for Shinde who hails from the small village of Bhiwadi in Pune district. His father is a guard at the Bank of India in Saswad. Till he was 19,Shinde used to take care of his familys cattle. When I was 16,a friend dragged me to a gym. I spent that day just looking at people lifting weights and I kind of liked it. I went back the next day and since then I dont think theres been a single day that I havent gone to the gym, he says.
Shinde took up professional bodybuilding at 21. I came to Pune seven years ago and my first job was that of a gym trainer. However pushing my body to the limit was something I always enjoyed and bodybuilding really appealed to me, he says. Shinde says that he used to play kabaddi when he was in school and was also an amateur wrestler. My body was used to the kind of exercise that was expected and I won the 65kg group stage in the first competition I participated in. Since then I havent looked back, he says.
A typical day begins at five in the morning for Shinde. I wake up and have my breakfast of 200gms of chicken,10 egg whites,an apple and a protein shake. After that I head to the gym for cardiovascular training session, says Shinde who runs four kilometres and cycles for 12 km in the two-hour session.
I have another round of breakfast after my cardio session and then head to the gym in the evening for weight training. he says.
The life of a professional bodybuilder is so regimented that Shinde says he cannot afford to go wrong with his meal timings. It is imperative that I eat every three hours. Even If I miss one cycle,my muscle mass suffers and that is something which is unacceptable. It is been quite hard to deny myself my favourite food for the past six years now, says Shinde. His daily diet consists of 900 gms of chicken,40 egg whites,three apples,six oranges,two coconuts,a kilo of spinach and lettuce and 240 gms of whey protein.
Shinde says that he wants to make the best use of the limited time that he has got. A professional bodybuilders body responds well till the age of 35,then the muscles stop responding and developing mass and attaining definition becomes difficult. So I still have seven years in which to achieve my goals. Though I really want to announce my arrival with a win at Mr. Universe,which is my first international outing, says Shinde.
Shinde who won another Mr India title in the 85kg weight class at the National Bodybuilding Championship in Srinagar in August says that sustaining himself and his dietary requirements are proving to be a struggle. The 27-year-old is currently unemployed after his stint as a gym trainer came to an end last month. I have been running from pillar to post finding sponsors for this competition. Deccan Gymkhana have been generous with their help,giving me a cash incentive as well as allowing me to use their gymnasium but apart from that sponsors are hard to come by. My dietary requirements cost me Rs 30,000 per month and its absolutely necessary for me to find a sponsor, he says.
Shinde though is hopeful of bagging a group win in the competition in Holland. A win will get me noticed and maybe people might put their faith in me, says Shinde as he hurries off to keep his date with his 200 gms of chicken.
