‘I worked as a watchman’: John Abraham, Ambanis’ fitness trainer says he built a Rs 15 cr gym, earns Rs 3-5 lakh in a day after years of poverty

Vinod shared that he joined a gym in Mumbai as a fitness trainer. “I did bodybuilding for 15 years before becoming a celebrity fitness trainer. When you work hard for 10–15 years, then you get opportunity like this. Many people ask me how can they become a trainer like me who charges in lakhs and they are only one and two month old in training.”

Vinod also revealed that he left the gym where he worked for 12 years, along with all his clients, because he wanted to earn better fees. He moved to Bandra with the hope of earning more and attracting bigger clients. He said, “I shifted to Bandra for better fees and also hoping that I would get celebrity client.”

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He further shared that since he was an old bodybuilder, the manager of the Bandra gym recognised him and gave him a chance, marking the beginning of his journey as a celebrity fitness trainer. “I started from zero in Bandra with no clients. Whoever I used to found in gym, I used to train them. Then a relative of Ritesh Deshmukh spotted me and he recommended me to Riteish Deshmukh.” Vinod also shared that he later went on a world tour with Riteish.

Coming from humble beginnings, Vinod eventually realised all his dreams after becoming one of the most sought-after celebrity fitness trainers. Recalling his time training John Abraham for the film Force, he said, “I was at the peak of my career at that time I was charging Rs 25,000 per hour. At that time, Ananya Birla also approached me, and they would give me a higher amount.” Vinod had also shared that he was working for 16 hours per day during the peak of his career. He added, “I bought 5-6 homes. I bought a gym for Rs 15 crore.”

He has also trained Isha Ambani, Anant Ambani and Akash Ambani. In fact, he was part of Anant Ambani’s fitness journey when he lost 108 kgs in 18 months. He also spoke about working with actors such as Shilpa Shetty and Vivek Oberoi.