Prashant Sawant, one of Bollywood’s most sought after trainers, was discovered by King Khan 18 years ago. There has been no looking back since then. In a candid chat, he shares his experiences of working with superstars SRK and Varun Dhawan and also spills a few of their fitness secrets
The name Prashant Sawant may not ring a bell instantly among the aam junta, but in tinsel town he’s quite a sought-after person. Prashant is a fitness trainer, the brains and brawns behind some of the most famous physiques in the industry. He was discovered by none other than King Khan Shah Rukh and since then he has been training the superstar for 18 years now. Currently he’s also training SRK’s Dilwale co-star Varun Dhawan whose well-sculpted torso has been much lauded.
Prashant says he had been a “fat kid” which is what prompted him to get into the business of fitness. “I started at 18. I was always a fat kid, so I decided to get fit and became a gym trainer. It was around that time that I happened to meet Shah Rukh Khan in the gym. It was not a planned meeting. I believe in destiny. He was impressed by my work and asked me to be his trainer. He is the most energetic guy I know and he inspires me a lot.”
Shah Rukh has been prone to injuries but Prashant says that it has never come in the way of his workouts. “During Happy New Year he suffered a shoulder and knee injury after a freak accident. We took a 15-day break after that and then he called to say that he was ready to resume training and that we would have an even better body than what was planned earlier. He is such a positive person. He’s a great source of inspiration for those who think they cannot stay fit at 50.”
About Varun, Prashant says that he has been training him since his Student of The Year days. “Varun is very conscious about his body. Even while he is travelling for shoots, either my brother or I are constantly with him, to look after his workouts.”
Prashant gives us a peek into what goes into the hot-bods of these two superstars. SRK’s regime: SRK trains 45 minutes non-stop at least four days a week. He is particular about cardio, weight training and fat burning exercises. He gives me the freedom to try new things and although we exchange notes he never interferes in my work. He prefers a lean body and it goes with his romantic image. I have never tried to make his body look big and bulky because that just won’t suit his personality. His diet is high on proteins and he avoids carbs at night. And I make sure that he takes his protein supplements on time. Varun’s regime: Varun being a dancer is very flexible. He would leave me amazed. Even after shooting all day for ABCD 2 he would still be enthusiastic about his workouts. He does weight training and cardio. I don’t restrict Varun’s diet, his diet plan is similar to SRK’s but he is careful about eating healthy, so it’s never a problem.
