Fitness First: Karam Akhtar

Karam Akhtar gives us the lowdown on why you should have a personal trainer

Fitness trainer Karam Akhtar shares with TEdit his fitness mantras, how to achieve your fitness goals and why you should have a personal trainer

How did your passion for fitness start?

It started very early on during my high school days. I just wanted to fit better in my clothes and look good but had no idea how much I would have to invest my energy and time in the process.

How often do you train and what is the secret to your motivation to not stop?

On an average four days a week. I always want to push my boundaries.



Why are power lifting and calisthenics not your average regular bodybuilding? Could you please describe the differences between these workouts?

These are the latest training programmes and more applicable to the real world. There are so many variations and latest research can help you get better results. Intense bodybuilding is old fashioned.

What are your three favourite lifts?

I enjoy dead lifts, pull ups and squats.

Do you believe in cheat meals or cheat days? What is your normal everyday diet like?

Of course I believe in cheat meals. There should be no reason to deprive yourself of food that you enjoy but you need to balance out somewhere so that it doesn’t negatively affect you. My diet consists mostly of lean protein and complex carbs and it allows me to keep my weight down.

How important is nutrition in order to achieve your fitness goals?

You know what they say, “70% diet, and 30% exercise” and trust me it’s a true story.  A good nutrition plan is the ultimate secret to fast progress in the gym.

What tips would you give to a beginner who is just starting their fitness journey?

I would advise to start slow, hire a trainer, train hard, sleep a lot, drink lots of water, keep your nutrition in check and always strive to do better than your last workout.



What makes a great client? And how do you tackle a client who doesn’t listen to instructions properly?

It can actually be very tricky, sometimes we, as trainers are forced to do something because our logic isn’t matching with yours but our ultimate goal is to show you results. So if I say you only need to work out thrice a week, don’t force us to make you work out for five days even if you feel you can push it. There’s reasoning behind everything and our clients pay us to make the work out plan work but the more clients interfere with it, the more difficult it is for the trainers to get the required results.

Apart from working out, what are your hobbies?

I’d say video games. Unfortunately I hardly have the time to play because of intense training but whenever I do get time I really enjoy playing video games.