From being underweight to being a fit model | Body transformation – Ajit Shetty

If at all you’re the person who often gets excited by the idea of fitness and a physique that you can call smashing perf, this article is for you! Inspiration can find its way through any door in our life, and this time it was an Instagram trend that high peaked our fitness aspiration. #10yearschallenge was making a tremendous roar on Instagram with almost 3.5 million posts and gave a platform to people to showcase their fitness transformation. One of them, who caught our attention was Ajit Shetty – A transformation that shook us quite well!

Gympik reached out to this Mumbai guy to churn out the fitness inspo juice for our readers, and we vouch that this read is surely gonna pump up your fitness motives.

Gympik: Tell us a bit about yourself? What do you do?

Ajit: “I am a fitness enthusiast with a knack for designs and interior finesse, I also enjoy being in front of the camera ever since I transformed. I’m Ajay Shetty, 31 years old from Mumbai. I graduated in the Year 2011 from IINF with a degree in Fashion Designing. I joined a soft furnishing firm Embellish right after my graduation and I’ve created exceptional designs that helped me win numerous accolades. Now, I’m working as a head designer and absolutely love the way opportunities have shaped me as  a better person. I’m also a freelance model, I do take up assignments and projects whenever I feel I have the bandwidth to commit to it, being in front of camera is my post-transformation discovery and I absolutely love taking up this opportunity whenever I can!”

Gympik: How long have you been associated with fitness and how did you start?

Ajit: I have been a believer of fitness for over 10 yrs now, and like anyone else I started off with self-realization and bit of embarrassment as I was very skinny and looked very dull. Unfortunately, in today’s world, your appearance matters a lot . Initially, it was difficult for me to start with a fitness routine which I wasn’t accustomed to, but once the results started showing up, slowly I got the motivation to keep pumping. Not bragging, but today when I look back in my past, I have come a long way in the  fitness game and it has surely helped me in multiple ways.

 “When I started working out my weight was 48 kgs and now I’m 72 kgs which is proportionate to my 5’8” height, with a  body fat percentage of 12!”

Gympik: What is your favorite form of workout? How do you customize diet plans and workout routines?

Ajit: I love weight training and I pay a lot of attention on my lower body as we all know it takes a lot of effort to build good leg muscles. For lower body, I do repetitive routines of lunges, weighted squats, steppers, leg press and lot more leg workout variations. I believe I don’t have to customize my diet plan a lot as I am allowed to eat almost everything (thanks to my high metabolism) but I make sure to minimize my daily sugar  consumption. Apart from that, as a basic necessity for bodybuilding, I keep my protein intake high enough for muscle growth and strength. I start my day by eating an apple, I have 7 eggs in the afternoon followed by a protein shake and same after my workout in the evening. I keep my dinner light, it’s mostly salad with fresh veggies and smoked or boiled meat or chicken.

Gympik: What do you think is the biggest roadblock for people to take up fitness?

Ajit: I believe it is the will, dedication, and consistency. You either have it or you don’t. Once you start taking your workout seriously, you start rationalizing every excuse that stops you from taking up fitness sincerely. The beginning is always a laid back phase, someday you feel like you’re exhausted, someday you’re lazy, or you had a bad day at work and you decide to skip the workout. The willingness to surpass that thought of an excuse and still get yo ass to the gym is what introduces you to your best potential.

Gympik: Who’re your fitness idols? And why?  

Ajit: It is true that you get inspired by a lot of people on social media but my true fitness idol has to be my Dad. He is 60 years old and since I have understood fitness or got the idea of being fit, I have seen him wake up every day around quarter to 6 am and go for a walk, do yoga, and post that he does his basic weight training at home. I was just fascinated at how he’s so dedicated to stay fit. And trust me he is pretty fit for his age. For bodybuilding inspiration, there are a lot of aesthetic fitness models and pages that I follow on Instagram, one of them is @bodiesaesthetic that gives me enough encouragement and motivation to go on with my workout routine.  

Gympik: What current trends in the health and fitness industry have you adopted? Tell us the story.

Ajit: Eating right and working out to stay fit and in shape has always been in the trend I believe. And I guess I adopted it, say, a decade ago. It is not very easy to remain fit and in shape all the time, as it takes a lot of courage to stay true and committed to yourself. You can lie to others not to yourself. I believe the other fitness fads are just for a season, today it’s something, tomorrow it will be something else. So, it’s better to stick to the fitness trend that suits you.

Gympik: Fitness is a lifestyle choice that you’ve made. On the way, what challenges did you face and how did you overcome them?

Ajit: Initially it was very difficult as your body is not used to flexing and stressing your muscles, the body pain, new food routine etc. It takes time to adapt to it but all it takes is a little faith in yourself and inspiration to do the best for your body.

Gympik: What are the major priorities of your life and how is fitness helping you achieve them?

Ajit: Beside my health, my career is my major priority. Adapting a fit lifestyle keeps me fresh and active throughout the day and helps me to be more productive. Being a designer, I have to deal with a lot of clients which sometimes gets exhausting but working out daily rejuvenates me and keeps me calm throughout the day.  

Gympik: Apart from being physically fit and getting into shape what other benefits do you get from your workout?

Ajit: For the longest time I was suffering from acute bronchitis, but adapting a fit lifestyle helped me increase my  stamina, immunity, and strength. I also started doing breathing exercises which helped me a lot in keeping bronchitis in control. Now, it has been over 5 years that my health concerns have subsided. I can proudly say that I’m at a better physical and mental state than before. The day my body started reflecting the hard work that I have been putting on it, I started getting appreciation and also little modeling and photo shoot assignments. There’s nothing more that I can ask for, it just started coming naturally to me.

Gympik: What according to you, does fitness stand for? Share a quote (preferably yours/the quote you believe in) on fitness that you truly believe in?

Ajit: According to me fitness means, to eat right and maintain a healthy physique that allows you to live your life more efficiently. Attractive physique is just a part and parcel of this amazing process. I read this quote once in a gym in my initial days that quote inspired me, it says-

“Your body can stand everything it is just your mind that you have to change.”

Gympik: Where can everyone keep up with you to learn more about your fitness mantras?

Ajit: Well, as of now you can check my social media page for more information eg: Instagram @shettyajit I keep on workout related stories and my workout results on my feed. Feel free to hit me up for advice! (laughs)

This is our yet another transformation story that is quite loud and clear to mention that dedication and consistency are all you need to put that body in the best shape possible. Maybe it will help you unleash the model in you too, you never know! Share this story with your friends for major fit-inspo from the guy who literally took the transformation challenge to a whole new level!