Asked to describe Kareena Kapoor Khan’s physical strength when he began training her a year ago, Mahesh Ghanekar says simply: “It was zero.” An advocate for muscle-building routines, Ghanekar put Kapoor on a regimented high-intensity routine, enabling her to pull off handstands in a short span of time.

“When I work with [Kareena], I aim to keep her heart rate around 165 to 180 bpm. As soon as it falls to around 125 bpm, I’ll have her move to the next set. For a span of 30 to 45 minutes, I keep her moving, and don’t let her rest,” says the trainer, adding that the practice enables his clients to stay in a “fat-burning zone”.

Ghanekar doesn’t disregard training methods that may be contrary to his, but asserts that his routines enable his clients to develop functional strength. “My aim is to always ensure that the body looks different from the last month, and that is what we have been able to achieve with Kareena. Because she can see the difference, she enjoys it. I ascertain that she is able to recover fast enough to pull off the high-intensity routine. After I get her heart rate to about 160 bpm, I notice how quickly she recovers and brings it back to around 125 bpm. This should happen in about 30 seconds. This gives me an understanding of her athletic levels. It also tells me that her body is functioning properly. If there is a delay in recovery, that is indicative of something being amiss.”

While asserting that muscle-building should be given its due importance, Ghanekar doesn’t insist on loading his celebrity clients with excessive weights. “In traditional methods, on a leg-day, your trainer may ask you to begin with weighted squats of 140 pounds. But, I’ll keep that for the end. I may ask you to target the muscles in a different way, using the cable instead, or have you perform [multiple repetitions] using [as little as] 25 pounds. The exercises that I ask them to do will also target the muscles of the core, and have an element of cardiovascular work linked with it. All of this is done within the span of 30 minutes. The idea is to shock the brain and be ready for anything at all times. You shouldn’t be in a position where you have to stop and think about the next exercise.”

With a clientele that also boasts names like Soha Ali Khan, and Bipasha Basu, Ghanekar shares that he understands the nitty-gritties of training women above the age of 40. “We are working on building power with movements that help one develop that. And I introduce as many as 15 variations within the span of one hour. But, I pay a lot of attention to the technique, and immediately curb a movement if I feel something is wrong. I give them enough time for breath work. I encourage them to stay away from sweets and flour-based foods. Once you begin to do so, your body immediately starts rejecting them. Sleep, food, and exercise are the three pillars of fitness. If you get even one of these wrong, you won’t see the desired results.”