After piling on six kilos for Kargil Girl, Janhvi Kapoor sheds 10 kilos for RoohiAfza only to gain muscle for the Georgia leg of Gunjan Saxena biopic
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; July 29, 2019)

Before she gave her first shot for the tentatively titled Kargil Girl, Janhvi Kapoor was hard at work at the gym, for weeks, with celebrity trainer Namrata Purohit (below). Their brief — "to make Janhvi look slightly plump," says the fitness expert. If the actor reached the milestone within 45 days, the duo has a tougher fitness goal staring at them now. Kapoor — who had gained six kilos for the first schedule of the IAF pilot Gunjan Saxena biopic — had to cut down almost 10 kilos before reporting to the set of RoohiAfza last month. Now, as she gears up for the Georgia schedule of Kargil Girl, Kapoor will have to gain muscle again.

"For her weight loss, she had to do a fair amount of cardio," explains Purohit. Since they have six weeks before Kapoor slips into her IAF pilot uniform again, the trainer has employed the same regimen that brought them success the first time around. "She is working out six days a week, for two to three hours daily. For the first two days, she does EMS [Electrical Muscle Stimulation] and the remaining four days are dedicated to pilates. She has a back injury because of which her training has to be monitored." Purohit supplements it with a protein-heavy meal. "Janhvi has a sweet tooth. So, my mother makes these healthy laddoos with jaggery and nuts. Ideally, she is allowed one a day, but she gulps down three of them."

Discussing clients Sonakshi Sinha and Kangana Ranaut, pilates trainer Namrata Purohit on achieving big results by targeting smaller muscles across different body types
Sonia Lulla (MID-DAY; May 15, 2019)

Considering the array of celebrity trainers that comprise the Indian fitness market, the number of A-league actors that pilates trainer Namrata Purohit has whipped into shape, is noteworthy. Inarguably, a case study that could win her accolades is Sonakshi Sinha, who, since her entry into Bollywood, has been at odds with the weighing scale. Sinha, with her washboard abs, currently looks fitter than ever, and Purohit attributes it to their understanding of learning to deal with "her body type".

"Initially, she would train the bigger muscles of her body, which, given her body type, made her look bulky. When we started doing pilates, we addressed the deeper and smaller muscles, which helped her achieve a slimmer, toned and leaner look," says Purohit as she connects with mid-day as part of her association with AXN's upcoming show.

Individuals like Sinha, who are not blessed with the best metabolic rate, benefit from an added cardiovascular component. "When catering to them in a pilates class, we also up the intensity to achieve a higher heart-rate so that there can be fat burning. In Sonakshi's case, she includes a cardio component, using the treadmill or stepper, thrice a week."

Broach the topic of dealing with individuals who must strive to look fuller than they are genetically predisposed to, and Purohit instantly highlights the importance of a healthy diet. "The focus in their case is to eat good fats, instead of saturated fats. The latter can harm the hair and skin." Pointing out to clients like Janhvi Kapoor and Kangana Ranaut, she says such individuals must also up the amount of carbohydrates they consume.

"With Kangana, it's not just about the food, but also the amount of strength training she must practice to up her muscle mass. She may be skinny, but needs to tone her body. Janhvi is skinny. She started training with me in December. She had to first gain a lot of weight for an upcoming film, and then lose it. In such cases, when we had a time-line [to achieve the transformation], we had to ensure she gained weight in a manner that could facilitate a seamless weight loss later. Also, she needed to look healthy, not fat."

The cardiovascular component is limited when catering to those with a high metabolic rate.