Navneet Kaur, a 34 year-old resident of Delhi, went from a young lady on a weight-gaining trajectory, to fitness and dance studio owner and more recently successful bikini athlete. Here’s how she got to where she is today…
1. Tell us a bit about yourself, Navneet?
I am Navneet Kaur, a passionate student of different dance forms including Bharatnatyam, Jazz and Contemporary dance. I have been running my own dance and fitness studio in North Delhi called “Trinity The Multi Activity Planet” for the past 12 years. I am a dance choreographer and a lifestyle fitness coach.
2. What motivated you to transform yourself?
As a young girl, I was always quite fit as I danced and led an active lifestyle. But, suddenly one fine (or not so fine) day, I found my weight shoot up, till the point when I had to take some action. I had gained 4-5 kilos in a short time, started having issues breathing, pains in the body and migraines. Being a dancer, my sudden fall in fitness levels resulted in increased difficulty in my movements and even dance practice. I was later told I had hypothyroidism, a condition that can be quite disruptive in its early stages.
I was dragged to the gym for the first time at age 22 by a persuasive friend, Vishal Gupta. Initially, it was a real task getting up early in the morning to hit the gym, but slowly I started enjoying weight lifting. It was a great feeling. A few months after starting my gym and weight-lifting workouts, my bodily issues subsided, even though I still looked a bit “fluffy”.
One day, I agreed to go check out a bodybuilding competition with my friend. I saw so many fit women and professional female athletes competing. I saw them looking fantastic with bikini bodies. That was when I said, I want a beach body too. I had set my target high, but I was going to get there!
3. What made your transformation a successful one- factors, habits and people that helped…
I am very focused and strong headed. Once I set a target, I use all my energies to achieve it. I feel lucky to not be a big foodie, and can thus alter my diet and workout without much difficulty to help attain my fitness goals.
My journey started with my friend Vishal Gupta, who has been a constant support. He was the one who took me to the gym and taught me how to train. After a few years of being regular with my lifting, I met Rajat Goel and Bindiya Sharma at a bodybuilding event. It didn’t take much convincing to join Team 101 Hardcore. Rajat is an encyclopedia when it comes to workouts, diet, supplements and the entire anatomy. Bindiya helped me work on my posture and educated me about lifestyle workouts.
4. Tell us about your fitness regimen and diet that you followed.
I enjoy living an active lifestyle. So I workout 6 days a week apart from my sessions..
My weekly training schedule includes: 2x per week posterior chain, 2x a week chest + shoulder + tricep, 2x a week quads
My food habits are as follows:
- I have 500ml of water upon waking.
- I consume a small carbohydrate heavy meal pre-workout.
- Post workout, I take a scoop of protein.
- Soon after, I eat a proper breakfast which includes carbs, fats and protein.
- Mid-day, I have a small fruit portion.
- My lunch includes vegetables with rice/roti and a protein-rich food
- My dinner is focused around vegetables and proteinaceous items.
I follow a high-protein diet with 2x Protein:1 Carb/Fat Ratio.
5. What’s your fitness mantra?
Stay happy, motivated and train your best .
The more you realize you are doing this for yourself, the happier you will be performing any fitness activity.
6. Tell us a bit more about your trainers and mentors. How did they push you along the way?
My mentor Rajat Goel is an encyclopedia of workout techniques and anatomy.
I have been training under his guidance for the past 5 years and one thing I can say for sure is that my body looks totally different. I look toned, feel fit and yes my medical issues are so much better now. Despite having thyroid-induced arthritis and joint pain, Rajat designed and customized all my workouts to ensure I pushed my physical limits to get maximum results whilst keeping the pressure on my joints to a minimum.
In time, with Rajat and Bindiya’s guidance, I started competing on the bodybuilding stage too in the bikini category. Unbelievably, I won almost all the titles that I took part in. I also won a powerlifting gold medal in the State Championship and went far in the Nationals too.
Good stretching techniques and rehab under coach Rajat has made the impossible dream of a girl with arthritis possible!
7. Any more interesting details- recovery from injury, personal challenges etc.
I have back issues. My L5-L6 got injured while dancing many years back. The doctor had advised me to rest completely, but there was no respite from the pain. Yet, once I started working out, my pain reduced substantially. From an empty rod deadlift now I can lift 145 kgs with ease!
Even if you have your own fitness struggles, I personally feel that if you are mentally strong and adaptable, the right mentor can change your life completely.
You can check out Rajat’s and Bindiya’s Instagram handles for training inspiration, techniques, tips and client progress.