In conversation with Yashmeen Manak – Fitness Expert and Professional Athlete

To make great achievements, you have to be great! One such athlete is Yashmeen Manak who not only owns a great body but also has distinctively made her mark in the field of fitness and has went on achieving invariably.

Back in time, when bodybuilding as a sport was predominantly male centric, it is inspiring to learn that Yashmeen daringly put herself against the status quo. With intense hard work and sheer passion to own a fit body, Yashmeen has proved that even female bodybuilders can be graceful, successful and sought after.

 

Born on 21^st March, 1979, in the city of Delhi, Yashmeen overcame the turmoils of a troubled childhood and went on with her unstoppable zest to have an amazing body she has today.

Among her various notable achievements to name a few, Yashmeen is:

• 1^st runner up at The Body Power India Expo ‘Fit Factor’, 2015
• Gladrags Mrs. India 2005 ‘Best Body Award’ Winner
• Strength Athlete, training skills honed by Mr. Kaizzad Capadia himself, K11 Academy, Mumbai
• Preparation Coach, Competitive Body Building and Power Lifting
• Fitness Consultant
• An ACSM (American College of Sports Medicine) certified fitness expert.
• Reebok certified aerobics instructor and dance choreographer.
• Certified kettlebell teacher

 

With the great body and heavy weight lifting skills, she has also managed to be India’s 1^st Neullife Cellucor sponsored athlete.

Not just an athlete but also an entrepreneur, Yashmeen owns a gym by the name of ‘Sculpt’ in Gurgaon, Haryana. She is also known for conducting corporate seminars on nutrition, diet, workout and loves writing, blogging covering various aspects of fitness.

Inspite of her busy schedule our team managed to get into a conversation with Yashmeen. Thanks Yashmeen for your time, hope the information you shared inspires our young and ambitious readers who want to be or are professional athletes, specially women who want to make a mark in this industry like their male counterparts.

How has your journey been before you started with your career in fitness?

Growing up has been my biggest challenge. I faced a lot of hardships in my family right since I was 2 years old. I lived with my grandparents, my grandfather was a retired colonel and I have inculcated a lot of values from him. When out of school I had to live with my stepmother and father which did not work out. So I came back to stay with my grandfather, but I gradually realised that it is important to be financially independent and hence started working part-time. I did my college through correspondence, while working part-time as a kindergarten teacher.

Since I was obese as a teen, I was determined to lose weight and developed a passion for fitness. So while I used to teach in the morning, I started going to the gym in the evening. Back then, the place where I stayed did not have many gyms for women. So I had to go the gym with little or no proper guidance.

Gradually I got an offer from a very big gym that opened in Gurgaon to teach aerobics. I used to teach in the morning whereas, in the evening I used to take group aerobic classes. I eventually quit teaching and joined as a full time aerobics instructor.

Is your family supportive as of today when it comes to your profession?

Yes, my husband is very supportive. He trusts me completely when it comes to any professional decisions that I take. He respects my opinions and is always there for me whenever I need. He helps me a lot and is my backbone.

You must be good at networking. What would you advice the young fitness professionals who want to make a mark in this field?

I don’t do any networking for myself, I am very bad at handling Public Relations and I am a very reserved person. Whatever I am today, I owe to my willpower, hard work and may be some luck here and there. So work hard, be determined and believe in yourself is all that I have to say.

While there were hardly any females getting into this industry in the past, did you ever face any setbacks or challenges as a women?

The environment I grew up in was very challenging which I did survive. Hence, the other challenges that came along my way later on appeared quite trivial to me. Of course being a woman and getting into the fitness industry was quite tough. The time when I joined gym, there were hardly any fitness trainers and facilities available for women. Moreover, there was no source of information available unlike today where we have internet access at our fingertips.

Being a woman, I was many-a-times not taken seriously as a fitness instructor or coach by men. However, after attending my training sessions men had to change their opinion about me and today, when it comes to Personal Training, I have all male clients, so far. They respect me and appreciate me for my expertise. Moreover, I have, both men and women (from age groups 10- 65) coming to my gym, Sculpt. It’s all about having faith in yourself and an individual’s willpower to achieve, backed by consistent hard work which will help you achieve your goals.

How do you keep yourself motivated?

If you want something really bad enough and you are passionate about it, motivation comes naturally. You can get inspired by others, but such inspiration will be temporary, ultimately it should come from within. I was determined about what I wanted since childhood and believed in myself that I will achieve it irrespective of the circumstances and whether or not I get any support.

Please tell us about people who may have inspired you, or been as guide or coach for you.

 If it’s about inspiration, there is no one because when I started there was no exposure to internet or other resources so there was very limited or no information available about people in this industry. When it comes to guidance, I have two Gurus, one is Kaizzad Capadia and the other is Dr. Som Tugnait. These two people play quite a pivotal role when it comes to the skills I have today, be it strength training or power lifting. I started my training under the guidance of Kaizzad sir who is in Mumbai. I met him a few years ago. He is my mentor, coach. I have learnt everything from him and it is because of him that I am what I am today.  Lately, I also met Dr. Som Tugnait at one of the power lifting competitions where he was a judge. Dr. Som stays very close to my place in Delhi. Although I met him recently, there is a lot I have learnt from him.

 Our readers would be eager to know what is your diet plan like.

Diet Plan On season/Off Season: My Diet Plan remains almost the same throughout the year. I follow the Bodybuilding Ketogenic Diet, sample of which is described below:

Meal	Diet
Breakfast	4-5 whole eggs fried in butter
Mid-morning	Whey shake in water and walnuts
Lunch	Shallow fried spicy chicken (in ghee) with spinach / green capsicum
Mid-afternoon	4 whole egg bhurjee in chopped onion and corriander
Pre-workout	Whey shake in water with 2 tablespoons of virgin coconut oil
Post-workout	Whey in water
Dinner	Chicken/Salmon or any other fatty fish with stir fried broccoli/ beans

 

Can you also share with us the workout plan you follow?

Day	Workout
Day 1	Barbell Back Squats, Lunges, Hip Thrust, Step Ups, Leg Press
Day 2	Chest, Shoulders, Barbell Bench Press/ Dumbell Press, incline dumbbell press/Incline Barbell press, decline dumbbell press, dumbbell or barbell overhead press, Dumbbell lateral raises, Decline bench close grip barbell, Decline bench close grip barbell press
Day 3	Back, Deadlift/bent-over dumbbell rolls, lat pull down, front/wide grip chin ups, seated rows or close grip chin ups, dumbbell shrugs, incline bench prone high rows
Day 4	Glutes, Hamstrings, Calves, Hip thrust, Seated hamstring curls, standing calf raises, seated calf raises
Day 5	Cardio, Abdominals, Decline bench reverse crunches, Hanging reverse crunches, Decline bench twisted crunches, Decline bench sit ups, Cardio high intensity interval training

 

What’s next on your list?

I am preparing for a completion in March end i.e. ‘Women Physique, Miss India’ in greater Noida. I Plan to go for two competitions this year.

I have plans to open up an academy related to fitness wherein, I will not only train and prepare contestants for various Body Building Competitions, but also teach them stage presence . I have found that, In India, even today, there is no proper training available, when it comes to posing and presentation. I had to do it all on my own before I went on for competitions. Today Young females who want to compete lack guidance in this aspect. If you don’t know how to pose or present yourself on stage, you can’t connect with people. Body language speaks for itself, so this is one aspect where India is still lacking and I wish to set up an academy which caters to the participants, holistically.

What message would you like to give to young women who wish to join the sport?

To all the women who want to make a future in this sport: It requires a hell lot of discipline and hard work if you want to excel and make a name. It requires mental strength to face a lot of competition, jealousy and negativity which comes along as you climb up the ladder of progress. Work meticulously to improve yourself every year and strive to be better in every season. Compete with yourself and pick up your weak points to work on them strategically. Do not just look strong, Lift Heavy and Be Strong!!!

What would you like to tell us (IBB)?

IBB is a wonderful platform spreading knowledge about fitness. You get to know all the latest information in the industry with some realistic interviews from the big shots.