Ace actor Gautam Rode who recently won rave reviews for his performance in Zee5’s ‘State of Siege’ and music videos Sun Le Zara and Chhano Maano that took the internet by storm, shared with us his fitness mantra, regimen and goals. Take a dekko!

Cheat food:

Cheat food cannot be just one for me… I love laddoos, chocolate cakes and pastries!

Favourite exercise:

Abs.

The purpose of exercise for you is:

It gives me a sense of peace and happiness besides overall physical and mental well-being of course.

Fruit or juices:

Fruits.

Stairs or lift:

I’d pick stairs any day but living on the 21st floor has its own cons and one such is that I cannot always take the stairs! (Laughs)

Your best morning routine will comprise of:

My mornings start with a daily dose of Collagen, Glutathione, L-Carnitine and the quintessential cup of black coffee!

Your favourite lockdown exercise:

Being locked up, I experimented a lot with my workouts during this time but push-ups and abs remained my constant favourites.

Yoga or weights:

Weights all the way!

Walking or jogging:

Brisk walking.

Your take on health supplements:

Health supplements are a good addition to one’s workout regimen. Having said that, one should keep in mind that supplements are not a replacement for complete meals and should always be used only in addition to a healthy diet. But steroids, I would advise, is strictly a no-no for everyone.

Best way to burn calories:

Eating healthy and indulging in regular workouts is the key to burning calories. I’d say go by the 70/30 rule: weight loss is always 70 percent the food you eat and 30 per cent exercise. One could also burn calories with good weight training sessions but these days people tend to do more cardio, planks, glutes, running… I’d say to each, his own!

Your take on six-pack abs:

Oh, I love them! I don’t believe in flaunting them though! (Hahaha, just kidding!) It certainly adds to the feel-good factor about the self.

Any personal goals in mind with regards to fitness:

My fitness goal is to stay fit and in shape for a lifetime. And the trick is easy… if you look at yourself in the mirror, you will get your answer. That’s what I always do.

One tip for everyday fitness:

I’d say everyday fitness is all about eating right and working out well, not only staying in shape but also maintaining good health. Workouts are imperative… could be weights, cardio, free-hand, dance… just take up whatever form of workout that resonates with you and make it a part of your everyday fitness routine.