Couples Who Workout Together Stay Together: Mr & Miss South India's Fitness Routine

Step into your neighbourhood gym and you’ll notice more couples working out together these days. Training with bae is like winning the lottery in terms of workout buddies. You’re encouraging each other to live a healthy lifestyle, inside and outside the gym. Plus, they know all your strengths and weaknesses. Gaurabh Chakraborty and Pooja Sharma are college sweethearts who went into the world of fitness and bodybuilding hand-in-hand and are now holders of Mr and Ms South India {Fitness} in their own categories.

Gaurabh and Pooja got into fitness in 2014 and they’ve never looked back. Since they’re both into bodybuilding, their workouts are different from weight-loss and other fitness programs. Minimal cardio and plenty of strength training —  that’s the mantra. They set their yearly goals together and help each other achieve it. While Gaurabh is a software engineer who makes time for his training, Pooja is a full time trainer, and fitness and fashion blogger. Pooja struggled with her weight before Gaurabh encouraged her to get into fitness. Before joining the gym with him, they would both head to a neighbourhood ground and sprint together. They took it slow and now, three years later, they both lift together in the gym.

They both workout early in the morning at Gold’s Gym in Malleswaram as that’s the only time they’re free. The trainers at Gold’s have different routines for bodybuilding, weightloss and strength and it’s the bodybuilding routine this fit couple follows. There’s even a video of her doing squats with him on her shoulders! Gaurabh says that they don’t depend on each other to reach their fitness goals but they do help and inspire each other as much as they can.

Since Pooja is a vegetarian and Gaurabh isn’t, their diets vary. Gaurabh eats plenty of chicken, but he never eats oily food. Pooja says that it’s harder for women to cheat on their diets because they don’t have testosterone and it’s far easier for them to put on fat than muscle. Pooja and Gaurabh cook their own food and carry it wherever they go. This ensures they don’t end up eating any junk food from the outside.

If Gaurabh does need to get his protein fix, he heads to Leon’s Grill or Hwealth Cafe for Tandoori or Grilled Chicken. Their advice for any couples out there who want to workout together is that it’s always a good idea to have someone you live with on the same fitness journey as you. Apart from having shared goals, it also ensures that you aren’t secretly piling on the carbs at home. So, what you waiting for? Grab bae and head to the gym now!

Follow them on Instagram here and here for major #fitspiration.