Mahesh Waghmare is a professional bodybuilder based in Udaipur, he is also a fitness trainer and a wholesaler of protein supplements, Mahesh don’t have any higher educational qualifications, he can even hardly read and understand the content and nutritious facts written on supplement bottles but he challenges any qualified nutritionist or fitness trainer to prove him wrong.

He used his own body to experiment the supplements, its quantity and quality. He knows every small and big detail of work-out techniques, posture, fitness and bodybuilding ethics.

He has a collection 10,000 magazines and books of bodybuilding, almost all in English which he translates with the help of her daughter who’s studying engineering.

Mahesh won several medals in bodybuilding including Mr. Indore (1981-85), Mr. Malwa (1986), Gold Medal in Banswara (2007), Pratapgarh (2008) and Chittor (2009), Silver Medal in North India level (2009), Mr. Rajasthan in Pratapgarh (2010), Opted for Mr. India Federation Cup 2010 in Varanasi and represented Rajasthan, he won 5^th place and National level silver medal in Bhopal 2011.

His steeled muscles, sturdy facial expression and jagged eyes keep away even the most mischievous elements from him but very few people knows that he never even raised his voice to anyone in his life.

5 foot 7 inch tall Mahesh Waghmare is so much passionate for bodybuilding that even after leaving bodybuilding for nearly 20 years due to financial problems he kept struggling to become a bodybuilder.

Today at the age of 48 he can give an easy fight to even some top hardcore bodybuilders of India.

Below are the excerpts of a vast discussion between me and Mahesh Waghmare on bodybuilding as a sport, Mahesh’s struggle, his achievements and future plans.

Mahesh, would you like to tell us about your early days and family?

My father Gendalal was a simple man, he used to work in a cloth mill and he was the only breadwinner of our family of 9 people including my 6 siblings, my mother Shakuntala was a house wife. Poverty followed with illiteracy and I left studies in my early teens.

When and how did you first get to know about bodybuilding?

It was when I was 13 year old; I came to know about a bodybuilding competition which was going to be held in Indore’s Nehru Stadium some 12kms far from my house. I went to see the event with my friends and that was the first time I saw bodybuilders flexing their muscles on stage. I was so much impressed by the show that I directly went to then coach Mohan Singh Rathore and told him, sir I also want to become bodybuilder, will you train me? He instantly replied come from tomorrow and that’s how I started bodybuilding.

As you said, your family was not financially sound, what was your parent’s reaction on your decision of joining gym?

My father was always interested in traditional wrestling, so he presumed that bodybuilding would be same like that, and he also had no idea about the expense or career in this sport. He thought I just want to do this out of passion so he didn’t object.

As I was never being charged by Mr. Rathore and about diet it was nothing special except good amount of milk and everyday food. So, no one was taking it a big thing.

How was your early experience in the world of bodybuilding? Would you like to share your first achievement?

Since joining the gym first time till next 4 years I concentrated only on bodybuilding, more I was exploring it more I was becoming crazy about bodybuilding, I used to paddle my bicycle to gym twice a day. I participated in Mr. Indore and succeeded to get gold medal and an award of Mr. Indore in 55kg category.

You remained Mr. Indore for more than 4 years, it undeniably made your confidence but then in what circumstances you left bodybuilding?

Yes, definitely it boosted my confidence and for few more years the title of Mr. Indore remained with me. But soon I realized that I am in fact running away from an ugly truth that I cannot afford good quantity of nutritious diet. Family pressure was mounting on me too; bodybuilding could not feed me or my family. Then I decided to quit this sport, not forever but till I didn’t start earning enough to feed my family and then myself. In those whole years I never missed to watch any bodybuilding competition going anywhere close to my reach.

How did you come to Udaipur? And how you re-started bodybuilding?

I did pity jobs in Indore and also in Akola for few years. I got married and soon after that my destiny took me and my newly wed wife to Udaipur. Coming to Udaipur was not a coincidence, actually I visited it in 1979 in a tour and I fell in love with the city, so I decided to move here.

I did many part time jobs in Udaipur too. One day I went to nathdwara and there I came to know about “Devkinandan Gujar Gaur Gym” which was closed since long, I proposed the owner to appoint me as a trainer and he agreed. I started giving training there and that once closed gym again became active, moreover my long awaited dream to re-start bodybuilding was also getting true. I trained more than 1000 people there.

Then?

I continued being a trainer in Nathdwara but somewhere I was not satisfied, I quit as a trainer because I could not acheive personal growth. I came back to Udaipur and borrowed some money on interest to start a business of selling health supplements; I used to involve in all local and district level matches which gave me little more recognition to get a job of personal trainer for many reputed people of Udaipur.

Would you like to name few people whom you trained?

Sure, Pramod Paliwal of Miraaj group, Rajveer Singh Jhala ex-president MLSU, Shalu Singh of Roopi’s and Saurabh Khaitan of Khaitan Marbles are few high profile people I trained.

At the age of 48 you are in a great form of your career, how do you feel it? Don’t you think sometimes that you are too late to achieve your goals?

Never! I think I am too lucky and still too young to the world of bodybuilding. My age never became obstacle in front of my excessive and ageless love for bodybuilding. I used to work-out with teenagers who are more than half of my age and also compete with builders aged 50 and above. Every sport needs passion and determination.

There are many youngsters who love to show off their six packs abs and carved biceps, I don’t know if a professional bodybuilder do the same or not but tell me do you love to show off your muscles too?

Yes I do but only on stage, in front of judges. That’s what a bodybuilder do generally, I also try to convey a message to people that we should eat well and keep ourselves healthy and strong.

Mahesh what and how much you eat everyday to maintain your body?

First, let me tell you a small secret. Good body doesn’t come with how much you eat but by how good your eating habits are. Before saying what I eat, let me tell you what I don’t eat, I strictly keep myself away from anything fired, spicy, potato and wheat chapatti.

Breakfast: black coffee and 2-3 biscuits

Work-out for 1 and a half hour

Protein diet and 8 Egg whites

Lunch: Dal-Rice-Buttermilk

Rest for 3 hours

One and a half hour work-out

Protein diet

8 egg whites

Dinner – sometimes only fruits or boiled vegetables

I drink 10-12 liters of water every day.

I eat lots of seasonal fruits too.

Who’s your favorite bodybuilder?

Jay Cutler is my favorite bodybuilder, because I think that Jay has that beautiful body every bodybuilder dreams of.

Mahesh, besides joining a good gym, an experienced trainer, passion for bodybuilding and lots of luck what else a person needs to become a bodybuilder?

See, passion is something which should be inbuilt and good gym and experienced trainer comes only if you have good amount of money. In short, a person should be ready to spend lots of money on his body. If I see any not-so-rich guy who wish to become bodybuilder I advise him to rethink or better drop the plan because I know what I have seen in my life. Second most important thing is education, it has no direct relation with bodybuilding but I think I am left little behind just because I am not well educated.

How much time it takes for someone to make good looking muscles?

It takes a year or even more than that to make a basic shape of a body. There is absolutely no magic which can make 6 packs abs and 18’’ biceps in 1-2 months. Youngsters don’t have patience and because of that instead of making body they start harming it.

Do you think that the sport of bodybuilding has future in India?

I think, yes it has a bright future in India, we have many global level bodybuilders here in India, There are regular events and competitions going on in different cities, people are becoming of bodybuilding and sponsors are also getting attracted towards this sport.

What do you say about Rajasthan?

Not good, bodybuilding in Rajasthan is far behind the standard of other Indian states. There are not many good bodybuilders in our state. Like when I participated in Federation Cup 2010 in Varanasi, I was the only who represented Rajasthan. State Govt also don’t promote this sport nor do they encourage local bodybuilders like other states do. States of Punjab, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka provide jobs to bodybuilders but we have nothing like that.

What is that biggest challenge you are facing right now?

I am preparing for international event where 3500 bodybuilders from world are going to participate, it will be held in November this year in Mumbai. As it is a global event I have to prepare myself more than ever so my expenses on food and exercises will also go double which needs lots of money. I wish to get sponsored by someone and if I get a sponsor I can win a medal for India, I am sure of it.