Both exercise and diet, given the age of the children, are rooted in the basics, following a Jain diet in accordance with family customs, but rich in curd, cheese, paneer, ghee and other vegetarian proteins. “I believe in our traditional pehalwani and akhada systems, which are child-friendly, with no extra supplements at this stage. There is only one mantra: no packaged foods,” shares Sanjay.
However, training is mixed with play and supervision. “The basics have to be perfect because otherwise you become prone to injury. I started with training Aarya to hold the barbell correctly and the theory of powerlifting. Apart from that, the sessions include a 15-minute warm-up, a 30-minute dedicated workout and 15 minutes of play. But for Radhika, the workout is very easy. Before they feel pain, when they make us massage; I immediately adjust the workout the next day,” explains Sanjay. As a powerlifter who had to give up the sport due to a spinal injury, he is careful to avoid overtraining.
What’s next for weightlifting miracles? Right now, they’re competing in state-level competitions, but Sanjay doesn’t have a big dream or goal in mind — instead, he wants to push them as long as they want to go, saying, “The girls are good at karate and learning boxing. I believe starting at a young age keeps them active, flexible and able to choose whatever they want to do in the world.”
