At 64, Shyam Sahni keeps himself hale and hearty by pursuing his lifelong passion for powerlifting. Fresh off a victory representing India at the Commonwealth Classic Benchpress Championship in Auckland, New Zealand, with silver medals in powerlifting, squatting and bench pressing, Pune resident Sahni’s bulky physique and full head of hair make him appear almost 20 years younger. He is all set to leave for Aurangabad on Monday to participate in another powerlifting championship, open to ages 17-70.
Fascinated with bodybuilding since his high school days, Sahni, who lives in Wanowrie, has spent nearly all his life training consistently at Fisher’s Gym under the guidance of Sanjay Sharma. He looks up to tall figures in bodybuilding like Dara Singh and Arnold Schwarzenegger and to this day keeps magazines featuring the Austrian-American actor that he collected in the seventies.
Sahni ardently believes in using organic and natural methods to achieve an attractive physique. His gym too does not have machines for activities like running and cycling. “You end up with knee problems after a few years,” he explains. “These machines were invented for situations in which there is no availability of an open field to jog in or if the weather conditions are unsuitable.”
His daily exercise regimen consists of a one-and-a-half kilometre trek in the Ramtekadi region, which takes him 25 minutes. He works out at the gym from 4 pm. Sahni advocates a multi-disciplinary approach involving a balance between cardio and strength training.
Vehemently opposed to artificial supplements, including tablets, multi-vitamins, steroids and whey protein, he says, “People are collapsing due to an artificial diet. Youngsters half my age have been deceived by aggressive marketing and advertising and are taking artificial supplements like whey protein, not knowing what it contains. The exercise supplement industry is akin to a mafia. They enlist trainers at various gyms to sell whey protein powder boxes to unsuspecting customers at exorbitant prices for a commission.”
An activist himself in his younger years who even dabbled in politics, Sahni knows to raise his voice when he sees practices that are harmful to citizens. He plans to meet local officials to discuss grievances related to artificial supplements.
Sahni’s personal diet consists of protein-rich foods like fish, eggs, mutton, chicken and paneer. He steers clear of spicy food and is particularly fond of light meals like roti-dal “with a little drop of ghee”, he adds with delight. The sexagenarian’s pre-workout drink, inspired by Schwarzenegger and others, consists of nuts like cashews and almonds, raw eggs, oats, a handful of fox nuts and pumpkin seeds, and half a cup of milk and water.
Amid his bodybuilding pursuits, he also ran a marriage bureau for 30 years, “I do not focus on it much these days,” he says. Sahni never fails to visit a Bajrangbali temple before each tournament and even sports a tattoo of Lord Hanuman on his right hand after he won a bronze medal in powerlifting at the 2018 World Masters Championship in Mongolia.
Having won eight gold medals in the equipped and unequipped categories at the 2021 Asian Classic Powerlifting Championship in Istanbul, Turkey, four bronze medals in Bandung, Indonesia in 2017 and one bronze medal in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia in 2018, Sahni continues to be highly motivated and is determined to compete in more championships.
“I am at an age where I need to stay in the game as well as stay in shape,” he says. “After my long-standing lower back problem and a fracture, I only lift as much as I need to and I do not push myself, though a sense of national pride and an urge within still motivates me to continue competing,” he adds.
Recounting his inspiring encounter with an 80-year-old Australian powerlifter with Parkinson’s disease who participated in a competition following hip-replacement surgery, Sahni says he has no interest in retiring or becoming a coach yet. “This has been my lifelong passion. I’d rather continue this and be happy.”
