Esha Deol on Dharmendra: I have his physique

HE Dharmendra motivates not only me but also our entire nation He is the first HeMan of our industry and all his roles were rooted in athleticism I am blessed with an athletic physique and have certain cuts that women rarely do due to him In fact my physique is exactly like his When Irsquod play football on the field my coaches would address me by my fatherrsquos name Irsquove been into fitness from a young age because I was influenced by him and my momHe has always been proud of me for participating in sports When I was young I would wake up at 5 am and train on the beach in football or handball I would take his advice on exercising and on correct eating habits Watching him play badminton as he did also played a role in influencing me Fitness forms a part of our discussion even today My dad is so inspiring Even today he wakes up at 5 am to practise breathing exercises yoga and meditation He enjoys cycling and walks often He does a lot to stay mentally emotionally and physically fit and always reiterates that all the three factors are important I agree with that and hence also practise activities like martial arts kickboxing and dance which cater to all the three aspectsHe is the biggest and best example we are living with He influences our entire family to not only look but also feel fit In fact Irsquom out of India with my daughter right now and I see her shop for exercise gear At such a young age she says she wants to be in the gym and exercise Radhya loves action films like The Karate Kid and Wonder Woman Both my girls enjoy extracurricular physical activities They are tough girls who esnjoy bootcamps and swimming sessions The tradition continues in our familyTaught me to be consistent AdhyayanMy dad Shekhar Suman was always fit even before his dramatic physical transformation in 2009 And while I had lost weight before that I learnt the value of consistency from him When he lost weight nobody expected him to do something like that especially at that age People thought he had taken steroids or gone under the knife But he hadnrsquot That he never gave up on his journey is amazing I feel proud to be the son of someone who is fit and concerned about his healthHe taught me that consistency is key No matter how busy he was he would be found in the gym when it was time even if he wasnrsquot feeling up to it His focus would never waver and thatrsquos something I learnt from himI admit that I did resort to consuming steroids for a film in 2013 There were pressures from the industry and my trainers so I took them It harmed me and I said Irsquod never take the easy way to build my body again Thatrsquos something I discuss with him My dad feels I exert myself way too much There would be days when I would wake up and practice spinning for 40 minutes then lift weights play tennis swim and do martial arts Hersquod warn me stating that my body would stop responding if I didnrsquot revisit my routineI wanted arms as big as his Karan DeolMy dadrsquos Sunny Deol training regimen was always very intense He would wake up at 530 am and exercise Often he would try to wake me up to accompany him If he had a long day of shooting hersquod come home and train before hitting the bed He had a real love for sports and would play badminton From an early age I was inspired by him because he did activities that made him feel good not just look good He did it because it helped the body stay active and the mind sharp For a bit I tried to wake up and learn karate but the process would leave me exhausted in school so I could only sustain it for a while However I took to sports in schoolWhen I was younger I would tell him that I wanted to lift weights which were as heavy as he did I wanted arms as big as his Irsquod look at his physique and be motivated I would arm wrestle with him and while of course I didnrsquot stand a chance to win hersquod let me win anywayWhen I turned 18 I wanted to hit the gym and took to CrossFit I trained with him for a while before appointing a trainer Today if I donrsquot wake up in the morning and exercise for three hours I feel like my day wonrsquot be good I do one hour of cardio on the crosstrainer and skip I follow it up with one hour of weighttraining and finally boxing Irsquom learning boxing for Apne 2 because my character is a boxer In the process I started to enjoy boxing and find the drills excitingIrsquove not been seen in this physique so this film will showcase my physical and mental transformation to look like a heavyweight boxer The one thing that Irsquove learnt is that you canrsquot wake up saying yoursquore feeling tired Your mind will try to persuade you to take a break but each day that you donrsquot listen to it and head for the training is a day of growth