MMA has been evolving rapidly as a form of fitness in recent years, and it's no surprise that celebrities have been some of the best early adopters. In India, one of the key facilitators of this trend is Rohit Nair, a name that’s become synonymous with top-notch training in combat sports.

Rohit’s journey into the fitness world started way back in school with boxing and kickboxing. He didn’t stop there, though—he dabbled in Jiu Jitsu, wrestling, and eventually embraced Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) wholeheartedly. His career highlights include competing internationally, like at the World Championship in Kazakhstan and the Asian Beach Games, showcasing his diverse skill set.

When he’s not throwing punches or grappling on the mat, Rohit’s busy transforming lives. He’s taken his extensive combat sports experience and applied it to personal training, helping a wide range of clients from fitness newbies to seasoned pros—helping the likes of Varun Dhawan and Siddhant Chaturvedi develop a regimen.  His training philosophy? Focus on performance and overall well-being first, and the aesthetics will follow naturally.

Recently, Rohit’s been in the spotlight for his work with Bollywood star Ali Fazal, prepping him for the much-anticipated "Mirzapur" Season 3. Over an intense eight-month period, Rohit crafted a workout plan that mixed weight training, mobility drills, and kickboxing, and resulted in one of 2024's most talked-about physiques.

We sat down for a chat with Nair, hoping to explore some of his fitness secrets. Excerpts.

Tell us a bit about your background and how you entered the world of fitness.

When I was in school, I started boxing, then kickboxing, and then I did Jiu Jitsu and wrestling as well. Slowly, I started doing MMA. I've competed at the international level in multiple combat sports—Jiu Jitsu, Sambo, and MMA. I played in the World Championship in 2017 in Kazakhstan. I did the Asian Beach Games in 2016. I've also done a reality show based on kickboxing in Thailand in 2016. I did a cultivation course back in 2011-12. Ever since then, I started training people for combat sports as well as general fitness. 

You've seen several fitness trends come and go over the years. How have you seen the choices available to clients change as a trainer?

I feel there should be a balance. Even lifting weight is equally important as manipulating your own body, working on flexibility, body control, and strength. So there should be a balance of everything. As my background was in sports and combat sports, I've also done personal training courses. What I do, and what I feel is my strength, is I mainly focus on performance-based training. The look of the person comes as a byproduct of the training. I don't train or guide a person to do certain exercises, telling them they'll look a certain way in a certain amount of time. My way of teaching is making them do exercises in a way that helps them live their lives better without any obstacles.

Could you tell us a bit about how you approach designing a workout routine for an actor?

Training actors, we first need to see the requirement, then we see the timeline and what exactly is needed by the action team and the actor as well. A common requirement is they need to look with a little less body fat percentage and learn a bit more action for the action director to help them with the proper action.

Tell us about your experience of training Ali Fazal for Mirzapur.

I was training Ali even before we started training for Mirzapur 3. When we started training for Mirzapur 3, he had an idea of his look. In season one, he had a proper bodybuilder kind of look. In season two, he was a little bulkier, but this time he wanted to look leaner, be more agile, and feel more fit. We lost a lot of fat, around 5 percent, and worked on mobility with a lot of animal movements. He did a lot of kickboxing with me. We worked on weight training as well. Overall, it took 8 months to prep for this role. We put on a lot of muscle and lost fat, so he looks lean but hasn't lost any frame. His frame will always look bigger because of his height.

How do you generally keep your celebrity clients motivated through the whole process?

I try to relate with them using my personal experience. There are times when even I feel demotivated or don't feel like following a diet or working out daily. The mindset is totally different. I used to be an athlete before; right now, I don't compete, but I used to compete. I try to talk to them and make them understand that being an actor and training is easier. We have everyone in the team: nutrition people, training people, and others. Putting in the work and seeing the outcome gives them results that stay for a lifetime. The series or any movies they work on will stay for a lifetime, so putting in 100 percent of the effort works. We need to motivate them when they are not shooting, during the off-season.

How does diet and nutrition play into all of this? Are there any specific guidelines or recommendations you use when working with actors?

Nutrition is equally important as working out. Nutrition will be based on what they want to look like or their aim. It's always a high protein diet but balanced with carbs and fat. I like to include a lot of green vegetables and protein in the diet. Some people enjoy doing intermittent fasting; some don't. We do a bit of trial and error, and stick to one diet that works for them.

What are your thoughts on the inception of MMA in India and its growth until now?

MMA in India has totally grown. Back when I did MMA, if someone asked me what I do or which match I've won and I said MMA, there used to be confused reactions. Now, people have an idea of what it is. Indian athletes are growing, and we have three people who have fought in the UFC from India. Pooja Tomar won recently. There are a lot of Indian promotions and domestic matches going on. Tiger Shroff has also initiated MMA Matrix, which has been going on for four or five years. Everything together is improving.

What advice would you give to someone who is new to MMA and wants to give it a try?

People shy away from doing MMA, thinking they need to be fit to do MMA. That's not the case. You can use it as a workout to be fit, and then later, as per your capacity, decide whether you want to compete or just do it for fun or as a form of exercise. Your trainer will set your workouts according to your level, starting from a beginner stage. Everything will be looked after. The myth I want to bust is that people think you need to be fit to start doing MMA. Start training in MMA to get fit instead—once you do MMA for a certain period of time, you will eventually be fitter. Then you can decide whether you want to compete or just do it for fitness.

How does one go about choosing a martial art to learn?

A lot of people try martial arts to seek jobs or fame or to attain a certain body or get a government job. If they are aiming for a government job, they should practice Olympic sports like wushu, wrestling, and boxing—I personally started with boxing. If they are confused and want to try everything, they should start with MMA. MMA encompasses a variety of martial arts, including stand-up disciplines like karate, kickboxing, taekwondo, boxing, and Muay Thai, as well as grappling techniques such as Jiu Jitsu, wrestling, and judo. Notably, judo is also an Olympic sport.

What would you like to see change and evolve in the fitness scene within India?

I would like to see more gyms that offer holistic fitness rather than just bodybuilding or machine-based training. In India, fitness was introduced through bodybuilding and actors who did bodybuilding. The trend is slowly changing, and I think in the coming years, it will definitely change. More gyms offering holistic fitness should help.

Compared to the 'ideal' Bollywood figures of 30 years ago, actors today are on an entirely different level. What do you think has been the biggest factor of change?

The science has always improved, supplementation has changed, and people are more serious about it. The diet has changed—people used to just eat anything; now, they are more focused on diet. Workouts have changed. Supplementation and science behind it have improved, so we can achieve much better bodies than before. A lot of research has been done. People are now aware of gluten-free and lactose-free diets. As science improves, people achieve much better volumes.

What are your thoughts on popular new fitness formats, such as Crossfit?

The best thing about CrossFit is that it's run in a group. If you miss a session, other people motivate you not to miss the class. In group classes, people are consistent and enjoy it. They push each other, which helps achieve goals. However, CrossFit is a sport, and people need a balance of rehab and recovery. In India, people don't focus on recovery, leading to more injuries. Lack of recovery causes more injuries, not necessarily doing things wrong.

What advice would you give to someone who wants to become a successful celebrity trainer?

I would never advise someone to aim to be a 'celebrity' trainer. You can become a trainer, and anyone who approaches you can be trained. You don't need to be a celebrity trainer. Be famous for who you are, not for your clients. The level of trainers has really improved. Trainers can earn as much as an engineer or doctor. There's more respect for the job now. Social media gives a lot of traction and validation, which is immediate. Respect and monetary value have increased, so the level of training has also improved.

Wrapping up, what are your personal goals and plans for the rest of 2024?

I want to upgrade myself by gaining more knowledge. I'm currently learning more about sports-specific training. I want to train more athletes and feel more equipped to train high-level athletes. That's what I'm looking forward to in this phase of my life.