Steadfast Athlete Gaurav Sharma was was more of a cricket fan in his younger days, just like the majority of Indians. He played cricket at the national and state level during his school days as a right-hand fast bowler, but due to a severe shoulder injury, he couldn’t continue for long and shifted his focus back to physical fitness and education.
The athlete from Guwahati took to bodybuilding closely in 2004 and has learned and taught himself and his clients since then. Fitness and bodybuilding became his passion with a full-time engineering job in 2010.
Gaurav’s formal journey as an athlete began in 2014 when he participated in a couple of district-level bodybuilding competitions and was runner’s up in the Mr Kamrup 2014, organised by the All Indian Body Builders Federation.
Gaurav was motivated to compete as a bodybuilder after watching Mr Olympia, which eventually became his big dream. The legends Arnold Schwarzenegger and Phil Heath are his role models. However, he gives the whole credit for his diligence and dedication to his coach Gunajeet Das who “showed me the right path towards bodybuilding”.
With the right coaching and the apt inspiration, Gaurav took his preparation to the next level, developing a physique worthy of competition in 2019 with back to back wins in the years ahead- he won Mr Assam (2019), All Assam Mr Heath Zone Classic (2019), Mr Guwahati (2019), Mr Eastern India 2020, Mr World (WBPF) and 2021 (Uzbekistan). He took his big step toward Mr Olympia by participating in the IHFF Amateur Olympia 2022 for the first time, securing the seventh position out of 50 participants.
Gaurav has been associated with Steadfast Nutrition for almost three years and admires how the brand has always maintained the quality of its products. He attributes the desired results on his body to Steadfast Nutrition’s products and ensures he tries the new products launched. His favourites are Incredible Whey (particularly the mango flavour) for muscle recovery, Power Massive for mass gain, and the recently-launched energy booster SteadCreatine and the hydration supplement SteadLytes.
Gaurav says Steadfast Nutrition is doing great work in bodybuilding and fitness and is proud to be a part of its athlete roster.
Having a work-life balance is no easy task- very employed individual will be able to vouch for this statement. But it’s even more difficult to maintain that balance when you’re a professional athlete in the physique category. Gaurav has found it tough to maintain that perfect balance between work and personal life and his passion for bodybuilding. He’s often unable to attend family events when on prep. Family outings get restricted because travel is reduced immensely. During the depletion phase during competition prep, he has noticed that it becomes difficult to concentrate during office hours.
So, his formula to create a balance includes spending Sundays only with his loved ones, since weekdays are in the office and the gym. During off seasons, he plans outings or travel tips with his family and friends. Short vacations are a must for him during this time.
Despite the regulations and strictness, Gaurav never forgets his love for food. He takes immense delight in the street food of Delhi and Mumbai and does not hesitate to try new cuisines. Gaurav’s competition prep calls for an extremely strict diet and routine. But as soon as a show or competition is over, he treats himself well to non-vegetarian delicacies.
